Metro Pie Pizza isn’t Ricky and Anna Choi’s first restaurant, but it’s their first leap into the world of pizza. After years of running everything from Chinese restaurants to steakhouses, and even a ginseng-growing business in Wisconsin, the Choi’s now offer an American take on Hong Kong pizza in Colorado.
“I want people to come in here, try different kinds of pizza, [and] different flavors,” said Ricky. “I don’t want them to come here, only trying…the same thing, same flavor.”
Hong Kong Pizza Arrives in Lakewood.
The concept behind the restaurant is inspired by what the Choi family calls “Hong Kong pizza.” In Hong Kong’s busy metro and bus stations, small cafés often serve American-style foods like pizza, but with unexpected sauces and flavor combinations that reflect the city’s international food culture. Metro Pie builds on that idea by blending classic pizza techniques with bold toppings and Asian-influenced ingredients, creating pies that feel both familiar and completely new.
The menu at Metro Pie features eclectic combinations such as The Heat Line Pizza, loaded with tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy sausage, red onions, and sweet hot peppers, and drizzled with hot honey and sriracha. We also enjoyed The Green Loop vegetarian pie with a pesto base, mozzarella, spinach, artichokes, green bell peppers, gorgonzola, and mushrooms with a balsamic fig glaze.
Expect a rotating specialty pizza reflecting the Choi’s time in Hong Kong. On a recent visit it was The Kowloon Express with sweet hoisin sauce, chicken, mozzarella, and green and red onions. You can also build your own pizza with different cheeses and sauces such as alfredo bases, sausage and pepperoni toppings, even olives and artichokes. A drizzle of ranch, honey mustard or lemon vinaigrette can elevate your pizza to new levels.
Facing a Major Setback
Pizza wasn’t the original plan for the space. The location first belonged to their daughter, Alice Choi. She wanted to open a franchised coffee shop in the building, but the deal didn’t work out and she got stranded with the property.
Having given up their other restaurants, her parents weren’t looking to open another. In fact, the Chois planned to retire. But, putting that idea on hold, the family decided to try something completely new for them, making pizza.
Despite the desire for this next chapter, launching Metro Pie wasn’t simple. The now lively space inside RedLine Station took three years of persistence to complete and the family faced real obstacles, starting with multiple broken pizza ovens. The first came without fire power and the second cracked during transit. While the third made it into the restaurant, the delivery person left it outside the door, forcing the Chois to move a 4,000 pound oven and cut a hole in the counter in order to place it.
Then, while the building was under construction, they faced the theft of copper wiring and an air conditioning unit. At one point, the Chois even slept in their car in front of the restaurant in order to protect the property.
Creating the Pizza Shop
Although Ricky built his career running Chinese restaurants and steakhouses, he had never formally learned how to make pizza. Before opening Metro Pie, he immersed himself in the craft by visiting his best friend Ignacio’s Italian restaurant almost every day, where he learned the techniques and skills behind making great pizza.
After a lot of trial and error, the Chois created a dough they agreed tasted great. Based on the customers and growth of the restaurant since opening in February, it appears they aren’t alone in that sentiment.
The fast-casual eatery is easy to navigate. Customers have a choice of ordering from the menu or building their own pizza. When building your own, it’s done assembly style, starting with sauces, then cheeses, vegetables, meats, and other toppings.
Each pie takes about 10 minutes to cook. While you wait, find a seat outside on the patio, or sit inside on the long banquette, or at one of the individual two-tops. It’s bright and airy, with plenty of space.
Growing a Community at RedLine Station
Don’t worry, their daughter Alice didn’t disappear from the RedLine Station area when she gave up the space to her parents. With the pizza shop came Red Bus Cafe, the coffee shop she wanted, though this time it’s all her own. The bright-red double-decker bus serves coffee, fresh pastries from local bakeries, and breakfast burritos. Inside, the atmosphere blends urban energy with cozy warmth. The coffee gets made downstairs, and customers can grab a seat under glowing string lights on the second level of the bus.
Both Metro Pie Pizza and Red Bus Cafe make up RedLine Station, which was designed to be more than just a restaurant space. The family envision it as a cultural gathering place, somewhere food, coffee, and community can come together under one roof. This summer they plan to launch a Hong Kong night market in the space surrounding the two eateries.
For the Choi family, Metro Pie represents more than just another restaurant. It’s the result of decades in the food industry, a willingness to try something new, and a place where their experiences, from Hong Kong to small town America, come together in one kitchen.
Visit Metro Pie Pizza from 11 a.m to 9: 30 p.m on Mondays through Thursdays and Sundays and 11 a.m to 11p.m on Fridays and Saturdays. 890 Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood, metropiepizza.com
