Sexy Pizza is expanding the reach of its New York-style pies in Denver by opening its fourth location inside a development in Park Hill that drew community concern about displacement.
A release Monday said the new storefront will be located at 2846 Fairfax St. in Park Hill Commons, a mix-used development that includes townhomes, micro-apartments, retail space, office space and restaurants. It's tentatively scheduled to open at the beginning of 2020.
The development included a land swap on Fairfax between developer HM Capitol and the city. In the trade, the city would get money to turn the plot of land the city received into a pocket park. The mixed-use development is already underway and will include 43 residential units, according to BusinessDen.
Sexy Pizza's owners are being conscious of the tension caused by the project. Owner and area manager for Sexy Pizza Kyle Peters said in a release they're hoping to stand out as "a positive part of that growth" in a rapidly changing city.
"With this new location, we plan on expanding our existing community engagement and employee initiatives for the benefit of Park Hill's long-standing residents," Peters said. "We're ready to be proactive and hit the ground running with these efforts."
Sexy Pizza co-founder and former Denver mayoral candidate Kayvan Khalatbari said in the release that while neighborhood change and rising costs "seem almost inevitable," displacement doesn't need to be.
"We look forward to continuing our longstanding tradition of supporting the communities in which we operate more than any other business in Denver, through existing efforts as well as new ones designed specifically for the historic Park Hill community," Khalatbari said. "We believe any business moving into a neighborhood such as this one has that obligation."
The company bills itself as a socially-conscious business, partnering with various local organizations. One of its current partnerships is with the Harm Reduction Action Center, which receives monetary gifts from Sexy Pizza and helps train employees on using naloxone, an opioid antidote used to stop overdoses. The company has previously partnered with the founders of the city's tiny home village.
The company offers employee benefit packages including health and dental plans at no cost and is currently exploring an employee-ownership model it hopes to announce later this year, according to Monday's press release.
Sexy Pizza currently has locations in Capitol Hill, Platt Park and Jefferson Park.
