Today we’d like to introduce you to Dave & Stacy Dockins
Hi Dave & Stacy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Pizza has been a passion of mine for a long time. I started working on my dough recipe about 15 years ago. Fueled by my background in Food Science and a ridiculous love for Neapolitan-style pizza, I kept tweaking the formula until I got to a crust we loved. In July of 2023, my wife, Stacy, and I started doing pop-ups around the community and began growing a solid following. While I worked on the dough and cook process, Stacy expanded our garden and designed the menu. Most of our pizzas’ herbs and veggies are grown here in Denton. Simultaneously, we run Yoga Project, an online and brick-and-mortar yoga school with a regular schedule of classes. After doing pop-ups for a while, we realized our yoga studio was the perfect space to partner with our Wood-fired Pizza business. With the studio only being used during class times, it was easy to transform into a restaurant on Friday and Saturday nights. What used to be our lobby is now the kitchen with a wood-fired oven and seating. It is quirky, unique, and so much fun. We have such a great community walking through our doors; the people we meet are the best part of it all. We’ve been open since March and have been overwhelmed by the response. We’ve expanded our menu to include beer, low-intervention wines, and artisanal ice cream.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Although we’ve both worked in the Food Industry, spent a lot of time in the kitchen, and had extensive customer service experience through our other businesses, running a restaurant is new for us. This has not been easy! We’ve worked harder over the past year than in a long time. The learning curve has been massive, and we greatly respect everyone else in this business.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We specialize in wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza. We only use high-quality ingredients, such as Italian flour and San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy. No oils or conditioners are added to our fermented dough, and many of our herbs and veggies are organically grown in our garden. We keep our menu simple so that we can concentrate our efforts on quality and service. Our natural wines pair perfectly with our pizzas as they come from small artisan makers and have as little intervention as possible. Even our ice cream is house-made with simple, whole ingredients. We believe food should not only taste good but also feel good. We are passionate about creating a space where the community gathers, people know each other, and great conversation is had. Pizza is an excellent vehicle for connection!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
While we’ve seen an evident trend toward lower-quality ingredients for higher profits over the past eight decades, many consumers today crave something different—even if it costs a bit more. While fast food and chain restaurants will never go away, we all crave to sit down to a meal made with passion and intention. Whether the rising cost of ingredients will be a barrier or not, there is a noticeable demand for small artisan chef-owned restaurants.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.agliopizzeria.com
- Instagram: aglio_denton
