While driving toward downtown Winter Park, a seemingly new pizza joint nestled between Pepe Osaka’s Bar and Grill and Rollin’ Street Bakery may catch your eye. But James Peak Pizza Joint has actually been around since 2023 — it’s just undergone some transformations.

Owners Ed and Amy Raegner initially opened the restaurant under the name James Peak before it became Alchemy Pizza in October 2024 when their business partner and co-owner Ryan Singleton took the reins. Singleton envisioned a late-night spot where service industry employees could hang out after a long shift, enjoy a cocktail and take in the psychedelic, jam band-inspired decorations clustered along the restaurant walls. 

After Singleton passed away in a fatal accident last November, Alchemy Pizza closed its doors in mourning, and the future of the former restaurant space remained in limbo for a few months. In hopes of bringing back a local favorite, the Raegner family decided to return to the James Peak tradition. 

The once dark walls, covered in tapestries and band posters, are now bare and bright red. Tables have been dressed up with checkered cloths, and the menu has been dialed back to just the classics: custom or build-your-own pizzas, wings and appetizers, local brews, fresh salads and Italian desserts. 

Owner Amy Raegner said the menu is expected to expand as the newly reopened business finds its footing. But on a warm Saturday in late May, customers seemed perfectly content with keeping things simple: bartender Max Williams poured Hideaway Park beers from the tap while server Lillie Raegner, daughter of the owners, carried out steaming pepperoni and prosciutto pies to customers’ delight.

The staff of the new James Peak also features some of the old-timers that worked with the business during its first stint. Chef Chris “Cic” Ciccerelli came back to run the kitchen after some time away, and this time, he’s leading with East Coast inspiration. He makes the pizzas with a New Haven-style thin crust that crunches with each bite. 

He’s also gotten inventive with flavors and toppings, offering specialty pies like the Fraser River Fig with white truffle oil, fig, prosciutto, arugula and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. The Tipsy Matilda, named after Ciccerelli’s grandmother, has a vodka sauce base and is topped with fried chicken, basil and an alpine cheese blend.

Ciccerelli, originally from Massachusetts, is a restaurateur at heart. His wife Laurie met Amy Raegner while working at a bar in Cape Cod, and the couple have been longtime friends of the Raegners. 

“He’s created these flavor combinations to bring the East Coast to the mountains,” Amy Raegner said.

The Raegners, also hailing from the Northeast, grew up spending summers on the East Coast and working in the Fraser Valley in the winters before they moved to Grand County full time in the mid-90s. When they first opened their pizza restaurant in 2023, after many years in the county, they named it after the iconic James Peak which overlooks the valley. 

Fellow local and friend of the family, Max Williams, leads the bar, which for now focuses on classic cocktails, beer and wine. But Williams, with several years of experience at the higher-end A-Frame Club hotel, said he plans to bring new, inventive drink recipes to the business as it grows.

Another employee, Gail Rorabaugh, has spent years in the service industry, from managing food and beverage services at Berthoud Pass Ski Area to working at Crooked Creek Saloon. She also previously owned Mountain Rose Cafe in Winter Park.

“Between myself, Cic, Gail, Max and Amy we have probably worked at every restaurant space from Berthoud Pass to Pole Creek,” Ed Raegner said.

As the dinner rush died down on Saturday night, Amy Raegner pointed to the remaining customers, all of whom she knew by name. 

“It’s all locals in here,” she said, because the locals know: James Peak is no new pizza spot; it has simply been renewed. 

James Peak Pizza Joint is open to visitors and locals alike, from Thursday-Monday from 4 to 10 p.m. and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.