Community Highlights: Meet Steve Burton of Tilford’s Wood Fired Pizza

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Burton. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Tilford’s Wood Fired Pizza started as a food truck serving the Front Range and we were constantly being asked when we would open a location so people could enjoy our wood-fired pizza on a regular basis. November 2019, we opened our first location in the Edgewater Public Market Food Hall. This past December we opened in the Grange Hall in Greenwood Village and just last month opened in the Bluebird Market in Silverthorne. Our very first pizza trailer is now in Leander, Texas a suburb or Austin, and will be serving pizza when the 5th Element Brewery opens in early April 2022. In early 2023 we will open locations in Gettysburg and Waynesboro, PA. 

Co-founders and husband and wife, Steve Burton and Judy Morley believe in serving great-tasting pizza that is made with fresh ingredients and provides something for everyone. Pizza is very versatile and can accommodate most every dietary concern. Because Tilford’s pizzas are 11″ to 12″ doughs, each person can have their own or share. 

Tilford’s uses red and white oak for the firewood to maintain consistent heat and flavor. Because our pizzas are handmade and continually turned in the oven, every pizza comes out with its own artisan look and taste. Tilford’s oven masters can handle 7 to 12 pizzas in the oven at a time, depending on the oven size. Each pizza takes about 90 seconds to 2 minutes to cook. 

in 2016, Steve and Judy believed the trend of “fast/casual dining” was the fastest growing trend in the food industry and the one likely to dominate in the years to come. COVID accelerated that trend. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Every business has challenges and every business plan, no matter how well thought out it might be, experiences many twists, turns, and changes. Tilford’s was originally conceptualized as a fleet of food trucks. The founders didn’t want to be in brick-and-mortar locations. But with many challenges and some failures along the way, Steve and Judy reevaluated the plan and made some major changes. 

Today, the “brick and mortar” locations are all fast-casual and are supported by our food trucks for catering weddings, parties, and a few public events. By assessing the problems, challenges, and failures, the path forward was clear that Tilford’s needed to be anchored in fast-casual locations and able to market our catering services to our clientele. With our recent expansions, it seems like we have the right formula now. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Tilford’s Wood Fired Pizza?
Tilford’s Wood Fired Pizza is known for the amazing golden-brown crust that bubbles and sometimes the fire lightly chars the bubble, making every crust look just a little different than the one right next to it. Our sauce has our own proprietary blend of seasonings and we believe the magic of wood-fired pizza gives it a unique flavor that traditional gas ovens can’t provide. 

Pricing:

• our average ticket price is $12 to $15 per person

Contact Info:

• Email: STEVE.BURTON@TILFORDSPIZZA.COM
• Website: tilfordspizza.com