This was a passion project for the James Beard award-winning chef, who has lived in the pizzeria's neighborhood for two decades. The owner of Mercantile and Fruition and one of the founders of Chook Chicken, Seidel is originally from Wisconsin and was a fan of Frontroom's thin, tavern-style pies that reminded him of home. So when he learned that Frontrom was closing, he stepped up to take over and transform the place.
Roca's debuted in early April 2022, with fresh pasta and those thin pies, as well as a thicker, Sicilian-style option and an old-school salad bar.
But the restaurant has faced numerous challenges since then. And now, just a year after it opened, Roca's is set to close on Sunday, April 30.
In January, Seidel shared a message on Roca's social media accounts:
.I wanted to take an opportunity in the new year to apologize for the inconsistencies and frustrations that have marked a very tough start for our first eight months in the neighborhood.But it seems that the new leadership wasn't enough to keep Roca's afloat. In a social media post announcing the closure, Seidel writes:
For many years, my family has lived in this neighborhood and enjoyed Frontroom Pizza. It was the closest thin crust pizza I could find that brought memories of home in Wisconsin. I loved this place and we ordered pickup once a week. Once the original owner sold the business, it went into decline. As a chef and a dad with a family in the neighborhood, of course, I wanted to try and help.
Here we are now. It is a huge responsibility for me to make this restaurant one that everyone enjoys and feels like home to this community. I am committed to this through all of the tough nights we’ve had and the challenges we have had in-house.
This restaurant industry is about people. I take full responsibility because I’ve been challenged with putting the right team together. I spent the last part of November and December making changes to the people that lead Roca’s, and I am very thankful that I have found two people with the same simple passion — 'I love making people happy' and doing that through food. I’m confident that we now have a dedicated team led by Justin Dale and Manolo Estrada, who truly want to make this community proud of Roca’s.
"We worked hard to create a neighborhood restaurant that felt like home to the local Lakewood community and that everyone could enjoy. We also care deeply about our team and our customers, so choosing to close after a year of being in business was a hard decision for us to make — but, after all the tough nights and continued challenges, we feel it is the best choice.
"A heartfelt ‘thank you’ goes out to the Roca’s community for all the support over the past year. We’d love to see you one last time, so tonight through Sunday, we hope you’ll join us for dinner with your family or friends."
Roca's is located at 13795 West Jewell Avenue in Lakewood and will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 4 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, its last day of service. For more information, visit rocaspizzaandpasta.com.
