At Twin Peaks Pizzeria, Discover Marana surprised restaurateur Ted Fisher with its Taste of Marana STANDOUT Award, a recognition by the town’s restaurant task force of food businesses that “go above and beyond.”
“I never had any expectation of getting anything, so I was shocked,” said Fisher, owner of Twin Peaks Pizzeria and Dominick’s Real Italian.
Discover Marana delivered the award under the guise of filming a “National Pepperoni Day” promotional video.
“When we got done serving the pizzas, they said ‘that’s not the real reason we came here,’” Fisher recalled. “They did a good job.”
The town of Marana initiated its restaurant recruitment task force in 2023, bringing together internal members, chamber of commerce, and other partners in a “coordinated effort to bring sit-down restaurants” to the community, the town website says.
“One of the very first people to help us out when we started the restaurant task force was Ted,” said Stefanie Boe, Discover Marana tourism and marketing manager. “He has really helped us learn about what it’s like to own a restaurant and understand the challenges and obstacles.”
“One of the things we realized is we actually do have a lot of restaurants. But because Marana is 122 square miles, you just don’t see a restaurant that’s not in your neighborhood, or you don’t think of it as Marana.”
The STANDOUT Award began as an effort to create awareness around the eateries that already existed in Marana, and to celebrate local gems.
Fisher’s award is the seventh that the restaurant task force has handed out, guided by nominations submitted through the Discover Marana website.
“I would love for more nominations to come in for this award,” Boe said. “ The biggest struggle is awareness of the program.”
Typically a business receives the STANDOUT Award, not its owner. But according to Boe, Fisher’s is a unique case, because he owns two prominent restaurants in Marana and nearby unincorporated Pima County: Twin Peaks Pizzeria and Dominick’s Real Italian. Beyond the two, Fisher also owns All City Catering and plans to launch a pizza food truck.
“Really, this time it was about him,” Boe said. “The nomination was for him.”
Fisher is no stranger to accolades. Dominick’s has previously been named Best of the Northwest pizza, Italian, and dessert, and USA Today best Italian restaurant in Tucson. Twin Peaks Pizzeria, which brings the tradition of Detroit-style pie to Southern Arizona, is a local favorite for its quality, fresh ingredients and scratch-made philosophy.
But the STANDOUT Award goes beyond the quality of the food.
“I think what it comes down to is supporting Marana,” Fisher said. “Supporting the Marana chamber, giving back to the schools. We do a lot of donations for food either through Twin Peaks or through Dominick’s, so we support a lot of the teams at the individual schools. I think that part of it is just being an active participant in the community.”
The rest of Fisher’s merits are evident in his nomination by business owner Marielle Ceniceros:
“Ted owns and operates all three businesses effortlessly. Ted knows when to delegate and when things require his individual attention. He’s also ridiculously detail oriented. I think it’s part of his super power. I’ve seen him notice a difference on a dish based on one cherry. I love to witness the standard Ted sets. If Ted approves of something you better believe it’s been vetted and verified.
“He has a unique ability to curate new menus monthly and listen to feedback from his staff. He also brings inspiration to his menus based on travel experiences and places he’s loved. It’s been inspiring and incredible to witness his journey and see the businesses evolve as the years go on.
“Ted’s restaurants and catering businesses bring a lot to the local economy in Marana. He provides countless jobs and opportunities for growth. A lot of the senior staff at Dominick’s, Twin Peaks and All City have been with Ted since day 1. On a personal note, Ted was one of the first people to believe I could turn my hobby of photographing food and creating media into a real business. He was the first person who hired me and I am forever grateful.”
