I had the pleasure of living in Fort Collins when it had a population of only 70,000. There weren't many pizza places around back then, which is why most of them vividly stand out in my pizza obsessed mind. Here's a list I've compiled for posterity. Please comment below in if you remember a 70s or 80s Fort Collins pizza place that's not listed here, and I will add it to the list.
SHOWBIZ PIZZA
105 W Prospect Rd.
While Shakey's definitely lost its charm as a themed restaurant over the years, they still had great pie, and always had a nice assortment of video games to play in the 80s. You can read more about just how incredible this restaurant was during its heyday, in an old article I wrote entitled:
70s and 80s Memories of Shakey's Pizza restaurant
This was my family's go-to pizzeria during much of the 80s. The pizza tasted amazing and the restaurant had a simple, yet fun atmosphere. I expressly remember a huge yellow airplane that resembled an early 1900s bi-plane, that was suspended from the ceiling. I don't believe there was any other theming like that in the restaurant, but for some strange reason it worked and didn't look out of place. I must have spent hours peering up at that plane during my childhood.
My brother always started out the evening by pumping quarters into the jukebox, while I would procure a spot at the Pac-Man video game table to play a few rounds before dinner. I had no clue Big Cheese was a chain restaurant until many years later. In fact, I believe there are still locations in different states like New Mexico, Florida and Washington just to name a few.
I can't remember too much about the Upper Crust, other than getting it delivered on occasion. I know it was a chain (possibly a local one) with stores in neighboring towns like Greeley. They had a store on North College Ave. and another in Scotch Pines Shopping Center by the old Toddy's supermarket. I do remember their pizza tasting pretty dang good, and my older brother's friends visiting for their 'Belly Bust' nights.
I always got a kick out of my Dad working at a barber shop called 'The Upper Cut' before opening his own barber shop in Old Town Fort Collins that he operated for twenty some-odd years. As a young boy, I often fantasized about him working at the Upper Crust and bringing home free pizza.
Old Chicago opened up in the late 80s and closed in 2018. They had some great tasting pizza and were responsible for opening my eyes to the world of craft beer. The love of craft beer I developed there, set me on a path of homebrewing that has spanned close to thirty years.
My favorite pizza was 'The Chicago Firecracker' a nice spicy pie made with peppery sauce, spicy sausage, pepperoni, and peppers which brought some heat. Old Chicago still has a south Fort Collins location as well as others peppered around the state. I've been to many an Old Chicago, but no others have the charm and character that the historic Old Town Fort Collins location had.
The old University Plaza Mall
241 Linden Street
Review of the Original Cozzola's Pizza in Fort Collins, Colorado
I remember them often hosting Strat-O-Matic tournaments in the restaurant. Strat-O-Matic was/is a table top baseball simulation board game that you can play by yourself or with others. The restaurant would be full of hobbyists participating in tournaments. My brother was a huge fan of this game growing up, so I always enjoyed peeking in on the fun, whilst the enthusiasts had their showdowns.
These are the pizza places that come to mind as of now, but will definitely update this list if remember more. Fort Collins has always felt like a revolving door for restaurants, so I'm sure I've missed a few places up and above the ones I mentioned. By all means, if you can think of any that were open between the years of 1980 and 1990 that aren't listed here, feel free to comment below and help jog my memory. Thanks!