Pizza With Purpose

Longmont’s pizzerias unite to turn slices into support for neighbors in need

WORDS Irene Middleman Thomas

In Longmont, pizza isn’t just a weeknight staple—it’s a point of pride. And now, it’s a vehicle for something bigger.

Three Main Street pizzerias—Urban Field Pizza, Rosalee’s Pizzeria, and Antonio’s Real New York Pizza—have joined forces to launch Pizza With Purpose, a philanthropic collaboration aimed at fighting food insecurity while celebrating the city’s growing culinary reputation.

Although the restaurants sit just blocks apart, Paul Nashak, co-founder of Urban Field Pizza, along with Nick Swanson, is quick to dismiss any notion of rivalry.

“We are just living in the same room in the same house,” Paul quips. “Longmont is known for food, and our pizzas are the best on the Front Range. We are partners, family, and we love each other.”

That sense of shared mission took on urgency when food assistance programs came under threat.

“Raj Murphy, one of our managers, contacted me when the federal administration was threatening the SNAP program,” recalls Paul, who was equally alarmed. “Raj called me on Friday night and by Monday morning, we had organized our first program.”

The result was Pasta for the People, an initiative that provided free meals to 170 families with SNAP cards. It was a rapid response to a local need—and a proof of concept.

Pizza With Purpose evolved from that effort and launched on February 9—National Pizza Day—and ran through February 15. The campaign directed $1 from every pepperoni or cheese pizza sold at the three Longmont locations to Slice Out Hunger, a national nonprofit that mobilizes the pizza community to address food insecurity.

“The three restaurants were floored by the outpouring of support the community provided during this drive to support our neighbors who need it,” Paul says.

Slice Out Hunger, based in New York, has raised more than $2 million nationwide and partners with more than 700 pizzerias. Through campaigns and events centered on what it calls the “power of pizza,” operators, mobile caterers, and home enthusiasts pledge support for their local communities.

Pizza With Purpose is structured as a Colorado-based 501(c)(6) nonprofit and has quickly drawn local backing. The City of Longmont participates in and supports the initiative, as do other community businesses.

“We are so fortunate to have some of Colorado’s and the nation’s best pizza shops here in our certified Colorado Creative District,” notes Kimberlee McKee, executive director of Longmont’s Downtown Development Authority and a board member of Pizza With Purpose. “Our compassionate business owners care deeply for our community. Bringing visitors from Colorado and beyond to enjoy the Colorado Pizza Festival in downtown Longmont while giving back to people with food insecurity is a perfect combination.”

That festival—the Colorado Pizza Festival—will anchor the initiative’s future ambitions. Scheduled for September 5, the large-scale event will take over 1st and 3rd avenues from Emery to Martin streets. More than 20 pizzerias from across Colorado are expected to participate alongside Longmont breweries. The lineup includes live music, amateur pizza competitions, and the “Pizza Olympics,” with challenges such as tossing dough and folding boxes, as well as activities for children.

Tickets go on sale May 1 through the participating restaurants’ websites. Children under 12 are admitted free; general admission is $10. A $50 all-inclusive package includes entry and sample slices from 10 participating pizzerias.

“The festival will be annual, and we will continue to grow,” Paul says. “There was a definite need, which our amazing board of community leaders recognized. Our goal is to be there continually.”

For Longmont, the collaboration reflects something larger than a weeklong campaign or a single event. It underscores the city’s identity as both a culinary destination and a community invested in its own well-being.

Urban Field Pizza & Market operates multiple Colorado locations, serving Detroit- and New York-inspired pizzas, salads, and sandwiches made with locally sourced ingredients.

Antonio’s Real New York Pizza specializes in New York-style pies—including Sicilian, Grandma, and thin-crust—as well as Detroit, Chicago, and Neapolitan styles.

Rosalee’s Pizzeria is an old-world East Coast-style neighborhood pizzeria known for handcrafted Sicilian and thin-crust pizzas and house-ground Italian sausage.

Together, they’re proving that in Longmont, competition can take a back seat to collaboration—especially when the outcome is measured in both slices and impact.

For more information, visit urbanfieldpizza.com, antonios.pizza, and rosaleespizzeria.com.