Colorado’s Homegrown Tap & Dough isn’t just opening another restaurant. Its new Castle Rock location, slated to open this December, is a playbook on how to scale a pizza concept without losing soul — and there are lessons here for home pizza fanatics, pizza suppliers, and pizza shop owners alike.
According to a recent report from Pizza Marketplace, the Castle Rock restaurant will be the sixth Homegrown Tap & Dough and the 15th location for parent company Gastamo Group. That growth hasn’t come from chasing trends; it’s come from doubling down on community, design, and obsessively dialed-in pizza.
Let’s break down what this expansion tells us about:
- How to design pizza spaces that print regulars, not just transactions
- How pros think about pizza dough, ovens and artisanal pizza ingredients
- How operators can scale systems without killing the vibe
- Where suppliers fit in a more localized, sustainability-minded pizza world
A Sixth Restaurant Built on Community, Not Clones
Castle Rock’s new Homegrown Tap & Dough isn’t a cookie-cutter rollout. The 6,020-square-foot restaurant features:
- 226 indoor seats
- A 35-seat corner patio
- Garage doors that open to downtown Castle Rock
- Private and semi-private rooms for year-round events
The interior is pitched as “elevated ranch” — rustic woods, Pendleton fabrics, Western details that nod to local heritage without feeling like a themed chain.
Co-founder Jean-Philippe Failyau described the menu direction in a press statement:
“We’re serving Italian comfort with Colorado flair; hand-tossed pies, new burgers like the Bourbon Bacon Jam and lighter, protein-forward bowls. Pair it with Colorado craft brews and hand-crafted cocktails, and guests can find something they’re excited to come back for.” PizzaMarketplace
That line says a lot. This isn’t just about pizza — it’s about craveable ritual: pizza, burgers, bowls, beer, cocktails, and a room that feels like your spot.
For operators, the takeaway is clear: the brands that will win the next decade aren’t those with the most units; they’re the ones that make each new location feel like it genuinely belongs to the neighborhood.
Design Lessons for Pizza Shop Owners: Elevated Ranch, Elevated Systems
Castle Rock’s layout is engineered for both experience and operations:
- Garage doors connect the dining room to the street, pulling in energy and foot traffic.
- Private and semi-private rooms are built for holiday parties, graduations, and rehearsal dinners — high-margin, pre-booked business most pizzerias underutilize.
- A custom-reeded kitchen window gives a behind-the-scenes look without turning the room into a noisy open kitchen.
- Tastefully placed TVs keep the game in view, without turning the spot into a sports bar.
CEO Peter Newlin puts it simply:
“Every inch of this restaurant was handcrafted with countless local partners with real materials and art that belong here. We’re here to listen, learn and move fast to improve. Above all, we want Homegrown to be a place this community makes its own.” Pizza Marketplace
For pizza shop owners, there are three immediate action items:
- Rethink dead space. Can you carve out a semi-private nook that hosts small events and boosts average check size?
- Let guests see just enough of the action. A framed kitchen view or expo window builds trust and excitement without chaos.
- Design for “stay and linger” AND “watch the game.” TVs should support the brand, not define it.
Pair this with a modern pizza POS system and pizza delivery software that can handle pre-booked parties, deposits, and complex orders, and you’ve got a restaurant that’s both romantic and ruthlessly efficient.
Dough, Ovens & Ingredients: What Pros Can Teach Home Pizza Makers
Homegrown Tap & Dough has built its reputation on dough that leans New York–style but is tailored for real-world operations: a little more puff, a little more flavor, and critically — it travels well. That hybrid style is exactly what most home pizza enthusiasts are after.
If you’re cooking at home, here’s how to steal a few pages from the pros:
- Start with a solid pizza dough recipe that balances flavor and structure. For step-by-step, data-driven formulations, check out the tools at Pizzaiolo.
- Use a best home pizza oven that can actually hit high, stable temperatures. Patio gas units and compact electrics are getting remarkably close to pro performance.
- Upgrade to artisanal pizza ingredients — think finely milled flour, cold-pressed olive oil, and real-deal canned tomatoes, not the cheapest supermarket option.
- Drop a pizza stone or steel into your setup to mimic the stone-slat conveyor ovens pros use for consistent bakes.
Homegrown’s menu leans into rich, layered flavor profiles — think roasted garlic sauces, prosciutto, candied bacon, butternut squash, arugula, and truffle oil. You can recreate that approach at home by pairing:
- One base (red, white, or garlic cream)
- 1–2 rich ingredients (cheeses, cured meats)
- 1 fresh accent (arugula, herbs, citrus zest)
- 1 surprise element (candied nuts, fruit, chili crunch)
Use a pizza cookbook to keep pushing beyond margaritas and pepperoni while still building your fundamentals.
Scaling Systems Without Killing the Soul
On the operations side, Gastamo Group is a masterclass in scaling without turning into a soulless chain:
- They build restaurants with unique design narratives tailored to each community.
- They standardize food quality, training, and service systems behind the scenes.
- They invest in leadership roles like a dedicated food & beverage director to maintain consistency as they grow.
For multi-unit operators, the practical playbook looks like this:
- Deploy a robust pizza POS system that ties together dine-in, online orders, loyalty, and events.
- Use pizza delivery software to optimize dispatch, drivers, and third-party integrations.
- Implement staff training programs and SOPs that support culture — not replace it.
- Leverage restaurant tech and marketing software to personalize offers and keep guests engaged between visits.
For more operator-focused insights and market coverage, bookmark Pizza Weekly, where we track these shifts across independent shops and emerging chains.
Where Pizza Suppliers Fit: Local Partners, Bulk Ingredients & Equipment
One of the most telling lines from Newlin’s quote is that the Castle Rock restaurant was “handcrafted with countless local partners.”
That’s the future of the supply side of pizza:
- Bulk pizza ingredients sourced closer to home
- Commercial pizza equipment that balances speed, quality, and energy use
- Food service technology that tracks waste, usage, and cost in real time
- Sustainable pizza sourcing as a brand pillar, not a marketing afterthought
If you’re a supplier, ask yourself:
- Are your commercial mixers, dough presses, and ovens designed for both consistency and character?
- Do you make it easy for operators to showcase your sustainably sourced cheeses, meats, and flours on their menus?
- Can you support both a flagship restaurant and its satellite units with reliable service and training?
Restaurant groups like Gastamo increasingly want supply partners who act more like long-term collaborators than vendors. To see where the industry is heading and connect with pizza-forward partners, explore the Pizza Weekly supplier directory.
Pro Tips for Home Pizza Enthusiasts Inspired by Homegrown Tap & Dough
Want to bring a bit of Colorado pizza empire energy into your kitchen? Start here:
- Dial in your equipment.
- Get a home pizza oven that can hit at least 700°F.
- Pair it with a pizza stone or steel for better bottom heat and faster bakes.
- Invest in the right tools.
- A pizza peel, dough scraper, and digital scale will change your life more than a fancy topping ever will.
- Use a solid pizza making toolkit (thermometer, proofing box, airtight containers) to make consistency easy.
- Let science do the work.
- Use Pizzaiolo to generate and tweak dough formulas based on your flour, hydration, and schedule.
- Keep a notebook (or app) with bake times, oven settings, and dough behavior — treat your kitchen like a tiny test lab.
- Source smarter, not just fancier.
- Start with one or two specialty ingredients — a better flour, a higher-quality olive oil, or a real parm.
- Build up a pantry of artisanal toppings slowly, and integrate them into weeknight cooking so nothing goes to waste.
FAQ: Homegrown Tap & Dough & Modern Pizza Trends
What makes Homegrown Tap & Dough different from other pizza restaurants?
Homegrown Tap & Dough combines Italian comfort food with Colorado flair — hand-tossed pies, gourmet burgers, and lighter bowls — inside spaces that are deeply tailored to each neighborhood. Their Castle Rock location uses an “elevated ranch” design with local materials and art, plus flexible spaces for events and community gatherings. It’s a model that blends pizza history facts (Italian roots) with modern, regional storytelling.
Can I recreate Homegrown-style pizza at home?
You can get surprisingly close. Focus on:
- A balanced, hybrid pizza dough recipe (use tools at Pizzaiolo for precision).
- A high-heat best home pizza oven or baking steel/stone.
- Layered flavor: roasted garlic bases, quality cheeses, salty meats, a fresh herb or veg finish, and a bright drizzle (balsamic, chili oil, or lemon).
The goal isn’t to copy a single pie, but to borrow their philosophy of big flavor + playful toppings + consistent technique.
What ovens and equipment should serious home pizza makers consider?
Look for:
- A compact pizza oven that can hit Neapolitan-adjacent temps.
- A pizza stone or steel for better bottom heat.
- Basic but reliable pizza making tools — peel, cutter, digital scale, dough scraper.
You don’t need a conveyor oven with stone slats like a restaurant, but you do need high, steady heat and solid tools.
How can pizza shop owners apply Homegrown’s model?
- Build each unit with its own story and design language tied to the local community.
- Standardize your pizza POS system, pizza delivery software, training, and recipes behind the scenes.
- Use private and semi-private dining areas to drive high-margin group business.
- Partner with suppliers who support bulk pizza ingredients, sustainability goals, and tech-enabled inventory and ordering.
For more strategies, case studies, and pizza shop marketing strategies, keep an eye on Pizza Weekly.
Where can suppliers connect with growing pizza brands?
Suppliers focused on commercial pizza equipment, bulk pizza ingredients, and sustainable pizza sourcing should position themselves as long-term partners — not just order-takers. To see what operators are looking for and connect with them, explore the Pizza Weekly suppliers hub.
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Source Credit
“This article was inspired by content originally published on Pizza Marketplace by the Pizza Marketplace editorial team”
