Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Tamplin.
Hi Christopher, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
The idea of BackDoor pizzeria came over a decade ago. When I got into the culinary industry, I always knew I wanted to own and operate a pizzeria. I was always obsessed with the vibe of small pizzerias and slice shops. Fast forward to 2020, I was the head chef of a place I had little creative control and my passion was dying. Pizza saved that. I had been developing pizza recipes for years. While I had some extra time off due to the pandemic, I had some extra time to really dive deep and create something special. The beginning of 2021 I needed to create and do something fulfilling so my friend Caden Harker and I decided we should have a pop-up and make pizzas and offer them to family and friends for donation base only. From the very first pop-up, it was a huge success and word spread fast. We went from 25 to 45 to 65 pizzas served up to our community out of a backyard. We create chef-driven pizzas with focus on local sustainable ingredients and we wanted to showcase this further, so we found a permanent home (for now) at the Downtown Farmers Market here in St. George. In the future, we are looking to grow into a brick mortar and be a vital part of the community by supporting our local farmers and highlighting all of the amazing agriculture that Utah has to offer using a pizza as a canvas.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No! Essentially making a takeout service restaurant from my home was not easy. Luckily there is a lot of laws in Utah that support homemade foods, but you must follow the guidelines within the law. So, I would say just making sure you are always complying can be challenging but not impossible! Summer here is bad for a lot of businesses, and we got hit hard when the heatwave came through St. George. We went from selling 75-80 pizzas to 10 within weeks.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
BackDoor Pizzeria is looking to create a “Utah” style pizza. New York, Chicago, Detroit all has their own style, and we want to bring a unique and delicious one to Utah. We don’t want to do this through a specific dough or toppings but through the use of the insanely amazing agricultural that we have here in Utah. Our pizza takes a different approach to the usual toppings. While we honor some classics, we make creations people never thought would go on a pizza and elevate these ingredients using technical cookings techniques to create flavors and textures that are mind-blowing.
Any big plans?
We are slowing starting the process of going brick and mortar. Within the space, we want to bring more than pizza. We plan of having a full menu of sharables and fun desserts. We don’t have a timeframe yet because we want everything to be very intentional and capture what we are trying to create. Something a little bit street and DIY but also comfortable and elevated. We want to create a space for everyone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://backdoor-pizzeria.square.site/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/backdoorpizzeria?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Image Credits
Mauricio Ballesteros
