One of the first Black-owned pizza shops in Colorado opens: “It’s just a home for everyone”
By OLIVIA YOUNG
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PARKER, Colorado (KCNC) — A restaurant in Parker is making history as one of the first black-owned pizza joints in Colorado.
Laticia Lewis has many children, but TNT Pizza is her brainchild.
“I’m a foster mom and I own group homes and I’ve always taught all my kids from adopted to biological, you know, that anything is possible,” said Lewis.
“My mom put us in a group chat and was like ‘what about a pizza shop?'” said Lewis’s son, Terrell Jones.
“It’s my favorite food in the world,” said Lewis.
Though no one in the family had pizza experience, they jumped in.
“We ended up learning how. Over time, he’d be back there throwing the dough and I’d come back and try,” said Lewis’s other son, Tyrese Bailey.
Her children, Terrell, Naynay, and Tyrese, took the lead, and TNT Pizza was born.
“Even that’s a competition. Who’s T comes first, mine or his?” said Bailey.
“My T comes first,” Jones joked.
A helping of friendly sibling rivalry comes with each pizza.
“We tell the customers when they come in like ‘thanks for ordering my pizza, I created that pizza,'” said Bailey, “the Poppin’ Pizza, that’s his pizza.”
“That’s the best pizza on there!” said Jones.
It was only after they opened the shop, they realized they were making history as the first black-owned pizza joint in the state.
“We was not at all expecting to be the first. But if we are, it’s a blessing. And I hope this opens the door for all minorities to know that if it’s there you can do it,” said Lewis.
“It feels good too like knowing that we were able to step out of our comfort zone and people will still show us the same love that they would show any other pizza shop,” said Bailey.
The whole family helps with the restaurant, and both Jones and Bailey are now foster parents themselves.
“Always being around the kiddos and seeing how much of an impact my mom had on their lives, as soon as I was old enough to, you know, change other kids lives I was all for it,” said Bailey.
They want to welcome the whole community into their family.
“You can come in here, sit down, get you a water, get a Gatorade, watch the game, you don’t have to order anything, just come in and talk if you just wanna get out the house, you don’t have to come order pizza. It’s just a home for everyone,” said Bailey.
Giving back is a big part of TNT’s mission. Lewis says she’s generous about giving discounts out, and giving free pizza to the homeless, first responders and foster families. They’re also trying to drop off pizzas with local small businesses every Friday to build that sense of community.
TNT Pizza is located at 17860 Cottonwood Drive, just west of South Parker Road.
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