DTLA APPETITE: HOTBOX BURGERS by Keri Freeman
DOWNTOWN APPETITE
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VOL 17. NO. 01 - JUN 9TH - JUN 15TH 2022 WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM
HOT BOX BURGERS 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
The verdict is in, Hotbox Burger on Vermont and MLK is winning when it comes to taste, presentation, and ethics. Before the doors open at 10:30 am a line has already formed outside the window at HotBox. Throughout the day and into the night, fresh seasoned patties, crispy bacon, melted cheese, and over 1000 soft buns make their way from the HotBox grill to the counter for pick up. Celebrating their first year anniversary in their brick and mortar location, with an evergrowing fan base from USC and the surrounding West Adams and South Central communities, in only 2 year's time, Hotbox had moved its operations from a tiny unhitched trailer to a successful brick-andmortar all of Los Angeles can rely on. However, the past year hadn't been easy. HotBox family business went through a list of trials and tribulations. Everything from having to operate through Covid and losing employees, to the passing of a family member and founding partner.
All in the family at HotBox Burgers photo by Gary Leonard
It’s Official – Expo/USC can’t get enough of HotBox Burgers Americans consume 50 Billion Burgers a year. That’s about 150 burgers per person. Now think about it, out of all those burgers which ones were made fresh daily and never frozen. How many were cooked to order, and topped with the freshest ingredients?
And how many were made from family-owned operations connected to the customers they serve vs super conglomerates? Ask yourself, do you want your next delicious burger to be prepared by good people grilled with pure ingredients or some flattened burger loaded with chemical additives presented to you by some clown?
Yet, embroidered on back of every HotBox uniform is a Bible verse, one such verse is Phillippaijs 4:13.
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Hoping to uplift everyone and holding on to faith, and strengthened by the words of Paul the Apostle, the HotBox family business stuck together determined to thrive. Today, HotBox Burger is voted the number one burger in the Expo/USC district. It's only a matter of time before patrons of nearby fast-food chains figure out what they’ve been missing.
