A Colorado Springs pizza institution that predates many of its own loyal customers has served its last slice. Roadrunner Pizza & Pasta spent more than four decades producing handmade pizzas before shutting down abruptly.
The family-owned carryout shop operated out of a storefront at 3113 N. Hancock Ave. inside the Venetian Village shopping center, and broke the news to customers through a Saturday evening Facebook post the owners described as coming "with a heavy heart." They declined to identify any specific factors behind the permanent shutdown. Posts from the two months prior had pointed to equipment failures, staffing difficulties, and unspecified emergencies as reasons for a series of shorter, temporary closures. The restaurant's farewell message also urged the community to back small local businesses, with Roadrunner noting "it's rough out there."
The shop first opened in Colorado Springs in 1983, built around a proprietary house cheese blend, tomato sauces made from scratch, and dough prepared on-site each day. The menu extended beyond customizable pies to include specialty pizzas, pastas, salads, and desserts. One of the most distinctive offerings was a taco pizza — a Mexican-inspired creation that swapped refried beans in for tomato sauce and was topped with sour cream, lettuce, tomato, black olives, cheddar, and crushed nacho cheese Doritos.
By Monday morning, the farewell post had drawn close to 300 likes and upward of 100 comments, the majority from longtime patrons and former employees expressing grief over the loss while extending good wishes to the owners. The owners' goodbye message read in part: "It's been a wild ride!!! Thanks so much to all our loyal customers over the years!! We so appreciate all of your support!! It's a sad day, but change is part of life!!" At least one commenter suggested the owners consider assembling a cookbook so their recipes could endure beyond the restaurant's walls.
The closure is the latest in a string of restaurant shutdowns to hit Colorado Springs this summer. Other establishments that have permanently closed this year include Salsa Brava along Dublin Boulevard, the downtown seafood destination Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar on Tejon Street, and Atrevida Beer Co. near North Nevada Avenue, which held the distinction of being Colorado's first Latina-owned brewery. The Colorado Restaurant Association has cautioned that the industry statewide faces significant headwinds heading into 2026, among them razor-thin margins, rising operating costs, and ongoing difficulty recruiting qualified workers.
Whether the Roadrunner owners plan any further communication about their next steps remains to be seen.