Local Love Blog Series –
Rocket Pie

Welcome back to the Local Love Blog Series! 

We’re thrilled to get the opportunity to feature Dave Carruthers from Rocket Pie this week! Dave is one half of the father-son owner duo, having partnered with his dad, Stephen, to create a great pizza joint. 

According to them, Stephen is the pen and Dave is the sword. 

Stephen’s background is as an architect, where he changed the skyline of entire cities, built hospitals and fortified infrastructure for First Nations communities. Dave considers him the anchor in his life and his very best friend. 

As a family, these guys have a deep passion for hospitality, and of course, pizza! 

Together, they have created a family-friendly pizzeria that welcomes all guests to join in their belief that there is a pizza for everyone! They’ve received tons of support from Bow Valley locals, as well as mountain lovers out for a day of skiing, hiking or biking. Customers instantly become friends when they make a Rocket Pie pit stop! 

Rocket Pie is entirely unique because of their approach to the pizza dough. 

Dave’s cousin Andrew LeBlanc was the one to plant the seed for Dave’s passion for dough (and pizza in general). Andrew now owns Bello Pizza in Toronto and continues to be Dave’s biggest inspiration and loudest cheerleader. Because of all this, the dough is the heart and soul of any Rocket Pie pizza. Dave eats, sleeps, and breathes dough and believes that pizza is the only inanimate object he cares about! He loves the feel, the smell, and the visual transformation of the dough as it comes together all the way to the finished product. Patience is key with it and there’s no room for cutting corners. 

While offering classic Neapolitan style pizza, Rocket Pie has added their own distinctive flair. 

They have added special ingredients, like their very own sausage, as well as focused on using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Their most popular pizzas are the Formaggi and the Pepperoni. While the Pepperoni and Margherita pizzas make it onto Dave’s favourite’s list, he also has a soft spot for the Diavola when he’s feeling fancy. 

Rocket Pie guests are what keeps the team going, and Dave’s passion for service is unparalleled. 

He sees the opportunity to make someone’s day with each visitor to the shop, in the short amount of time they have with each guest. They’ve created an open and honest platform for feedback, and thrive on the times when a guest is thrilled with their food and experience. Dave considers it his personal mission to feed and water the guests that dine and the community around them. 

Dave hopes to one day get Rocket Pie pizza into the hands of anyone who loves pizza across Western Canada. 

Originally from Calgary and now based in Canmore, Dave started working on the dough recipe 10+ years ago and the concept for Rocket Pie 7 years ago. Throughout 2018-2019, they worked on finalizing the details of their business, including securing their location in the Shops of Canmore, and were able to open their doors in June 2020. 

The outpouring love from the Bow Valley community is something that Dave is incredibly grateful for. 

He feels lucky that Rocket Pie was so warmly welcomed, and strives to be an active member of the community.

They hosted a great contest in March 2021 which was really well received where they gave out one pizza per week for a whole year to one lucky winner, so now they’re looking forward to running it year after year going forward!

While Rocket Pie is still relatively new in the Bow Valley scene, they’ve got some great local shout-outs! 

This includes Blake and Kale at 4296, Valbella Gourmet Foods, and Crock-a-Doodle Canmore. Dave also has incredible respect and gratitude for the work being done at Rocky Mountain Adaptive, where they are finding ways to adapt conventional pieces of equipment to ensure anyone can get out and enjoy the mountains! 

Opening the restaurant in the midst of COVID was certainly interesting…

But luckily pizza happens to be a relatively COVID-friendly product (if there is such a thing) as a takeout option that travels well.

This doesn’t dismiss the fact that Dave and his team had to do a lot of re-adjusting in the past year, but they’re thrilled to still be around and eager to welcome more visitors to the Bow Valley as we ease into a post-COVID world. 

Next time you’re looking for a slice, be sure to check out Rocket Pie and I would recommend calling early because they’ve been selling out lately! Be sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates and some drool-worthy pizza teasers.

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