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When the team behind Frasca Food and Wine and Pizzeria Locale Boulder opened a Denver outpost of its much-loved pizza joint in May, fans noticed many differences between the two locations. Among them, the prices. At Pizzeria Locale Denver—a fast-casual location without a host, waitstaff, and other comforts of Boulder’s sit-down eatery—Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson, Bobby Stuckey, Chris Donato, and Jordan Wallace brought Neapolitan pizzas like the Mais (mozzarella, crème fraîche, ham known as prosciutto cotto, corn, and garlic) and the Maiale (the tomato sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto crudo, and arugula combination pictured here) to the masses for just $8.50 per 10-inch, four-slice pie.
This Friday, the foursome behind Pizzeria Locale Denver is set to roll out even more dramatic pricing. A sneak peek at a new menu board, which consolidates the “Neapolitan” and “American” offerings, revealed that pizzas, now listed in price-order, will sell for a stunning $5.75 to $8.25. (Those beloved Mais and Maiale pies will go for $7.75.)
Stuckey, who is quick to admit this is the nationally acclaimed team’s first foray into the world of fast-casual, told us that they underestimated the savings that would be gained for a restaurant without a hostess and servers. “We did all the hypotheticals and once you take away the host, you take away the waiters, we can provide food for even cheaper,” the master sommelier and co-owner says. Stuckey assured us that there would be no changes to the ingredients, toppings, or size of the pizzas and that business is strong. “It is 100 percent us finding our feet in this ‘new model of Pizzeria Locale’ and realizing that we have the opportunity to offer it at this price.”
Business is so strong, in fact, that after the team settles into these new numbers for a few months they will begin shopping for their next Colorado (most likely Front Range) location.
Pizzeria Locale, 550 Broadway Blvd., Denver, 720-508-8828
Follow Stacey Brugeman on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @denveromnivore.