Little Italy Pizzeria

Little Italy Pizzeria is thrilled to have been serving pizza and the Castle Pines community for almost two years now. Because new eateries are notorious for going belly-up within the first two years, owner Lisa Towne says she is "grateful for our outstanding customers."

Lisa and Marc Towne, residents of HOA#1, tapped some of Lisa's old family recipes when developing their delicious menu. But the dough recipe is Lisa's own, because a recipe that works in her native Ohio might have a little trouble at 6,700 feet!

Little Italy produces about seven batches of dough per day, but 10 on Fridays. About 60% of their business is delivery. About half of the deliveries stay in CPN; the other half go everywhere from Lincoln Ave. to The Meadows. Since opening in January of 2002, Little Italy has added some new items, including desserts such as cheesecake and apple pie stromboli, which sell very well.

What inspired someone with a Master's Degree in Education to open a pizza store? When Lisa and Marc first moved to Castle Pines, they, like everyone else who lived here just a few years ago, discovered that Castle Rock pizza joints wouldn't deliver to our neck of the woods. "We could have bought [into] a chain. [But} we wanted to keep a small community atmosphere by opening a Mom-and-Pop type store. We thought it would be more acceptable in the community."

Community is very important to the Townes, as exhibited by their charitable work and thousands of dollars in contributions of cash, food, and gift certificates. They once again will collect coats and deliver them to Christ's Table in Zanesville, Ohio. (See article on page 5.) Lisa is a strong supporter of the Women's Crisis Center in Castle Rock, donating pizzas, salads and sodas every week. Last year, Little Italy started and funded a reading program at Buffalo Ridge Elementary.

And last but not least, everyone in CPN has benefited from her work on the successful effort to eliminate the Qwest distance charge. "I was glad the Master Association hired an attorney," she says of that experience. Spacing her fingers and thumb about five inches apart she added, "I had a binder this thick."
Little Italy is located in the Castle Pines Marketplace (Safeway Center). Hours are 10:30 - 9 p.m. Monday thru Thursday; 10:30 - 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and Sundays from 2:30 - 9 p.m. Call Little Italy for Carry -Out or Delivery at 303-663-2111.