Tom Smathers says goodbye to Niwot Abo's Pizza after 24 years

If you have had a pizza from Abo's Pizza in Niwot in the last 24 years and 20 days, you owe some thanks to Tom Smathers.

Smathers, or "Big Tom" as he is known locally, has been the long-time owner of Abo's Pizza in Niwot. From feeding hungry high schoolers at lunch to turning out pizzas for dine-in, pick-up, and delivery, in his nearly a quarter of a century owning the restaurant, Smathers and his team have dished up countless pizzas for the Niwot community.

But that era quietly came to an end in June when Smathers sold the restaurant to a new owner. "It's just a little surreal. It's bittersweet. It was 24 years, but it was time for me to move on," said Smathers.

A life-long industry professional, Smathers began working for Steve Abo in 1984 at the age of 15, stepping into what would become a long legacy of award-winning New York-style pizza.

Abo's founder, Steve Abo, was trained in New York before founding the original Abo's on the Hill in Boulder in 1977. Abo's philosophy was simple - use the highest quality ingredients and make everything fresh. Add in a proprietary secret sauce and a fresh-made Neapolitan crust and you have the classic components of an Abo's pizza.

Abo's simple but high-quality pizzas were repeatedly voted fan favorites, winning "The Best Pizza Award" from The Boulder Daily Camera and The Colorado Daily in multiple years, as well as a host of other awards, an award-winning combo that Smathers became very familiar with over the years.

"I worked my way up the Abo's company in Boulder to where I was running stores, multiple stores at times, or going into stores that needed help," said Smathers.

After 12 years, Smathers approached Abo looking for more. Abo's response was to set Smathers up with his own store in Niwot. "I was the first Abo's Pizza outside of Boulder," said Smathers. "He [Abo] was just starting to open up outside of Boulder. So he found me this location, and the rest is history."

Smathers followed Steve Abo's foundational philosophy in his Niwot restaurant. "I've always kept it really simple. That way it's just easier to run, operate, and train people," said Smathers.

Over the years, Abo's Pizza expanded to 18 restaurant locations along the Front Range. But Smathers noted that at a certain point the stores started to lose brand recognition as they tried to expand further.

"The further we got away from Boulder, the Abo's name wasn't as recognized. Everybody's had it [the pizza] on the Mall or on the Hill. The closer to Boulder, the better the stores seem to do," said Smathers.

At present Abo's is back down to 10 restaurants with locations in Arvada, North Boulder, South Boulder, Broomfield, Erie, Highlands Ranch, Longmont, Louisville, Niwot, and Northglenn.

Smathers stressed that the restaurants are not a franchise but rather operate as a licensing agreement, a fact that means they don't have as many fees and royalties. This model also allows the owners to build on and customize Abo's core menu, giving each location a slightly personalized feel.

Smathers attributed his 24-plus years of success in Niwot to the community. "We've been steady since day one," he said.

But all good things must end, and this year, after failing to renegotiate renewal of a five-year lease on the space, Smathers decided it was time to part with the Niwot location, selling it to Jeff Riegel. Smathers noted that he believes the change of hands to an owner who has more time to manage the restaurant in person will be a good change.

"I was maybe spending one hour a week here," he said. "It needs somebody who is more hands-on - more of an owner-operator than just an owner. I think it runs better that way. Hopefully, it just grows from there."

Smathers isn't looking at retirement though. "I'm in the restaurant business, that word is not in our vocabulary," he said. Instead, he plans to focus his energy towards his primary passion - none other than the North Boulder Abo's Pizza, which he stepped into owning eight years ago.

"It's been a goal of mine for 30 years to own that store," said Smathers. The restaurant, located at 28th and Iris, is the oldest remaining Abo's Pizza and Abo's flagship location, started in 1982.

Niwot residents will likely still see Big Tom around town, as he actively manages Abo's special events catering. Their mobile pizza ovens are staples at outdoor concert series like Rock 'n' Rails, and Smathers said he will continue to be a big part of the community in this capacity.

In the meantime, the Niwot Abo's Pizza will still be cranking out top-notch New York-style pizza under new ownership. Jeff Riegel will be making his first foray into the restaurant industry and expressed confidence in taking the helm with the help of the Abo's staff. "I know it certainly wouldn't be possible without the help of my stepson and the current Abo's Niwot crew," he said. "I can't stress enough how great the Abo's Niwot crew is, and how much pride they have in their jobs."

When Riegel heard the Niwot Abo's Pizza was for sale, he felt it was the change he was looking for after 20 years at a desk job. "I knew that this would be something new and inspiring for me. Plus, it's great pizza," said Riegel.

And for long-time Abo's Pizza customers, Riegel offers the assurance that Abo's quality will definitely stay the same. "Crust, sauce, and dough are what makes the pizza what it is. Current and new toppings are what adds variety," he said. "We will be introducing new toppings. We already added meatballs. Soon, we will offer a wider variety of salads and maybe an appetizer or two."

Which goes back to Smathers' original philosophy of simple, high-quality offerings. Smathers added his vote of confidence in Riegel and his team continuing to turn out great pizza. "The product will just get better," Smathers said.

With the sale of the Niwot Abo's Pizza and no catered events in the foreseeable future, Smathers did admit he may take an overdue vacation, his first in about 20 years.

And for those who will miss seeing "Big Tom" around town, he noted that the feeling is mutual.

"I'll miss this community more than anything else in the world," Smathers said.