The film is about the coming of age of two sisters and their friend through the romantic lives of the three main characters: Kat Arújo (Annabeth Gish), Daisy Arújo (Julia Roberts), and Jojo Barbosa (Lili Taylor), who are waitresses at Mystic Pizza owned by Leona (Conchata Ferrell) in Mystic, Connecticut. In the film, Mystic is represented as a fishing town with a large Portuguese Americans population. The film also touches on an Old World work ethic.