Is Pantaleone's Still Open? Kitchen Nightmares Update (Denver, CO)

Pantaleone's, a Denver pizzeria opened in 1985 by Pete and Paulette Fafalios, had built a reputation in its early years as one of the city's best pizza spots, but by the time Ramsay's crew arrived to film the season-seven premiere, the restaurant survived mostly on Pete's refusal to change: he kept it closed on Sundays to watch football and shut it in the afternoons for a nap, and it did not offer delivery despite competing pizzerias nearby. Waitress Celestina told Ramsay that Pete and his wife Paulette argued often over how to run the business. At the first meal, Ramsay found a calzone with cold filling and raw onion, a thin-crust pizza so heavy with raw dough and oil that he compared it to something that could overwhelm the whole city, a meatball sandwich he found too large and soggy to eat cleanly, and linguini with canned clams that he likened to hospital food, sitting in a pool of excess water.

A blind taste test comparing Pantaleone's pizza against one from a top Denver restaurant and a frozen supermarket pizza found only 10% of tasters preferred Pantaleone's, behind even the frozen pizza. After Pete's family confronted him with an ultimatum, he agreed to change, and Ramsay flew Pete and his son Josh to Las Vegas to visit Rao's, an Italian restaurant known for its old-school approach, where owner Frank Pellegrino Jr. discussed how he ran his kitchen. Ramsay then rebuilt the menu around a simplified, modern take on Italian classics with smaller portions, repainted the dining room in black and white, replaced dated decor including a 15-year-old animatronic clown display with family and Italy-themed photos, and arranged for a donated van so the restaurant could deliver for the first time.

The first dinner service under the new system started roughly, with food backing up in the kitchen, but improved once Ramsay refocused Pete and Josh on communication. The changes held. According to Yahoo Entertainment's coverage of the restaurant's aftermath, business improved by roughly 70% following the episode, which aired in April 2014. The restaurant's own website continues to promote its "Kitchen Nightmares" history, and Yelp's listing for Pantaleone's, updated as of September 2026, carries reviews dated as recently as May 2026 describing the current owner as personable and the pizza as close to authentic New York style. Pantaleone's remains open at its original South Holly Street address in Denver under family ownership.