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FAMILY GATHERING

I Drove Over an Hour for Pizza

Why not? Town Spa is a local landmark.

Sarah Ouellet
Our DNA in Words
Published in
3 min readNov 18, 2024

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The photo shows a free-standing sign in front of Town Spa, a restaurant in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Town Spa is at the top in white letters, below it is pizza spelled out in red. The bottom part of the tall sign lists other food items and their telephone number.
The author’s photo of the restaurant’s sign along route 138S.

Pizza?

We only need one word. Everyone knows where it will be served. The only decisions to agree upon are date and time. We know the pies each of us favors. The predictability and sameness are comforting.

Town Spa has been our gathering place since I was a teenager — some 70 years ago. I was 14 when the Phillips family offered their first pies in a narrow, dimly lit space in downtown Stoughton, Massachusetts.

By 1986, their popularity outgrew their limited space, not to mention difficulty finding parking. Their current location, alongside Route 138S, provides ample parking and seating (260 seats). Don’t expect to be seated promptly if you show up on the weekend; its popularity can mean a long wait, sitting on a bench, salivating at the odor of sizzling pizzas.

I remember the original spa as dim and romantic, but my memories may not be 100% accurate. My brother says cigarette smoke contributed to the dimness. It is certainly not dim these days, especially after a 2016 renovation. It’s bright and welcoming. A large rectangular bar centers the main dining room, surrounded by TVs featuring sports.

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Sarah Ouellet
Sarah Ouellet

Written by Sarah Ouellet

I am an old, opinionated woman who loves animals and nature. I feed stray cats, skunks, possums, and birds.

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