La Caja China: A decades-old business that’s suddenly muy caliente!
A twist on the backyard grill brings families together for a pig roast (or beef and chicken) — and is the singular product behind a bustling small business for three generations of a Florida family.
“The good thing about the box is it brings people and family and friends together.”
That sums up La Caja China for Miami business owner Roberto Guerra.
His father came up with the idea for a metal-lined roasting box — which employs indirect heat to cook meats — when he saw residents of Chinatown in Havana using a similar cooking method back in the 1950s. Thirty years later, father and son came up with a prototype product that’s now a hot commodity sold primarily on the internet.
The larger boxes can even roast a whole pig in less than four hours!
The boxes are made in the U.S., with most of the manufacturing taking place in Miami. The business recently relocated from a leased facility to a larger building that Roberto was proud to be able to purchase (with help from Wells Fargo).
