When a guy who owned three Domino's franchises was elected to a vacant seat in the legislature, there was some snickering about tipping the pizza delivery man.

But Republicans quickly made Rep. Brian DelGrosso of Loveland one of their go-to guys on financial issues, whether that meant taking on former Gov. Bill Ritter in 2010 about the so-called "Dirty Dozen" tax measures or Gov. John Hickenlooper this session on a renewable energy measure critics said would hurt rural Colorado.


"It's a huge honor," DelGrosso said.

And it's an unusual career trajectory for someone who dropped out of college and turned a part-time job of delivering pizzas into a full-time career. He owns two Domino's franchises in Loveland and one in Windsor.

"I had somebody tell me when I was first in the legislature, 'Geez, we have a pizza guy here. That seems kind of odd,' " DelGrosso recalled.


"But whether you're selling pizzas, cars, buildings, steel, whatever it is, business is business. You have to meet a bottom line. Being a small business, I'm the guy paying all of the bills. I see every penny coming in and out. And I have to watch those dollars like a hawk."


Democrats and Republicans alike praise DelGrosso.

"Although we have disagreed on things, Brian's a rational, thoughtful type of person," said House Speaker Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver. "He definitely is seen as someone who has a history of working across the aisle, although he is a strong, partisan Republican."

One of those areas of disagreement: civil unions.

DelGrosso, who has a gay uncle, was considered a swing vote when Ferrandino's civil unions bill was introduced in the 2011 and 2012 sessions. But DelGrosso voted "no," saying he thought Colorado law already provided protections for same-sex couples. The bill died in the Republican-controlled House. Democrats, who won back the majority after 2012, passed civil unions this year, still without DelGrosso's support.



DelGrosso's political career began in 2009 when Ritter, a Democrat, tapped Republican state Rep. Don Marostica to serve as the state's economic development director. DelGrosso was one of five Republicans who ran for Marostica's House seat; he was elected by a vacancy committee in the second round of balloting.

"The first day I stepped foot in the Capitol was the day I was sworn in," DelGrosso recalled. "I had to buy a suit for that."

As the minority leader, DelGrosso said he'll continue to push for the same goal he strives for in business: customer service. He admitted that can be difficult in such a politically charged atmosphere.

"I try to listen to both sides to try to find a solution," he said. "That's what helped me be successful."
