Interview: Pasta Moto's Michael Pirraglia
|
 Custom Search
|
Following the Italian wine tasting organized at Novato's Pasta Moto restaurant, I sat down with Michael Pirraglia, Vice President and CFO, as well as the vital force behind these restaurants, to pick his brain with a few questions.
Loris Scagliarini: How did you come up with the idea of Pasta Moto?
Michael Pirraglia: My family and I have owned and operated restaurants in New York, Connecticut and Italy –and until now– have focused primarily on 'fine dining', 'full service' restaurants. Though our price points have always been considered reasonable for the quality of the cuisine and ambiance, we still felt that there was such a void in the industry for people [customers] looking for great al dente pasta in a quick service environment, such as in an airport, shopping center or in a downtown urban setting, like San Francisco.
Since we were always traveling, spending time in other cities, airports, and such environments, we began to truly notice this void in the market. Initially, the Pasta Moto concept focused on made-to-order al dente pasta, but quickly we added thin-crust artisan pizzas, fresh paninis (Italian style sandwiches) and salads. The inspiration behind the format came from the Auto Grills in Italy –but with a twist that Americans would be able to adapt to.
Loris Scagliarini: How did you choose the name?
Michael Pirraglia: As the initial concept focused on made-to-order pasta, we developed a system with procedures to expedite the process of cooking and serving the pasta... so the name PASTA MOTO seemed to make sense. It's also a play on words, since our logo has a chef on a scooter, which visually gives the same impression.
Loris Scagliarini: When did you open the first Pasta Moto restaurant?
Michael Pirraglia: In September 2006, however I began developing the concept in 2004, while traveling in Italy.
Loris Scagliarini: Tell me something about Pasta Moto wine bar and wine list.
Michael Pirraglia: To put it quite simply: we are the first 'fast-casual' restaurant to have a self serve wine bar, which we believe complements our food and dining format very well.
On average, we swap wines out of our 16-bottle cruvinet system every two weeks.
Customers have a chance to have tastes, half glasses or full glasses of any wine in the system. Wines range from $7/glass up to $20+/glass, with an array of wines allowing people to explore different varietals they may have never seen before. People can have a half a glass of a local Chardonnay, another half a glass of Vermentino (Italian white wine from Sardinia made with the grapes with the same name), then have a taste of a Barolo (a tannic Italian red from Piedmont made in the town of Barolo with Italian native Nebbiolo grapes) and other hard-to-find reds.
Loris Scagliarini: There are currently two Pasta Moto venues, which I suppose cater to different customers, one being in downtown San Francisco, near the financial district, and the other one in a Novato shopping center.
Michael Pirraglia: These two locations were strategically placed in different markets, as they are considered 'pilots' for our expansion. The unit in San Francisco is under 1,000 feet and a completely different 'dining format' than the location in Marin County, which is over 2,600 feet –however, both serve the exact same food.
Loris Scagliarini: Do you plan to open more locations?
Michael Pirraglia: Yes, we are in the process of expanding throughout the Bay Area and working on an initial expansion into Southern California. We are also 'interviewing' potential strategic partners to specific markets.
Loris Scagliarini: Thank you very much for your time. Given the quality of the food Pasta Moto serves and the fast paced service which fits today's fast paced way of life, I expect your 'experiment' will be very successful.
Michael Pirraglia: It has been a pleasure talking to you, and thank you for appreciating our food. Though it is served quickly, we put all the loving attention found in Italian slow food restaurants into every dish.
|
Home • General Index • Contact Us • Search • News • About Us • Site Map |
