Godfather's Pizza Doubles Down With Southeast Denver Outpost

Denverites hungry for pizza and nostalgia flocked to Godfather's Pizza when it returned to the metro area after a two-decade absence. A new branch of the Nebraska-based chain settled in at at 2350 East 120th Avenue in Thornton last year, but that's a long drive for many metro-Denver pie lovers, who...

By Mark Antonation

August 7, 2017

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Denverites hungry for pizza and nostalgia flocked to Godfather's Pizza when it returned to the metro area after a two-decade absence. Last year a new branch of the Nebraska-based chain settled in at 2350 East 120th Avenue in Thornton. That was a long drive for many pie-lovers in the southern portion of metro Denver, though, so they'll be happy to learn that a Godfather's is coming to the southeast side of town.

The newest Godfather's is scheduled for an early fall opening at 9567 East Iliff Avenue, near the Lugano at Cherry Creek mixed-use development. It's under the same franchise ownership of Jake Smith, Cody Wickham and Adrienne Wood, the group that runs the Thornton restaurant.

Godfather's was a popular chain in the 1980s, but a downturn saw many closures — including all of the Colorado outposts — in the 1990s. While current pizza trends favor thin, Neapolitan-style pies, many Midwesterners who grew up with the company's gangster-themed TV commercials still crave the thick, chewy crust and such non-traditional toppings as the Tex-Mex and Bacon Chicken Ranch that Godfather's popularized.

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Mark Antonation is the former Westword Food & Drink Editor. In 2018, he was named Outstanding Media Professional by the Colorado Restaurant Association; he's now with the Colorado Restaurant Foundation.

Contact: Mark Antonation

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