THUNDER BAY, ON: Does a plate of warm pizza brought out to your table, fresh out of the sizzling fire, on a cold night sounds like a paradise to you? That is what the hands at the Both Hands Wood-Fired Pizzeria does: bring comfort to your homes and your hearts.
For Derek Lucchese, the man behind the brains of the Pizzeria, a spark of curiosity and a hunger for making bread, led him to the Thunder Bay Country Market where he sold the iconic ‘Sourdough Pizzas’ for two years. The unpredictable Thunder Bay weather, the cold freezing nights in the winter and sudden stormy days in the summer limited his pizza sales to a bare minimum, which led up to him opening his own local pizzeria, Both Hands Wood Fired Pizzeria, loved by the people of Thunder Bay.
When it started, the Both Hands Wood Fired Pizzeria was among the few local businesses that emphasized using only locally grown products. Apart from being local, it is also one of the only local pizzerias that uses a traditional brick oven and sourdough starters for the bread, making the pizzas one of a kind. The sourdough pizzas are the more health-conscious option, and anyone can eat it. Even the people mildly sensitive to wheat can eat them. However, they are not a gluten-free option for those allergic to gluten.
The Both Hands Pizzeria has built a strong customer base over the years by providing locally produced traditional pizzas sourced from local ingredients. With the focus on providing the best quality pizzas around Thunder Bay, they make the pizzas from scratch by hand, and keep it simple. Derek Lucchese mentions, “the simplicity is what makes people come to us regularly. We do not use oil, sugar, and fats. Our focus is on the strong flavors. People come to us for tradition, so we try to keep away from fads.”
For Derek and the pizzeria, the recipe for success is providing simple clean rustic flavorful food for everyone. Their ‘Pay what you can’ model for the economically challenged is a warm initiative to welcome everyone equally to eat at the restaurant, without feeling any shame.
“There are quite a few charities in Thunder Bay, for providing food to the financially challenged, but we introduced this concept for people who want to get that restaurant experience and not feel ashamed about not having money to pay for it. We just want everyone to feel welcome and enjoy food,” says Lucchese.
The Pandemic might have put a wrench in the business, but they are sailing through it strong by introducing new ways to sell pizzas and bread. A grocery trip to George’s Market or Dawson General Store would lead you to find their pizzas- frozen and sealed to be enjoyed in the comfort of your homes until the doors open again safely for everyone.
