What’s your earliest pizza memory?

Ania: My earliest memory of pizza is going to Papa Gino's with my parents. I was in love with the food, perhaps even obsessed. My favorite was a mushroom, onion, and pepperoni pizza as a kid. They had this painting on the wall of a grandpa making pizza in the Italian countryside. Eventually, I ended up studying abroad in Italy and was able to try the location of where pizza is rumored to have been born. When I was able to choose my location abroad I knew it had to be Italy for the food. Ironically now I am in the food industry and selling pies! Life has come full circle!

Hot Box serves up North Shore-style roast beef and South Shore-style pizza all in just 300 square feet. How do you manage to squeeze so much into such a small space?

Ania: It was quite a challenge to fit two major local foods into one tiny location. We figured out how to use the kitchen and storage in the best way possible. Our kitchen is only 150 square feet of actual cooking area; the other half is needed for a dishwashing station, storage, and refrigerators. Making fresh ingredients daily allows us to be able to run the space smoothly. However, having a solid and great team really makes it all possible!

How would you describe Boston’s distinctive South Shore pizza?

Ania: Boston South Shore pizza is known as bar pie. It's in a pan, thin, not deep dish, crispy crust, cheddar and mozzarella cheese blend which gives it a buttery taste, and 10 inches in diameter. It's found all over the south shore and it's what the locals in that area grew up chowing. It's not a traditional style pie most people grow up with but a very well-known type of pizza in the South Shore area. We wanted to bring this style closer to the city because otherwise, you have to travel 30 minutes to get one.

What’s it like opening a restaurant with your best friend?

Ania: It has been a fun and rewarding experience. We have known each other since high school but got into business together after college. Of course, it has its challenges as well (we can’t agree on everything!), but overall we always work together to come up with the best solution for the business. We enjoy trying new foods and that always sparks up ideas for us. We started with Mike & Patty's, a breakfast shop, and then had the opportunity to start a new brand and concept with Hot Box. Our passion is providing our favorite foods to those in our community; great food, great quality, and great service.

What sort of community projects have you been involved with locally? What has been your favorite way of giving back?

Ania: We had done a lot with the local communities during Covid-19 by giving back to all the surrounding hospitals. Boston is known for the best hospitals so we made sure we fed them well during those tough times. We also love giving back to local charities. Supporting our community is important, I believe one hand washes the other. Without them, there would be no us.