Meeting Doja Dozier feels like engaging with Rainbow Brite, Iris Apfel, and Za at Pizza Pals Playzone in Denver’s Convergence Station by Meow Wolf, all in the best way. The latter character inspired our meeting at Odell Brewing Co. Sloan’s Lake Brewhouse & Pizzeria, both because Dozier loves pizza, and to tie in the merchandise she curates for the Mile High art spot.
Officially Dozier’s title is retail manager at Meow Wolf, and she works on making the displays and crafting unique pieces for them, as well as choosing what’s hot on the rack in the gift shop. With an attitude as bright as her smile, Dozier dived into the pies and fries with a hard seltzer on the side, and talked about all things Meow Wolf, art, pizza, tacos, music, and being in the kitchen cooking for friends and family.
Why did you choose Odell Brewing Co. Sloan’s Lake Brewhouse & Pizzeria?
I picked this place because I love pizza and I love trying new pizza places. I had seen a lot of good reviews out there and it drove me to come here. And I really liked trying the Diovola because it had all the spicy toppings on it. I’m a huge sucker for anything jalapeño, so that sold me immediately. And they have a spicy marinara.
I’m Italian, so I make all my marinara homemade from my great grandma’s recipe. She’s still alive, so she taught me herself how to make it. The recipe came from her parents, who came from Italy through Ellis Island. They used to have a restaurant here, way, way back in the day, I don’t remember what it’s called, but it was here.
That’s so fun. So, do you get disappointed a lot with sauces? I’m sure there’s a fair amount of bad ones out there.
There definitely is and that’s why I’m so picky. That’s the only thing I’m picky about, marinara sauce. It has to be homemade. I can’t go out to a restaurant and order just anyone’s spaghetti. It has to be made from scratch. So making spaghetti in my house is definitely an all day activity.
Do you share your recipe with friends?
No, because it’s just in me every time. Everyone’s always like, ‘Can you please write it down? I need the recipe.’ And I’m like, I’ll never tell you. But also, I don’t know it. You just kind of feel the passion when you’re going and sometimes I’ll have my music on and I’ll be chopping to the beat and throwing in spices, and it always comes out amazing.
So you love to try new places, what are some of the best pizza places you’ve been to?
Benny Blanco’s is one of my favorites. They used to have one downtown, but now it’s moved to Arvada. But something about a giant, New York greasy slice of pizza, it always just hits. And the slices are so big. And of course I like to get toppings. Mushroom and jalapeños are my two favorite toppings together. I feel like I’m getting my veggies when I eat it.
I also have a huge tie to Benny Blanco’s. My best friend and I would go a lot, and she did pass away. So it’s such a special memory for me and I like being able to go there and kind of celebrate her when I eat my pizza and think of the memories.
That’s wonderful, and very special. Are there other places on your pizza list?
Atomic Cowboy‘s is delicious and it’s so big. They’re connected to the Denver Biscuit Company, and they have smothered fries with sausage gravy and it’s delicious.
Are you a burger person? Because the Lights Out Burger at Atomic Cowboy is so good and it’s on happy hour price all day on Mondays.
I am a burger person and that sounds delicious. I also like Lucy’s [Burger Bar on Tennyson]. They have the Juicy Lucy with the cheese in the middle. It just hits the spot. And I love the little bar set up that they have. They also do oysters on Saturdays.
I’m a huge seafood person. Actually, I’m more of a seafood person than a meat person. I’m also a fry freak. Sauvage food truck has really good Bayou Fries. They’re delicious. They’re covered in andouille sausage and shrimp and smothered in just goodness.
Okay, so on to the non-edible pizza world of Pizza Pals Playzone in Convergence Station. You do a lot with the merch for this colorful and wacky installation, and right now you are head-to-toe in Pizza Pals gear, save for the awesome spicy Cheetos bow.
It’s actually a [Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Crunchy Dill Pickle] bow that I made. Bows are like my signature. I always wear very big bows. And I like to upcycle and do fun and funky bows. The creativity that comes up in my mind sometimes, like when I’m helping design our displays and in retail.
Well you put up a whole Pizza Pals display right here, it’s amazing.
Yeah, and the jacket is all thrifted from the Goodwill bin. So this is actually like a fur blanket, and this is a recycled rain jacket. I partnered and conspired with our wardrobe team to create that. And on the back actually is Hungey from Pizza Pals Playzone.
This is more of a prop design for the displays to really enhance our merchandise in the gift shop. And then the shirt is something you can buy. It’s a new design that just came out and there’s acutely a trucker hat on the way.
So with your affinity for pizza and your designs, what do you think about Pizza Pals? Do you use it for inspiration?
I love going in there, it’s just a fun, inspiring room. Pete Pop is one of the characters in the room and I was it for Halloween the first year working at Meow Wolf. He’s in the ball pit peeking out, and I created a headpiece, like a crown, of ball pit balls. It’s very nostalgic for me.
So what’s a normal-ish day as the retail manager look like?
A normal day is running the regular retail business. But what I really like to do with my team is be inspired by them, and I like them to show their creativity because it inspires me. I very much encourage them to do displays in the gift shop.
One of our last displays we did was around Future Fantasy Delight (FFD) [by artist Nico Salazar]. We were very inspired and we had leftover glass from when we had to have it up during COVID. I wanted to recycle and reuse those things to create something beautiful. So the team drew all of us as characters inspired by FFD and we’re all anime characters. It was a big team effort and team collaboration and it looks so epic and beautiful.
What’s another cool thing about working for the company?
The Danceportations are amazing. The DJs are so cool and we get to dress up. That’s my favorite part I think, is continuously being able to be my authentic self when I am there. Because I get to wear all the fun, fun things and dress like an alien or dress like, what did we do? We did a sea theme the last time so I was a mermaid. A dark mermaid.
So aside from everything pizza, what are some other foods you like?
My other side [of her heritage] is Mexican, so green chili is definitely a staple, and tacos. I make all my own homemade salsa. Me and my cousin made tamales last weekend and there were only a few left over. But my boyfriend left the bag open so they got kind of hard. I was like, what do I make this into? So I created the Tamale Omelet. I chopped up the tamales and fried them up a little bit, then added fresh tomato and onion and cooked it all down. Then I added the eggs and it ended up like a pizza omelet, a zamelet.
That’s amazing. Are there any Mexican restaurants you like going to?
I love Adelita’s and I am a huge Michelada freak, it’s my go-to drink when I go out. I love getting the $2 tacos like the shrimp and the chicken and carne asada. Any tacos. If it has tacos in the name I’m there as well. Pizza and tacos.
How about after a late night Meow Wolf party or concert?
My favorite spot to go after a night out, and it’s not like high end or anything, but it’s Chubby’s. I’m from Denver, born and raised here, and that was mine and my dad’s favorite spot to go. We wouldn’t tell my family. He’d be like, this is our secret, you can’t tell anyone.
Now that I’m older, that’s why I like to go. It’s like my late night spot because they’re open till 2 a.m. I like to get smothered chili cheese fries, half-and-half with the red and green chili.
As we finished up the pizza and our conversation, Dozier pointed out she was acting a little different today, though she couldn’t say why it happened.
I didn’t eat it like this today, but I normally eat my pizza backwards because the crust is my least favorite part of the pizza. Unless it’s a really good crust. Then I save the tip of the pizza for last since it usually has that good cheese pull. And I will put some of the toppings there too, because you want everything in that bite and to savor it. I just love that.
