STRATEGIC PARTNERS
June 30, 2010
Hello Pasta, a new model in fast casual dining that serves a selection of cooked pasta and sauces, will launch its first of four restaurant locations in New York City at Lexington Avenue between 54th and 55th on July 7, according to a company statement.
Hello Pasta will offer a choice of imported, organic Italian pasta (with whole wheat and gluten-free options) served with high quality, low sodium sauces made with all-natural, locally sourced and organic ingredients, all for under $10. A serving of pasta will come in small and large sizes and will be made to order.
Hello Pasta’s 11 sauces were each created in the Hello Pasta test kitchen and include Pomodoro, Pesto, Carbonara and Bolognese and Hello Pasta ‘signatures’ such as Sausage and Peas, Salmon Tarragon and Tuscan Chicken Vodka. Sauces also feature meat, fish and poultry and additional vegetarian and vegan options are available.
Customer picks of pasta include conchiglie (shell shaped), fusilli and farfalle.
Once the pasta and sauce have been selected, guests can choose between 100 percent Parmesan cheese or a gluten free/vegan alternative. Within minutes, the order is ready and packaged in the signature white and green Hello Pasta to-go box.
In addition to pasta, Hello Pasta will offer seasonal soups, ready-to-go salads and cold pasta options. Hello Pasta will also serves Ciao Bella ice cream, private labeled sweet treats and Nespresso coffee and cappuccinos.
The concept was founded by long-time friends, Laurent Lesort, Gregory Baratte, and Nicolas Barthelemy.
Lesort, Barthelemy and Baratte collectively bring several decades of hospitality and marketing experience to their respective roles as chief food officer, chief operations officer and chief marketing officer, respectively.
Lesort and Barthelemy developed a professional relationship while working together in New York City at restaurants and lounges such as Le Bilboquet, Le Charlot and Opia. Laurent and his brother Frederick went on to open three successful lounge/restaurants: Frederick’s Lounge, Frederick’s Madison and Frederick’s Downtown.
Barthelemy was a member of the opening team of Parisian hot spot Buddha Bar, then was charged by parent company, George V Eatertainment, with all F&B operations in North and South America and Eastern Europe. Baratte, as the senior director of marketing for Louis Vuitton, was Lesort and Barthelemy’s No. 1 customer and supporter. He also is the son of French restaurateurs.
Hello Pasta will open one restaurant a month for four consecutive months. The second restaurant will open in August on Third Avenue between 44th and 45th Street, followed by Maiden Lane at Wall Street in the Financial District in August and finally, at 38th and Broadway in September.
Each Hello Pasta restaurant will have 800 to 1,000 square feet of dining space and will seat 15-25 customers. The spaces, designed by architect Antonio Di Oronzo, founder of Bluarch Architecture and Urban Planning, were inspired by the shape of traditional, hand-made pasta drying on a rack.
