Per QSR Magazine, Mountain Mike’s Pizza is moving into the Rockies. In addition to the forthcoming Colorado Springs franchises from Isaac and Allie Brandon, Rocio and Chris Plucinski of Castle Rock will be founding three southeast Denver area stores in the coming months with two locations slated to open this summer. Watch for the first space in May at a just-constructed space at 12231 Pine Bluffs Way in the Pine Bluffs Shopping Center in Parker. And in June, the Plucinskis plan to open in the Pioneer Hills shopping center at S Parker Rd. in Aurora.
Chris, a Colorado and California commercial property manager, said that as soon as he and Rocio tasted a Mountain Mike’s pie, loaded with “Crispy, Curly Pepperoni,” their decision to invest was easy.
“I love food and so does my wife,” Plucinski said in a conversation with What Now. “As soon as we tried the pizza, we were like, ‘Oh, we gotta’ open one of these.’”
The star of Mountain Mike’s is its unbeatable pepperoni pizza, topped with over 120 pepperoni slices, according to Plucinski. There’s even a Colorado connection on the menu. The “Pike’s Peak” pie features “mounds of Italian sausage, pepperoni, beef, salami, linguica and ham on classic red sauce.”
This wasn’t Plucinski’s first experience with the pizza chain. In college at Stanford, he used to frequent the original Palo Alto Mountain Mike’s restaurant. The old school pizzeria ambiance that has welcomed community members for over 40 years now continues with each new Mountain Mike’s today.
“The place has a new design, but brings back the feel of the old Pizza Huts and Shakey’s Pizza, Plucinski said. “You go there to get good pizza, watch a game, and play video games. Families can come, drink some good beer and eat great pizza.”
On that note, the Plucinskis plan to stock Mountain Mike’s with a variety of Colorado craft beer alongside global commercial brands. In other words, Bud Light and Coors Light (of course) will appear with Breckenridge Brewing, 101 West Brewing, and several more rotating taps and bottles.
While the Brandons and Plucinskis build out the Mountain Mike’s brand in the area’s southern reaches, metro Denver residents not close to Castle Rock or Colorado Springs might not have to wait long for the chain’s high-quality pizza at an affordable price. According to QSR, Mountain Mike’s Pizza plans to push for continued growth in choice markets west of the Mississippi.
