The smell of pizza is the first thing that hits you when you walk through the doors of Roma. Then comes the familiar feeling of being somewhere you belong.
Roma has been a part of the Weld County community since 1988, creating a place where stories are constantly coming in and out of the doors. But for Josh and Becky Ball, one story has been unfolding inside Roma for more than two decades.
Today, Josh is the owner behind the Roma locations many Northern Colorado residents have come to know and love. But his relationship with the restaurant started long before he was the one in charge.
Josh started as a dishwasher while attending the University of Northern Colorado. He spent countless hours working at Roma, building connections with the people around him and slowly falling in love with the restaurant. But it wasn't just the restaurant he fell in love with.
One day, a young woman named Becky started working at Roma. For Josh, it didn't take long to notice her.
“I was like, I know that person. I walked back to the dishwasher and I said, ‘She will be mine.’ Like in Wayne's World with Cassandra,” Josh said. That statement became true.
Josh and Becky’s love for each other grew inside Roma, just like their love for the community surrounding it. When the restaurant eventually became available, Josh knew it was what he wanted to do with his life. He stepped into ownership, with Becky by his side, and began building on the same relationships that had made Roma special to him.
“There was a drive when we were younger, to really grow. When you're young, you just want to take the bull by the horns and go. There was no fear,” Josh said.
Josh and his business partner, Christopher Allison Jr., bought the West Greeley and Windsor locations back in 2017. Christopher is like a brother to Josh; they are the perfect duo to run such a family establishment. Starting with Roma West was a full-circle moment. It was where Josh had started working back in 2003, just three months after the location opened.
For Becky, Roma holds memories of her own long before Josh became the owner.
“My favorite memory from 20 years ago was doing homework in booth 16 in the West Greeley location. I remember thinking, this is the warmest, most inviting place I could do homework. I'd be there like two or three times a week, just doing my thing in that booth. I want everyone to feel that way,” Becky said.
That feeling is something Josh and Becky now hope to create for others.
In the back of the Windsor location is a quiet, cozy nook that has become a place for student groups and organizations to gather. Through schools, sports and other community programs, Roma has become more than a place to grab a meal. It has become a place for people to meet, celebrate and support one another.
“We have kids, so naturally doing a lot of school stuff, a lot of community-based stuff through schools and sports is important to us,” Becky said.
Sports were an important part of Josh and Becky’s own childhoods, teaching them lessons about discipline, teamwork and responsibility that they now hope to pass along. Whether it is a team dinner, an award banquet or an after-practice hangout, they want to support athletic programs in the communities they serve. Food has brought people together for centuries, and they want to support that long running tradition.
For Josh and Becky, community extends beyond the people sitting down for a meal. It includes the teenagers getting their first jobs, the families who have been coming for decades, the teams gathering after practice and the regulars whose orders Josh knows by heart.
That is what makes Roma feel like a family.
“It’s not just a restaurant, it’s a family in and out the doors,” Josh said.
And after spending so much time talking about what Roma means to the community, there was one question left: What do Josh and Becky actually order?
“I swear to God I could eat a Hot House two times a week for the rest of my life. And I did for years,” Becky said.
“I swear she did, for three years. It was a Hot House every shift,” Josh said.
Josh’s favorite is a barbecue caroli with no red onions and added banana peppers.
After more than two decades inside Roma, their favorite orders may not have changed much, but the family they have built around the restaurant continues to grow.
“I was like, I know that person. I walked back to the dishwasher and I said, ‘She will be mine.’ Like in Wayne's World with Cassandra. Josh, Owner