COO Jon Bortles (center) gathers with his team. Jon’s father Bart (not pictured) opened Woody’s in 1993 and still owns the operation today. Woody’s currently sits at No. 42 on Pizza Today’s Hot 100 Independents List.
Woody’s Wood-Fired Pizza
Golden, Colorado
The Woody’s concept has been evolving each day since my father opened the doors in 1993. Back then, we were more of a “locals pub” that happened to have a small wood-fired pizza oven (mostly to satisfy the requirements of the liquor license). As the town grew, so did the demand for a restaurant with consistently great food, friendly staff and a fun atmosphere. Away went the pool tables, juke box and cigarette smoke and what emerged was modern-day Woody’s – a family friendly Colorado staple predicated on a high-quality pizza, soup and salad buffet that is leaps and bounds better than the chains (think scratch-made everything with the ability to request any kind of pizza you could imagine). We have also developed some of the best hamburgers, buffalo wings and sandwiches in the area, alongside our killer craft beer and cocktail program. Our culture is one of family, friendliness and constant (daily) improvement. One of our many 20+ year employees can attest to this firsthand!
Woody’s uses a honey-semolina dough recipe that has evolved alongside our 25 years of business. The semolina gives our pies a nice balance of crispiness and chew. The honey, on the other hand, in addition to providing that mouth-watering golden-brown crust, gives a subtle balance to some the savory flavors on many of our pies.
We use a wood-fired oven that is kept at 575 F and that cranks out mostly 14-inch pies for the buffet and for table service (roughly 500 a day). We also offer a 10-inch individual in this same style. For gluten free, we have an incredible yeast-activated fresh dough (tapioca and rice flours) that is formulated specifically for our high-temp oven. In fact, we competed at last year’s Pizza Expo in the Gluten-Free division!
Key to a high-volume sales operation — PEOPLE. I’m sure it sounds cliché, but especially in our business, you are only as strong as your weakest link. On a typical Saturday, for example, we cycle about 1,200 people through our 150-seat restaurant. If a hostess is in a bad mood or the dishwasher doesn’t show up, we’re toast! That’s why we spend an inordinate amount of time finding and grooming the right people and paying them above-market wages. Same goes for management. We have an incredible team of nine salaried managers who are charged with never using the words “good enough.” Each day is a learning experience for us to grow, adapt and improve.
