Interview with Jerome Graves, founder
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: I began working in restaurants when I was in college. I loved the variety that came with the work. I worked my way up the corporate ladder, and decided to strike out on my own a couple of years ago.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: I think our menu distinguishes us quite a bit. I’ve drawn inspiration from cuisine from around the world. We have a Thai pizza that has a peanut sauce as the base and is topped with cheese, chicken, red peppers, cilantro and shredded carrots. It’s so good. A customer favorite is the El Matador, which is a deconstructed Spanish tapas dish: dates, Gorgonzola cheese, bacon and oregano. We are also involved in the community. This year was our second year as a sponsor of the Justice Run, which raises awareness and funds to fight human trafficking globally. We provide pizzas to local schools at discounted prices to help with fundraising, and we are currently hosting a blanket drive to benefit the Denver Rescue Mission. Being a small-business owner gives me the responsibility and platform to help and hopefully make a positive difference in the community.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: I love the interaction with people that comes with restaurant work. I have great, regular, loyal customers and I love that I know their names, their kids’ names and what pizza they’re going to order before they get to the register. I love feeding people. I get an incredible amount of satisfaction knowing that people are enjoying something that I created for them. I’ve worked hard to create a sense of community and comaraderie with my crew and customers. It’s happening, and it’s really cool.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: Visibility is my No. 1 challenge. The center I’m in gets little foot traffic, so I’ve had to work creatively and intentionally to let people know I’m here. Once I get people up my little hill and in my door they come back. Getting them up the hill is the hard part.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: My youngest child was born less than two months after Jerome’s Pizza opened its doors. My son and my restaurant are the same age. That was a hard year, being a new dad (again), sleep deprived, and running a start-up. I think I went a little crazy. I worked for three years perfecting my dough recipe. The very first batch I tried on my family, and I mismeasured the salt. It was inedible. Obviously, I corrected that error, and continued to tweak it until I had the best crust I’d ever tasted. That’s the recipe we use in the store today. And, no, I’m not sharing.
Profile
Business: Jerome’s Pizza
Address: 11405 E. Briarwood Ave., Unit 800
Hours: 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, noon-9 p.m. Sunday
Founded: 2012
Contact: 303-799-7979,
Employees: 11
