February 24, 2021 - Full of So Much Optimism
Our Interview with Justin Myers of HonDough Pizza Company in Hondo, TX
How have you been affected by the recent severe weather and power outages?
Justin: Well, this has certainly been a "character building" year for all of us in the industry. The addition of the winter storm in Texas was just the icing on the cake. We lost the ability to serve our community completely. Power was in rolling blackouts for a week and water was either frozen or needed to be boiled. Even our food providers couldn't make it out to us. Thankfully, Texas weather is fickle and we are hoping to be back on track soon.
When did you start making pizza and how did it transform from a hobby into a business?
Justin: I started making pizza in the spring of 2017 for friends and family. They would sit around the kitchen table drinking wine and complaining about my pizza. I knew I was on the right track when my critics turned silent and the conversation turned to how I should sell the pizza in town. A friend of ours owned a woman's clothing boutique and served soup and sandwiches at lunch. She offered the space to use in the evening and that's when we started slinging pizzas out the back door. It was basically a secret pizza club in a closed woman's boutique. After she closed her doors, we set out to find our own space which we have now called home for almost three years.
What style of pizza do you make at Hondough and which pizzerias have been your greatest influences?
Justin: We call it a "bastard neapolitan" because we didn't know where it really fits in. We suspect it would be a close cousin to Roman-style or Pizza Bassa with a hyper-focus on the quality of our toppings and ingredients. Being so far out in the country most of our inspiration came from cookbooks. It all started with Joe Beddia's Pizza Camp and Chris Bianco's Bianco. Both were full of so much optimism, it inspired me to really take the chance and explore and have fun with it. We've also taken so much inspiration from Tony Gemignani, Marc Vetri, and Lars Smith. All Titans in our eyes.
You do a lot of work with Hank House. What do they do and how are you helping?
Justin: Hank House is a super small organization with a huge heart. They specifically help abused and neglected kids in the surrounding counties. They provide all the resources they can to over 250 children a year. Our small part is donating pizza to them once a week to ease the burden of finding the meals for a night. The number of kids vary from week to week, so it can be anywhere from five to ten pizzas.
Why is community involvement important for a small business like yours?
Justin: It's the small-town community love that gave us our start and has kept our doors open through these trying times. We are only as strong as our neighbors. By getting the community more involved, we strengthen the town and beyond.