Via 313 Pizza has plans to open its first Colorado restaurant in Englewood with more locations currently under discussion. Zane Hunt, co-founder of Via 313, told What Now Denver that plans are to open at I-25 and E. County Line Rd. in Englewood during the late first quarter or early second quarter of 2023.
Lease negotiations for a RiNo location on Walnut St. are ongoing. “We love RiNo. I think that’s a natural fit for Via 313,” Hunt said.
Hunt and his brother and Via 313 co-founder, Brandon Hunt, visited Denver for a real estate tour about a year ago to find top-notch, potential locations to serve their authentic, Detroit-style pizza. “When we come into a new market, we don’t want to do one and done. We want to have a strong presence by having multiple locations fired off within a year or two time frame.”
Leasing intel obtained by What Now Denver suggests another location for Via 313 could open in Littleton. “We wouldn’t choose to be in the Denver market and Denver area if we didn’t absolutely love Colorado and love Denver because we do,” Hunt shared.
Hunt and his brother, Brandon, grew up in Detroit and first opened Via 313 in Austin in 2011. The full-service pizza restaurant now has multiple locations in Texas and Utah. “We were among the first to bring that Detroit-style pizza outside of Detroit. It’s the pizza we grew up eating, so we’ve got a lot of familiarity with it. And, we’re very passionate.”
Via 313 uses the finest ingredients in its menu items. “Not only do we pride ourselves on making a consistently great pizza, but it’s the service, it’s the extra touches that we do,” Hunt said.
Many restaurants are moving to a fast-casual experience, but Via 313 wants to continue to offer a full-service restaurant experience to diners. “What we were after was more of an old-fashioned approach where you sit down, you relax, and you have an experience. Full-service, maybe beer, liquor, wine, dessert, appetizers, like you’re getting a full experience.”
Hunt referenced restaurants such as Buddy’s Pizza in Detroit, Lou Malnati’s in Chicago, and Grimaldi’s in New York. “Those three specifically are the ones that inspired us,” Hunt said. The brothers wanted to provide a gathering place for sports teams and other groups to enjoy some pizza and a pitcher of beer.
“As far as pizza goes, we’re seeing that lost a little bit, so we’re trying to help bring it back,” Hunt said. “We just want to be a part of that movement to slow down, sit down, have good food, and good service.”
Guests at Via 313 can try a variety of appetizers, Detroit-style pizzas, bar-style pizza—with a thin crust—refreshing salads and scrumptious desserts. “We’re really passionate about all the different regional styles around the United States, the cheeses, the sauces, dough techniques, baking techniques, and just really passionate about pizza. And, of course, we married that with the idea of being passionate about taking care of people, hospitality. That’s really what we’re after.”
