The Boston Globe
Renting above Soiled Water Dough in East Boston comes with a tasty perk.
Most Boston renters think about themselves fortunate in the event that they rating facilities like in-unit laundry or a free parking spot.
However for the tenants of 1 East Boston three-bedroom, there’s a perk that’s made-to-order: free pizza, as soon as per week.
The saucy add-on got here into existence in 2019, when Sam Sokol bought the constructing on the nook of Maverick Avenue and Border Avenue to open an outpost of the Newbury Avenue pizza joint Soiled Water Dough. When it got here to promoting the 1,100-square-foot, two-floor condo that sits atop the restaurant, Sokol and his property administration group wished to discover a aggressive edge in opposition to different stock flooding the neighborhood.
“It’s not all the time enjoyable to reside on prime of a restaurant, proper? There’s gonna be some additional noise. There is perhaps some smells. So how will we incite individuals to need to reside on this condo?” mentioned Sokol. “We mentioned, ‘Effectively, why don’t we sort of embrace them in feeling like they’re part of it?’”
Since then, a number of teams of tenants have known as the condo residence — and made Soiled Water their once-a-week kitchen. Considered one of these tenants, Max Tabakin, who lived there with two roommates from January by August of 2022, made a TikTok video in regards to the setup, which has racked up 3.7 million views.
“We had been selecting between flats and [my roommates] have been trying extra in the direction of these extra trendy ones,” mentioned Tabakin, who since shifting out has been touring the world as a contract videographer. “The best way I used to be capable of promote them truly on the condo was like, ‘Yo, look, this one has pizza. How superior is that?’”
Typically Tabakin and his buddies would declare their pie on a Saturday night time as a pre-game snack earlier than hitting the bars — or for late-night slices after they returned residence. Their favourite was the mac-and-cheese pizza, however “we tried just about each pizza on the menu,” Tabakin mentioned of an eclectic choice that features choices like steak-and-cola (a pie topped with Coca Cola-marinated steak) and the “Fenway Frank” (topped with sizzling canines and yellow mustard).
It has fallen on the restaurant employees to attempt to hold observe of when the tenants declare their weekly allowance, however “no person was attempting to take benefit or something,” mentioned supervisor Jacqueline Babin.
“It was good, having quick little chats after they got here down to select up their pizza,” mentioned Babin of earlier tenants. “Like new buddies we didn’t know we had.”
Shortly after Sokol took over the property, the COVID-19 pandemic froze the rental market, resulting in a spike in vacancies in East Boston. However within the years since, the market has rebounded, and provide has tightened as soon as extra, with rents round right here nonetheless on the ascent.
“I suppose we in all probability don’t want [the pizza perk] anymore as a result of there’s a a lot increased demand these days,” he mentioned.
Certainly they didn’t: When the condo went again available on the market earlier this 12 months, the pizza perk had fallen off the property itemizing, although Sokol mentioned he by no means formally rolled it again.
The present tenants locked down the unit by a dealer, Charles Haritos of Metro Realty, who mentioned he was by no means advised in regards to the association.
“I don’t precisely get a variety of meals offers for my shoppers,” he mentioned when a Globe reporter advised him in regards to the amenity. “The tenants have been fairly fortunate that I didn’t learn about that concession, as a result of I in all probability would have taken the place myself.”
So the present group of tenants signed the $3,300 lease and moved in on July 1, none the wiser in regards to the free pizza, although an all-caps observe about it has remained within the unit’s itemizing on Residences.com.
The privilege remained unbeknownst to the tenants till a Globe reporter’s question in regards to the association prompted Sokol to attach the reporter to the present tenants.
As soon as he was knowledgeable of the free weekly pizza, Evan Taylor, a neighborhood school scholar who is likely one of the present residents, mentioned he was trying ahead to inaugurating it with a pepperoni pie. He mentioned it will likely be a boon on nights when he doesn’t really feel like cooking, similar to after working a 10-hour shift at Starbucks.
“I’ve been attempting to keep away from it, truly, as a result of I like pizza and I’m tremendous scared that if I gave into the comfort of getting a pizza place proper downstairs, then I’ll simply eat pizza, like, day-after-day,” he mentioned. “However now that there’s this free pizza in it for me, I believe I’ll positively be down there extra.”
Earlier than you ask: No, Evan has no plans of shifting any time quickly. But when and when the digs turn into vacant as soon as extra, Sokol mentioned free pizza would stay a everlasting topping.
“I don’t suppose I’ll ever do away with that perk,” he mentioned. “When you reside above the restaurant, you’ll all the time have that privilege.”
