In the world of entrepreneurship, we often hear about “trials by fire,” but for Adam and his wife Sasha, that phrase is literal. On a recent episode of the Pizza Story podcast, host Erica D’Arcangelo sat down with Adam to discuss how a devastating arson attack, a condo-fridge-turned-pizzeria, and a nerdy ska song combined to create one of Toronto’s most beloved pizza brands: Hooray for Pizza Day.
The Night Everything Changed
The story of Hooray for Pizza Day doesn’t begin in a kitchen; it begins on the third floor of a burning apartment building on March 13th. Adam and Sasha were woken at 1:00 AM by screams of evacuation.
“When I opened up the door, the smoke was so black and so thick that I couldn’t put my hand through it without losing it at the elbow,” Adam recalls.
Barricaded in their unit, the couple survived by smashing a window with a fire extinguisher and being rescued by firefighters on a ladder. They lost everything except for their two cats and a newly delivered cookbook titled Mexico. Homeless and traumatized, Adam found solace in the kitchen. Pizza wasn’t just food; it was therapy.
The “Condo Pizzeria” Era
During the pandemic, Adam was working in quality assurance for some of Toronto’s top pizza spots (like North Brooklyn) but craved something of his own. He discovered an interface called Cookin, a platform that allows chefs to go direct-to-consumer.
Starting from their 9th-floor condo, Adam and Sasha turned their domestic kitchen into a high-volume Detroit-style pizzeria. Adam would prep by day, and when Sasha returned from her barista job at 5:00 PM, they would fire up to 40 pizzas a night. To make it work, they had to move their condiments into Ziploc bags to make room for pepperoni and cheese. Uber Eats and DoorDash drivers would navigate the elevator, arriving at a residential door that smelled like a professional shop.
From Home Kitchen to Comedy Bar Danforth
Their success caught the attention of Comedy Bar Danforth, a premier Toronto performance venue. For the last three years, Hooray for Pizza Day has been the resident kitchen at the theater. They’re actively proving that “event food” doesn’t have to be frozen or uninspired.
A Menu That Breaks Expectations
Adam loves being “disruptive” by serving fresh, scratch-made food in a setting where people expect the bare minimum. Their menu includes unique pies such as the Canadian Hawaiian, inspired by the fact that Hawaiian pizza was invented in Canada. This award-winning pie features carnitas, a sweet and spicy habanero-pineapple glaze, charred onion, and cilantro. The Three-Sauce Pizza: A visual and flavor powerhouse featuring marinara, pesto, and vodka sauce. And classic pieces of nostalgia like Bagel Bites, A high-end riff on the childhood classic that Sasha insisted on adding—and it’s now a fan favorite.
That Time They Fed Drake
You can’t run a shop in Toronto without some brush with celebrity, but Adam’s story about Drake takes the cake. When the superstar came to the theater, he bypassed the “sneak in the back” plan. Instead, he kicked through the door in a giant white jacket with arms raised.
After the kitchen closed at 10:00 PM, the owner came back with a message: Drake loved the chicken wings and wanted four more pounds.
“I’m not going to send the owner of Comedy Bar to tell Drake he’s not getting his wings,” Adam laughs. They reopened the kitchen, dropped the wings, and cemented their place in Toronto pizza lore.
The Future: Hooray for Pizza Day
Despite their trauma, Adam and Sasha have built a legacy based on the “Pizza Friday” tradition they’ve kept for over eight years. They are currently looking for a second location.
How to Visit
You don’t need a ticket to a comedy show to eat at Hooray for Pizza Day. You can walk right into the restaurant, grab a beer, and enjoy a hot pie.
Location: 2800 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON
Hours: 7 days a week
Instagram: @hooray_forpizzaday
As Adam puts it, “Even bad pizza is great pizza as long as it’s not burnt.” But at Hooray for Pizza Day, it’s not just “not burnt,” it’s a masterclass in resilience and flavor.
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