Ten years ago, DU fourth year Ryan McLean’s love for pizza matured with the addition of a Mugnaini pizza oven in his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“My mom used to pay my friend Kendall and I to cater parties for her and her clients using the oven,” said McLean. “It was a blast—the guests would always say to us, ‘we’re not just telling you you have good pizza, you actually have really good pizza.’”

Two years ago, the finance major parlayed this part-time catering gig into a full-fledged pizzeria run out of his home on the weekends called Lynnhurst Pizza Co-op.

“Business was booming, we did really, really well.” Unfortunately, the restaurant was eventually shut down due to lack of proper health department licensing. “Even though we had to kind of abandon the restaurant, that’s when I really realized, ‘we’ve got something here,’” said McLean.

A year ago, McLean decided to put his love for pizza, sustainability and proclivity for entrepreneurship into Mountain Crust, a catering company that specializes in wood-fired pizza, salad and a variety of other wood-fired appetizers and entrees.

“Right now our slogan in the works is ‘more than just pizza’ because we really offer such a wide range of food,” said McLean.

Mountain Crust officially launched on May 7. Everything on their menu is completely customizable and gluten-free crust is even available upon request—in fact, so is anything.

“Hosts can ask us to bring any additional toppings for their pizza. If they tell us they want mashed potatoes on their pizza, then we’ll bring mashed potatoes for their pizza.”

The pizza itself is thin crust with a “Minnesotan twist,” and is made with a Mugnaini oven out of a restored 1955 Ford F-600 truck endearingly referred to as “Ole Blue.” Beer taps are also readily available for customer use as long as the alcohol is purchased by the host. The types of pizzas available from the menu range from classics like the A-Basin Margarita topped with homemade tomato sauce, sliced mozzarella and fresh basil to more distinctive flavors like Mountain Crust’s most popular pizza, the Aspen Amanda. This creation is topped with white truffle oil, fig chutney, prosciutto, goat cheese and fresh arugula.

“Our pizzas are named after Colorado ski mountains,” said McLean. “We want our customers’ dining experience to feel uniquely Colorado.”

Working alongside McLean is fourth year hospitality student Alex Kowalski as the sous chef, and his childhood friend Kendall Flores as the head chef. Aditionally, a sustainability minor, McLean wants to run his business as environmentally responsible as possible.

“We want to incorporate as many green initiatives as possible,” said McLean. “One of the big ways we’re doing this is by using reusable plates, silverware, cups and salvaging them from ARC and Goodwill.”

Students can experience all Mountain Crust has to offer at the DU Vin Festival Grand Tasting on May 14. Tickets are $35 for DU students, $38.95 for DU faculty, staff and alumni and the standard price is $52.80.