PARK COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – About an hour west of Colorado Springs, a family in Hartsel is serving up delicious pizza and inspiration for anyone who might need a little push chasing a new goal.
KRDO 13’s Julia Donovan traveled out to Zuccaro’s for this week’s High Country Adventures.
The restaurant is a dream that came alive later in life for Carol Zuccaro and her husband, Greg. They originally moved out to the mountains for a peaceful and quiet retirement; in other words, a slower life.
But, when a small space opened up in Downtown Hartsel, the idea of starting their own venture tugged at their heartstrings.
“We love cooking and we love having people over,” Carol told KRDO. “He goes ‘what do you think?’ and I go ‘I don’t know, we’ve never worked in a restaurant, What do YOU think?’ and he goes ‘I think we could do it!’”
“They opened a restaurant in, effectively, the middle of nowhere during a global pandemic and we weren’t really sure how that was gonna go,” Carol’s daughter, Alyssa Kendir, recounted.
“We thought ‘oh Carol will just be up there taking orders and I’ll be preparing,’” said Carol’s husband and co-owner, Greg Brown. “It was only a couple weeks later that we figured out ‘uh, this is way busier than we thought.’”
“Four years later, and it’s bigger than we ever imagined,” said Carol.
That includes nearly 27,000 pizzas sold to this day.
“It’s not just a place to come eat, it’s an experience,” said employee Shelly Bailey. “Like when the locals are at the bar after a long day on the ranch or at the fire department.”
“It’s a pleasure getting to know them and that’s actually what it’s all about,” Carol explained.
KRDO13’s Julia Donovan is from the Northeast, and she’s somewhat of an Italian food connoisseur. After visiting Zuccaro’s, she can vouch that it’s the best pizza she’s tried so far in Colorado.
However, after visiting the Zuccaro family, you can tell that it’s about more than just pizza.
“It’s cool, it’s like you can chase your dreams no matter how old you are or what stage of your life you’re in,” Alyssa said.
The couple shows that just when you think it’s about time to lie back and settle down, maybe there’s one more dream you need to take a shot at.
We asked Carol if they still plan to enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle at some point. Her response?
“Well, we might have to put that on the back burner,” she laughed.
Click the link for more information on Zuccaro’s Italian food and Neapolitan-style pizza in Hartsel.
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