What is now Dark Sky Cafe, Norwood’s Main Street restaurant has gone through several evolutions in the last couple of decades. Most recently, though, the former pizza place has transformed into something else under the ownership of Jaime Schultz and Jeffrey Perce. The family-owned establishment is now making more than pizza, but everything’s from scratch using proprietary recipes designed by Perce.
“Dark Sky Cafe started as a pizzeria, following in the footsteps of Maggie’s Pizza and West End Pizza,” Schultz told the Forum. “We opened in September of 2022 as a to-go only establishment and served pizza almost entirely to-go through April of 2025.”
Then things changed for the family after a health crisis, but with that came inspiration and a new vision for the Wright’s Mesa restaurant.
“A celiac diagnosis that resulted in joint disability forced us to close in the spring of 2025, and mechanical issues kept us closed until Halloween night that same year,” Schultz said.
She added while the menu is not entirely gluten-free, patrons with a gluten sensitivity will find that they can actually order from every part of the menu these days.
“We are happy to cater to food allergies and sensitivities to the best of our ability, and maintain a dedicated gluten-free fryer and some other limited, separate cooking surfaces,” she said. “Since everything is made in-house using simple ingredients, we are able to help folks navigate significantly restricted diets.”
Schultz said the restaurant focuses on scratch recipes with simple ingredients that are sourced as locally as possible. Perce, a 30-year chef, has much experience in the restaurant world, including fine dining. Dark Sky Cafe’s new menu is built on tacos and sandwiches, with starters, salads and sides to round it out.
“We usually have a soup de’jour that’s special each week,” Schultz added. “Almost everything on the menu is naturally gluten-free or has a gluten-free version available.”
She’s happy the family is happy to offer what they can for patrons. Since the owners have their own food allergies, she feels they were set up to be flexible in this particular way. People are coming because of it.
“We have a whole new rotation of regulars who are happy to have a local place to eat that caters to food sensitivities,” she said.
While it was only a to-go restaurant in the past, dining-in is now an option.
“Dark Sky Cafe is a full service restaurant, with seating available in our dining room during all open hours,” she said. “We still offer take-out, and you can stop in and order in-person or call ahead at 970-508-3543.”
The family is applying for a liquor licence in 2026 too, so beer, wine and cider should be available.
Is running the restaurant anything like they thought it would be?
Schultz said it actually is, and they are enjoying the work.
“It is a lot more fun than I expected,” she said. “There are definitely some unique stressors that come along with owning a business, but overall it has provided our family with innumerable freedoms and a whole lot of fun.”
And the name?
It’s a reference to the Dark Sky initiative happening throughout the region.
“Dark Sky Cafe celebrates the limited and valuable darkness of night and the irreplaceable resource of a natural sky-scape, something rare, still available here in Norwood and all over the Western Slope,” she said. “Dark Sky Cafe supports all local initiatives for preservation of the natural circadian rhythms and our precious night sky. We always welcome collaboration.”
Schultz does participate directly with the Western Slope Dark Sky Coalition.
