Now it's ready to expand again. "We close in about two weeks," Flanagin says of the building at 17525 South Golden Road in Golden, which was most recently home to Basic Kneads Pizza. "It was an existing pizzeria, and that's a really big deal because of the existing infrastructure. A lot of the equipment is reusable and nearly brand-new."
That should also make the construction and permitting processes easier. If all goes as planned, Blue Pan Golden should be ready to make its debut by mid- to late summer. The biggest project at the new location, which includes plenty of parking for streamlined to-go orders, is the addition of "a really badass outdoor patio," Flanagin notes. "It will be very, very family-forward. There will be games for kids. It's intended to be a family environment. We think this patio is really going to set us apart."
Blue Pan is already a standout in the Denver pizza scene, though Flanagin remains humble about its accomplishments. "You will never hear me or anyone at Blue Pan say we're the best," he says. "Wherever we fall in, it's the public that makes that decision. I believe we do a very good job more often than not. I know we work really hard to do a really good job."
Blue Pan co-owner Jeff Smokevitch at this year's Pizza Expo, where he won third place in the Non-Traditional Division at the Best of Northeast.
Blue Pan/Instagram
Blue Pan's approach focuses not only on a commitment to using high-quality ingredients, but also providing top-notch service. "From my experience, people want to support local concepts and small business owners," Flanigan says."More important than quality of food is service; people want really good service. If you can do both, your ability to succeed is reasonable."
It's more than reasonable to predict that Blue Pan's Golden location will be a welcome addition to the area. Flanigan has lived in Golden for nine years, and has seen its growth firsthand. With new apartments being built and more families moving in, "I believe Golden is underserved from a food standpoint," he says.
But perhaps not for long. Many suburbs are poised to welcome new, locally owned food options in the new year. Both King of Wings and Atomic Cowboy/Denver Biscuit Company/Fat Sully's are also planning to set up shop in Golden in 2023.
Rising costs and frustrating permitting processes in Denver are two major factors driving business owners to look outside the city limits when expanding. An influx of people to the suburbs has also made it smart to fill the void of high-quality dining options nearby.
"This has been a long time coming," Flanigan says of Blue Pan's next move. "It's taken multiple years to find a piece of real estate we can own. With rents across the city skyrocketing, one way we can control our own destiny is owning real estate and controlling that cost. We're just excited to be part of the Golden community."
