Marking it's 20th anniversary this year, Angelo's Pizza Parlor And-a-More on the Riverwalk is celebrating another milestone.

Inclusion in Pizza Today's 2017 Hot 100 Independent Pizzerias List.

To coincide with October's designation as National Pizza Month, Pizza Today -- the $37 billion pizzeria industry's foremost authority -- selected Angelo's as one of America's top-grossing independent pizzerias.

"Making our list is quite an accomplishment," wrote Pizza Today editor-in-chief Jeremy White to Angelo's co-owner Deb Foresta. "Each year, our readers await the release of the Hot 100 list anxiously.

"Making it here isn't easy -- it's a testament to many factors such as great food and service, solid marketing and old-fashioned hard work. The pizzerias on our list have managed to really set themselves apart from the competition."

In addition to pizza establishments in major cities such as San Diego, Dallas, Las Vegas, Chicago and Memphis, Tenn., Angelo's joins Colorado pizzerias based in Denver, Fort Collins, Golden, Broomfield and Colorado Springs on the list.

"It is always a surprise to make the top 100," said Foresta, "especially since there are a whole lot of independent pizzerias in the country."

To be eligible for consideration, Foresta was provided a 20-question survey regarding annual sales, number of establishments owned and so forth.

"We have been in the pizza business for 20 years but have only one unit," Foresta said. "And this is the first time we made the top 100. It's quite an honor for a mom-and-pop independent pizza parlor to make the list, especially with Pueblo's smaller population.

"It says a lot for us and our customers to make it."

jpompia@chieftain.com