Meet Melinda Carbajal: Owner Simply Pizza

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melinda Carbajal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melinda, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Just over a year ago in October of 2019 our family took a big jump and became the owners of Simply Pizza Truck. I left a career in community engagement, my husband left his career in water osmosis, my sister cut down her private Dr. practice and her husband began his exit strategy. We had never owned our own business, never ran a kitchen (I mean I managed Wendy’s in college), and never worked a food truck! We are parents of 5 kids each and we wanted our 10 littles to see us work hard and reap big benefits. We wanted to build a empire with our family values. Risk is everything right now. It’s working, despite the hiccups of covid. We could have continued to practice psychology or work for the government and live an average life, but that wasn’t enough. Without risk we would have never made these memories and the family album could have never been so robust!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our family runs a wood fired pizza truck and catering company! Our truck is not just any food truck It is a 25000 pound truck built out a shipping container. It is a true sight for the eyes and therefore the perfect event addition! We absolutely love the event world. While the four of us owners come from vast backgrounds and do not have food specific education we are thoughtful crafters of our product. We love to innovate and stay ahead of trends. It is hard. When we began other peer trucks laughed about the tag #foodtrucklife and it took us awhile but we definitely understand. We are not just cooks, we are mechanics, we are truck drivers, we are event coordinators, we are a traveling event and food company! We do everything with an abundance of love and energy! We work hard for our families, so you know as our client or customer you aways getting our best!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This question is everything! My husband and I are big foodies and we love craft cocktails and good brews! I think I could create too many itineraries! Lol I would start out with a beer tour up north! The patio at Wibby Brewing in Longmont would be my first stop. They typically have live music on Saturdays, the patio is phenomenal, and the brews are delicious! They have created a seriously good vibe. I would then venture to Avery brewing towards boulder. The site is huge and they offer some amazing eats. My third brewery stop would be Something in Brighton. It is small and off the beaten path, but the owners are innovative, the patio is adorable, and the creativity is spot on! I would stay in the Art district(RINO), at the Source or Ramble. If you haven’t had enough beer their are so many breweries here too! The next day I would head off to city park, I would eat lunch at Tacos, Tequila, Whiskey. The agave chicken taco is by far my fave and the margaritas are some of the best in Denver. Then I would head back to Rino and spend my afternoon looking at street art. I’d have cocktails at Bar Fausto. I would check out Larimer square. Maybe hit up the art museum!I would eat at Euclid hall. They have great food and a big tap list! While in Denver I would find a way to get to Crooked Stave and get a sour. They are the best sours, hands down! Right before the pandemic they opened the Family and Friends tap house. I would spend time on Broadway. Checking out art, drinking coffee from Corvus, Mexican food at Lenas, and stopping in one of the handful of the best dispensaries. In a normal year I would hit up Civic center eats at Civic center park and eat from the dozens of great food trucks! I would have The Belgium Farmer (shameless plug) Simply Pizzas brussel sprout, bacon and goat cheese pizza. Lavender ice cream from Em’s Icecream, and tacos from Adobo!!! A few other restaurants and bars I would throw in before I headed for the mountains… Chef tasting menu at Beast and Bottle. High quality, thoughtfully plated food. Ping pong, amazing cocktails, and dim sum or tiger wings! I would drop in during happy hour! Then I would hit the mountains. I would make sure to grab tickets to a Redrock show…if not possible I would watch the sunrise and hike the area. If you have time to actually get into the mountains…Steamboat is the best mountain town in decent range (do telluride if you have longer). The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Our momma! Not only did she raise my sister and I to be badass women, she also joins us in every journey! While we were out last February working the truck at a 3 day music festival, she had all 10 of our kids! She is a fundamental component of our family business!!!

Website: https://www.simplypizzatruck.com/
Instagram: Instagram.com/Simplypizzatruck
Linkedin: Na
Twitter: Na
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/simplypizzatruck/
Yelp: Na
Youtube: Na

Image Credits
Just me