Frank the Pizza King, a colorful family-run business in Englewood, Colorado, is in jeopardy of closing its doors for good.
As reported by KUSA, a Denver-area NBC affiliate, owners recently sold the building where the pizzeria has resided for 64 years. According to Matt Krascek—grandson of Frank Krascek, who bought and rebranded the pizzeria in 1961—the shop was given very little notice about the sale. The family has until the end of May to move out.
“The old owner called us and said that the building had sold and that they’re not giving us much time to get out,” Krascek told KUSA. “It breaks my heart. I mean, it’s my family’s business. It’s all I’ve ever known… it kills me.”
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Frank the Pizza King was inducted into PMQ’s Pizza Hall of Fame in 2015. In a story celebrating its history, PMQ detailed the shop’s humble origins. When Frank Krascek immigrated to the U.S., he didn’t have much, but he had a job lined up at a pizzeria in Englewood, Colorado. That job would shape the rest of his life.
In 1961, after a few years behind the counter, Frank bought the place and renamed it Frank the Pizza King, launching it with a playful publicity stunt: He donned a crown and royal garb for the grand opening. The creative move landed his new shop a spot in the local newspaper.
Over the decades, his family-run restaurant became a beloved fixture of the community, known for its thin, crispy crust, housemade Italian sausage, and a steadfast refusal to change what customers loved. “We’re known for not making a lot of changes,” Walter Krascek—father of Matt and son of Frank—told PMQ in 2015.
The pizzeria has remained a family affair for more than 60 years. After Frank passed away in 1973, his wife, Sofia, took the reins, and their children—Walter and Maria—along with grandson, Matt, kept things running. Extended family and longtime employees, some with 30-plus years of service, helped ensure the consistency that regulars counted on. The shop stayed small, with only 12 tables, but made a name for itself with its popular delivery service and deep roots in the Englewood community—from sponsoring youth sports to hosting an annual classic car show in the parking lot.
Through it all, the message stayed the same: treat customers like family, and the business will take care of itself. The shop, now in its third generation, has long stood as a testament to the enduring power of family, consistency, and neighborhood pride.
Matt Krascek told KUSA he hasn’t given up on the shop’s future quite yet. He’s hopeful he can find a new location for Frank the Pizza King, but also noted that “the financial hurdles are steep.” To that end, a regular customer launched a GoFundMe to help the business relocate. That type of support from the local community has been heartwarming to the shop owners during an otherwise difficult time.
“It’s very humbling,” Matt Krascek told KUSA. “Very humbling.”
