A team of hospitality veterans is set to open Sofia’s Roman Pizza this March in the LoDo District of Downtown Denver.
A fast-casual concept focused on Roman-style pizza, salads, and Italian-inspired cocktails, beer and wine, Sofia’s is located at 1530 16th Street Mall near the corner of Wazee and 16th and is inspired by the idea of travel through the eyes of a twenty-something optimist exploring Italy for the first time. The feeling of romance that comes along with discovering a new city – and oftentimes, ourselves – through getting a little lost and having a lot of fun along the way.
The star of the show is the square, Roman pizza which is cut-to-size and rustic, using locally sourced ingredients to transport Denverites to Rome’s epicenter. The team worked with an old friend and world-renowned baker, Alen Ramos of Poulette Bake Shop to create the recipe for the dough, which is the foundation of any delicious pizza. The dough for Sofia’s starts with an ancient flour called Yecora Rojo that, along with a 36-hour ferment, creates the crumb, affectionately known as the honeycomb. The honeycomb has micro-holes that make the pizza light and easily digestible.
Pizzas are cut by the square, half pan (six squares) or full pan (twelve squares). The counter will offer nine pizzas including Pepperoni, Gorgonzola + Hot Honey with cupping pepperoni, gorgonzola dolce and Calabrian chile honey, Italian Sausage + Potato with Yukon Gold potatoes, house-made Italian sausage, mozzarella, oregano, thyme, and evoo, Mixed Mushroom with cremini, maitake king oyster mushrooms, mozzarella and parsley, Soppressata + Burrata with tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy soppressata, Deliciosa burrata, and Calabrian chili. Fresh salads to accompany include a Calabrian Chili Caesar with organic romaine, Parmigiano Reggiano, house-made croutons, Calabrian chili dressing, Italian Chopped Salad with organic romaine, green cabbage, garbanzo beans, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, salami, pepperoni and oregano, and a Kale + Almond Salad with organic kale, green cabbage, Parmigiano Reggiano, chopped almonds, avocado, spicy almond dressing.
The beverage program consists of classic Italian cocktails and wines. Examples include a Sbagliato Spritz with vermouth rosso and Nolina prosecco, a classic Negroni (starting at $10), and an impressive list of Amaro and Italian Wines. There will also be the Rooftop Bee’s Knees with Barr Hill Gin, fresh lemon, and house-made honey sourced from the rooftop of the building. And, of course, martinis. Happy hour will offer $6 wines by the glass, $5 beers and $8 spritzes.
The 2600 square-foot restaurant was designed by Wunder Werks to transform the former restaurant into something light, bright, and young. The updated design features a pink + green color palette which is dressed in plants from local houseplant boutique, ReRoot. The seating capacity inside is 45 with the patio offering 24 additional seats to take in the sunshine.
Sofia’s is part of the Work + Shop collection, a people-driven hospitality group of concepts that emphasizes a work/life balance in a supportive environment with a competitive wage. Combined, the team has over 100 years of experience in the industry.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring this concept to Denver. There is a life and sense of discovery to Downtown that we feel Sofia’s embodies at its core. The experience is fun, relaxed, delicious, and full of personality… just like the people in this city,” says Claire Nafziger, general manager of Sofia’s. “From a casual lunch to date night, we feel there is something for everyone in this concept and we look forward to making people smile for years to come.”
