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https://the016.com/blogs/29/20/first-food-vendor-at-worcester-public-market 
Pasta Mani
Bringing handmade regional Italian pasta to Worcester.
Pasta Mani will be the first fully handmade pasta eatery in Worcester. It will be located in the new Worcester Public Market at 160 Green Street in Kelley Square. We are a start-up LLC registered in the state of Massachusetts. With a small counter and a retail case, we will offer cooked-to-order handcrafted dishes as well as fresh pasta by the pound for home cooking and pre-prepared daily takeaway specials like lasagna, baked ziti and stuffed shells. A classic spaghetti and meatball will be the one item that never leaves the menu, a gnocchi dish and stuffed pasta dish will also be stalwarts on the menu. A few salads and desserts as well as beer and wine(selected by sommelier Emily Kelley) will be available. Retail products will be available such as Italian olive oils, local honey and some Pasta Mani merchandise. Public and private cooking classes will be held in the off hours of the market. The showroom production kitchen offers a look into the pasta-making process. A brand new Botene PM 80 Italian pasta extruder will be the crown jewel and can be seen both from a bird’s eye view from Green Street and through a glass wall in the kitchen while sitting at the counter crafted from reclaimed wood. Our cuisine will be regional Italian and our price point will land between $13 to $18. The competition offers more Italian-American cuisine, usually dry pasta at a much higher price point of $18-$26 per plate.
Pasta Mani will service the up and coming Kelley Square and Canal District of Worcester as well as the 48 work-to-live residents of the above Harding Green building. The construction of the new Polar Park for the AAA Worcester Red Sox will be located in close proximity and will be a huge opportunity for the market as a whole. Also, being the first fresh pasta shop in Worcester, we will be a destination for the locals and surrounding communities. With a four to five person staff, keeping food cost under 18%, etc., we should be able to gross $180,000 our first year. With consistency in product and presentation we should be able to grow our gross profit by 20% in that first year.
The Worcester Public Market will house other food stalls and some retail booths. The surrounding Canal District area has an underwhelming amount of food options at the moment. And fresh pasta is something that is null and void in the city of Worcester as it currently stands.
The variety of food being offered in the Market will range from sandwiches to tacos, bubble tea to a gluten free bakery, and the tap house in the Market will serve more bar food. A street food vibe will permeate most of the eateries, along with a lack of reheatable options, Pasta Mani will take advantage of offering larger family style bake at home options. Pasta Mani will capitalize on our visual draw as well (the pasta production will be able to be seen from the large Green Street or through the viewing window in the market itself), quality portions at a low price point and a product that will be exclusive to Pasta Mani. I’m confident that Pasta Mani will be the only eatery in the market that will offer cooking classes and after hours pop-ups. We will also have a small selection of wines and beer to offer our counter patrons. The city of Worcester will be over-promoting the Public Market project which will benefit all vendors inside. Pasta Mani will offer excellent service as well as expedient food preparation to keep pace with the more street food centered places. Pasta Mani will have the ability to feed people in 6-9 minutes due to the short duration fresh pasta needs to cook as well as our industrial pasta cooker, which keeps the water filtered and at a constant boil. Our cuisine will be regional Italian and our price point will land between $13 to $18 per bowl. The competition offers more Italian-American cuisine, usually dry pasta at a much higher price point of $18-$26 per plate. I’ve worked for a James Beard nominated chef who owns 18 restaurants, most of which are regional Italian cuisine, I’m confident I have the experience and insight few in the area can offer in ways of authentic Italian cuisine. Service standards will be high as to assure the quick service of food as well as casual dining at the counter. Again, most of the other food stalls will be more street food centered, giving Pasta Mani the feel of a tiny restaurant located in a public market.
When the market opens in September Pasta Mani will be the only eatery in the city of Worcester(and surrounding areas) that will be exclusively serving fresh pasta that”s made daily. We will help lead the way in expanding the culinary boundaries of Worcester, pushing the rest of the competition aside who continue to remain stagnant. Pasta Mani will corner the pasta market in Worcester with a product that will be head and shoulders over the competition. Using local flour, eggs and semolina from Italy the quality of our product will be unmatched. Chef/owner Jason Midwood has 26 years of culinary experience, including living and working in the famous North End of Boston as chef of Mare restaurant. Jason also worked as a pasta production chef for 4 years under Marshall Nall of Ethan Stowell Restaurant Group, which operates 16 restaurants that serve mostly pasta. On busy days, literally, close to a ton of pasta could be produced. Pasta Mani will showcase a Bottene PM 80 Italian pasta extruder, which allows them to produce 17 lbs. per hour. In addition to the normal streams of revenue Pasta Mani will (as soon as possible) conduct cooking classes on Mondays(when the market is closed), as well as wholesale to local restaurants. This will expand our advertising footprint outside of the public market as well as add additional revenue.
The city of Worcester will be promoting the Market to an excess. Pasta Mani already has interviews set up with local magazines and bloggers plus having an existing social media presence, Pasta Mani will hit the ground running with a strong advertising presence. With my 26 years in the food service industry in New England I have experienced the seasons here more than most in my profession. And with my extensive experience with opening eateries, I know we will be giving the 90 day gift. I’ve seen how the market handles a new venue many times, it usually takes about 90 days for clientele available to make their way through. By that time a reasonable amount of promotion has been done, (Pasta Mani would like to promote with a Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting Ceremony) word of mouth locally will also take hold at this point.
Even in the early winter months, with the holidays Pasta Mani’s retail case will become more relaven. During November and December(and even into early January sometimes) company and neighborhood holiday parties are common, bringing a lasagna to a pot luck or a baked macaroni to a Super Bowl party gives us something to fall back on in slower months. Then in early spring when the farm vendors start to bring to the market the fresh, new season produce the market will ramp back up as well as food stall sales. Late summer will show a slow in revenue due to vacations and school being out. However, surrounding businesses will remain open providing steady lunch revenue throughout this time. Business will rev back up in the fall when the produce in New England is at its best. With my experience working with local farms here in western Massachusetts or out in Pike Market in Seattle, Pasta Mani will keep rellevent in the neighborhood and in seasonality. Having worked next door to the new Harding green building at Birch Tree Bread Company in the Crompton collective I’ve seen first hand the amount of lunch business that one place garners. With little lunch options in the Canal District and Kelley Square, Birch Tree corners the market with a low price point and convenient hours. However, having worked there, I know they are plateauing as far as revenue goes, due to staffing inconsistencies. The inconsistency also rolls over into service and food quality standards. Adding the public market to the mix will transfer a significant amount of that business to the public market and the few other new eateries in the area.
Being located in the Worcester Public Market will bring many advantages. The Market will be housed in the modern, live to work Harding Green Apartment Building. The 46 residents upstairs are designed for young adults and families that work exclusively from home. Both residents and vendors will benefit from this relationship. However, Pasta Mani’s low cost, quick pickup and variety will offer more than just quick small eats togo. Pasta Mani will occupy a 550 square foot space at a cost of $55 a square foot. The majority of which will house the display production kitchen that will be viewed from Green Street. A 9 foot Boos wooden production table and an Italian Bottene PM80 pasta extruder will be showcased here. Open to the eye and to the small kitchen staff the production kitchen will be spacious, clean, organized and honest. Pasta Mani will be able to function on a high level with only 4 employees. The open production kitchen will be one more thing that elevates us above the competition and will be exclusive to us. Some vendors will be visible through windows, but Pasta Mani will be showcasing the pasta making process from the table to the bowl.
Each vendor will benefit from having each space built to their specifications and needs. The lease is being written specifically for Pasta Mani and it’s design needs. Harding Green is being built to be energy efficient throughout for the residents as well as the vendors and food stalls. Most of the cost of build out will be covered by a grant that the Market Project is extending to each vendor depending on square footage. Pasta Mani will receive approximately $25,000 for build out and fitting. This will be used to basic plumbing, electrical and construction work. Vendors will take advantage of free garbage service and snow removal in the season.
The public market will have its own parking that it shares with the residents of Harding Green along with the numerous parking lots located around Kelley Square. Crompton Collective’s farmer’s market will bring in additional foot traffic to the public market. New loft apartments in the Canal District (which is walking distance) will also add to the growing commerce in this growing area of Worcester. Young professionals are moving to Worcester to avoid Boston housing prices. With the addition of the Worcester Red Sox to the area and the construction of the new Polar Park, the potential for growth in the area is there. The market will also be close to the highway for easy access for people coming from out of town.
Pasta Mani has one more advantage over the competition, the chef/owner Jason Midwood. Jason has 26 years experience in the restaurant business and has for the last 5 years has been specifically working with fresh pasta, in its production as well as presentation. All general management duties will fall on Jason, production and employee schedules, ordering, staffing and service. Jason has extensive experience in opening new venues, setting their service and organizational standards as well menu design (which will be assisted by graphic designer Tess Kelley, from Converse). Pasta Mani has been working with the Clark University Small Business Department a well as North Central Chamber of Commerce to assure we have all the bases covered and are prepared for whatever comes our way. Pasta Mani will be hiring a general consul to assist with the signing legal documents and other basic legal needs. A book keeper will also be employed to assist with payroll and budgeting. Pasta Mani will also be utilizing a payroll service to keep things consistent. Pasta Mani’s website will be designed professionally and maintained by Jason and the other staff.
Jason’s experience doing private events, teaching cooking classes and working in high volume fine dining, over the last 26 years, makes him the perfect leader for this project. Jason will lead the production in the morning, working the pasta extruder, while another member of the production staff starts on non pasta prep. Right before opening, another staff member will arrive to handle the counter and retail service. The production staff will split, one person to keep prepping and the other (Jason) serving the clientele once we open. Busier days we will possibly staff a fourth person for smoother service. In the event of a serious mishap, Chef Micheal Penna will step in and assume the head role. Jason and Micheal have worked together and have been friends for 23 years. Micheal has extensive Italian food knowledge and experience in management and food production.
Pasta Mani will operate with a total of 4 part time employees with Jason carrying the burden. The staff, depending on growth, can remain the same throughout. One more possible part time employee may be needed for early morning pasta production, but the normal amount of employees will remain the same during service hours. 2 of the employees will work pasta preparation and production, while the other 2 will handle counter service and retail and togo food.
The counter service employees will be paid minimum wage at approximately 20-24 hours a week. The other 2 kitchen staff will be paid depending on experience for approximately 30 hours a week each. Additional help could be garnered by utilizing interns from local culinary programs, helping reduce the labor cost. Employees will be required to work on Sundays, however the market will be closed on Mondays. Minimal training will be required for the counter service employees, this will be conducted by Jason’s wife Emily Kelley. Emily has 15 years in the food service industry as a server and manager. Her experience in management has ranged from burger joints(The Fix in Worcester) to fine dining(she management Menton in Boston and the world famous Space Needle in Seattle), she is also a certified sommelier and had fromageir experience.
An employee handbook will be written and be provided to all employees upon hiring. Employees will also be Serv Safe Certified, this will be provided by Pasta Mani.
Pasta ManiBringing handmade regional Italian pasta to Worcester.
Pasta Mani will be the first fully handmade pasta eatery in Worcester. It will be located in the new Worcester Public Market at 160 Green Street in Kelley Square. We are a start-up LLC registered in the state of Massachusetts. With a small counter and a retail case, we will offer cooked-to-order handcrafted dishes as well as fresh pasta by the pound for home cooking and pre-prepared daily takeaway specials like lasagna, baked ziti and stuffed shells. A classic spaghetti and meatball will be the one item that never leaves the menu, a gnocchi dish and stuffed pasta dish will also be stalwarts on the menu. A few salads and desserts as well as beer and wine(selected by sommelier Emily Kelley) will be available. Retail products will be available such as Italian olive oils, local honey and some Pasta Mani merchandise. Public and private cooking classes will be held in the off hours of the market. The showroom production kitchen offers a look into the pasta-making process. A brand new Botene PM 80 Italian pasta extruder will be the crown jewel and can be seen both from a bird’s eye view from Green Street and through a glass wall in the kitchen while sitting at the counter crafted from reclaimed wood. Our cuisine will be regional Italian and our price point will land between $13 to $18. The competition offers more Italian-American cuisine, usually dry pasta at a much higher price point of $18-$26 per plate.
Pasta Mani will service the up and coming Kelley Square and Canal District of Worcester as well as the 48 work-to-live residents of the above Harding Green building. The construction of the new Polar Park for the AAA Worcester Red Sox will be located in close proximity and will be a huge opportunity for the market as a whole. Also, being the first fresh pasta shop in Worcester, we will be a destination for the locals and surrounding communities. With a four to five person staff, keeping food cost under 18%, etc., we should be able to gross $180,000 our first year. With consistency in product and presentation we should be able to grow our gross profit by 20% in that first year.
The Worcester Public Market will house other food stalls and some retail booths. The surrounding Canal District area has an underwhelming amount of food options at the moment. And fresh pasta is something that is null and void in the city of Worcester as it currently stands.
The variety of food being offered in the Market will range from sandwiches to tacos, bubble tea to a gluten free bakery, and the tap house in the Market will serve more bar food. A street food vibe will permeate most of the eateries, along with a lack of reheatable options, Pasta Mani will take advantage of offering larger family style bake at home options. Pasta Mani will capitalize on our visual draw as well (the pasta production will be able to be seen from the large Green Street or through the viewing window in the market itself), quality portions at a low price point and a product that will be exclusive to Pasta Mani. I’m confident that Pasta Mani will be the only eatery in the market that will offer cooking classes and after hours pop-ups. We will also have a small selection of wines and beer to offer our counter patrons. The city of Worcester will be over-promoting the Public Market project which will benefit all vendors inside. Pasta Mani will offer excellent service as well as expedient food preparation to keep pace with the more street food centered places. Pasta Mani will have the ability to feed people in 6-9 minutes due to the short duration fresh pasta needs to cook as well as our industrial pasta cooker, which keeps the water filtered and at a constant boil. Our cuisine will be regional Italian and our price point will land between $13 to $18 per bowl. The competition offers more Italian-American cuisine, usually dry pasta at a much higher price point of $18-$26 per plate. I’ve worked for a James Beard nominated chef who owns 18 restaurants, most of which are regional Italian cuisine, I’m confident I have the experience and insight few in the area can offer in ways of authentic Italian cuisine. Service standards will be high as to assure the quick service of food as well as casual dining at the counter. Again, most of the other food stalls will be more street food centered, giving Pasta Mani the feel of a tiny restaurant located in a public market.
When the market opens in September Pasta Mani will be the only eatery in the city of Worcester(and surrounding areas) that will be exclusively serving fresh pasta that”s made daily. We will help lead the way in expanding the culinary boundaries of Worcester, pushing the rest of the competition aside who continue to remain stagnant. Pasta Mani will corner the pasta market in Worcester with a product that will be head and shoulders over the competition. Using local flour, eggs and semolina from Italy the quality of our product will be unmatched. Chef/owner Jason Midwood has 26 years of culinary experience, including living and working in the famous North End of Boston as chef of Mare restaurant. Jason also worked as a pasta production chef for 4 years under Marshall Nall of Ethan Stowell Restaurant Group, which operates 16 restaurants that serve mostly pasta. On busy days, literally, close to a ton of pasta could be produced. Pasta Mani will showcase a Bottene PM 80 Italian pasta extruder, which allows them to produce 17 lbs. per hour. In addition to the normal streams of revenue Pasta Mani will (as soon as possible) conduct cooking classes on Mondays(when the market is closed), as well as wholesale to local restaurants. This will expand our advertising footprint outside of the public market as well as add additional revenue.
The city of Worcester will be promoting the Market to an excess. Pasta Mani already has interviews set up with local magazines and bloggers plus having an existing social media presence, Pasta Mani will hit the ground running with a strong advertising presence. With my 26 years in the food service industry in New England I have experienced the seasons here more than most in my profession. And with my extensive experience with opening eateries, I know we will be giving the 90 day gift. I’ve seen how the market handles a new venue many times, it usually takes about 90 days for clientele available to make their way through. By that time a reasonable amount of promotion has been done, (Pasta Mani would like to promote with a Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting Ceremony) word of mouth locally will also take hold at this point.
Even in the early winter months, with the holidays Pasta Mani’s retail case will become more relaven. During November and December(and even into early January sometimes) company and neighborhood holiday parties are common, bringing a lasagna to a pot luck or a baked macaroni to a Super Bowl party gives us something to fall back on in slower months. Then in early spring when the farm vendors start to bring to the market the fresh, new season produce the market will ramp back up as well as food stall sales. Late summer will show a slow in revenue due to vacations and school being out. However, surrounding businesses will remain open providing steady lunch revenue throughout this time. Business will rev back up in the fall when the produce in New England is at its best. With my experience working with local farms here in western Massachusetts or out in Pike Market in Seattle, Pasta Mani will keep rellevent in the neighborhood and in seasonality. Having worked next door to the new Harding green building at Birch Tree Bread Company in the Crompton collective I’ve seen first hand the amount of lunch business that one place garners. With little lunch options in the Canal District and Kelley Square, Birch Tree corners the market with a low price point and convenient hours. However, having worked there, I know they are plateauing as far as revenue goes, due to staffing inconsistencies. The inconsistency also rolls over into service and food quality standards. Adding the public market to the mix will transfer a significant amount of that business to the public market and the few other new eateries in the area.
Being located in the Worcester Public Market will bring many advantages. The Market will be housed in the modern, live to work Harding Green Apartment Building. The 46 residents upstairs are designed for young adults and families that work exclusively from home. Both residents and vendors will benefit from this relationship. However, Pasta Mani’s low cost, quick pickup and variety will offer more than just quick small eats togo. Pasta Mani will occupy a 550 square foot space at a cost of $55 a square foot. The majority of which will house the display production kitchen that will be viewed from Green Street. A 9 foot Boos wooden production table and an Italian Bottene PM80 pasta extruder will be showcased here. Open to the eye and to the small kitchen staff the production kitchen will be spacious, clean, organized and honest. Pasta Mani will be able to function on a high level with only 4 employees. The open production kitchen will be one more thing that elevates us above the competition and will be exclusive to us. Some vendors will be visible through windows, but Pasta Mani will be showcasing the pasta making process from the table to the bowl.
Each vendor will benefit from having each space built to their specifications and needs. The lease is being written specifically for Pasta Mani and it’s design needs. Harding Green is being built to be energy efficient throughout for the residents as well as the vendors and food stalls. Most of the cost of build out will be covered by a grant that the Market Project is extending to each vendor depending on square footage. Pasta Mani will receive approximately $25,000 for build out and fitting. This will be used to basic plumbing, electrical and construction work. Vendors will take advantage of free garbage service and snow removal in the season.
The public market will have its own parking that it shares with the residents of Harding Green along with the numerous parking lots located around Kelley Square. Crompton Collective’s farmer’s market will bring in additional foot traffic to the public market. New loft apartments in the Canal District (which is walking distance) will also add to the growing commerce in this growing area of Worcester. Young professionals are moving to Worcester to avoid Boston housing prices. With the addition of the Worcester Red Sox to the area and the construction of the new Polar Park, the potential for growth in the area is there. The market will also be close to the highway for easy access for people coming from out of town.
Pasta Mani has one more advantage over the competition, the chef/owner Jason Midwood. Jason has 26 years experience in the restaurant business and has for the last 5 years has been specifically working with fresh pasta, in its production as well as presentation. All general management duties will fall on Jason, production and employee schedules, ordering, staffing and service. Jason has extensive experience in opening new venues, setting their service and organizational standards as well menu design (which will be assisted by graphic designer Tess Kelley, from Converse). Pasta Mani has been working with the Clark University Small Business Department a well as North Central Chamber of Commerce to assure we have all the bases covered and are prepared for whatever comes our way. Pasta Mani will be hiring a general consul to assist with the signing legal documents and other basic legal needs. A book keeper will also be employed to assist with payroll and budgeting. Pasta Mani will also be utilizing a payroll service to keep things consistent. Pasta Mani’s website will be designed professionally and maintained by Jason and the other staff.
Jason’s experience doing private events, teaching cooking classes and working in high volume fine dining, over the last 26 years, makes him the perfect leader for this project. Jason will lead the production in the morning, working the pasta extruder, while another member of the production staff starts on non pasta prep. Right before opening, another staff member will arrive to handle the counter and retail service. The production staff will split, one person to keep prepping and the other (Jason) serving the clientele once we open. Busier days we will possibly staff a fourth person for smoother service. In the event of a serious mishap, Chef Micheal Penna will step in and assume the head role. Jason and Micheal have worked together and have been friends for 23 years. Micheal has extensive Italian food knowledge and experience in management and food production.
Pasta Mani will operate with a total of 4 part time employees with Jason carrying the burden. The staff, depending on growth, can remain the same throughout. One more possible part time employee may be needed for early morning pasta production, but the normal amount of employees will remain the same during service hours. 2 of the employees will work pasta preparation and production, while the other 2 will handle counter service and retail and togo food.
The counter service employees will be paid minimum wage at approximately 20-24 hours a week. The other 2 kitchen staff will be paid depending on experience for approximately 30 hours a week each. Additional help could be garnered by utilizing interns from local culinary programs, helping reduce the labor cost. Employees will be required to work on Sundays, however the market will be closed on Mondays. Minimal training will be required for the counter service employees, this will be conducted by Jason’s wife Emily Kelley. Emily has 15 years in the food service industry as a server and manager. Her experience in management has ranged from burger joints(The Fix in Worcester) to fine dining(she management Menton in Boston and the world famous Space Needle in Seattle), she is also a certified sommelier and had fromageir experience.
An employee handbook will be written and be provided to all employees upon hiring. Employees will also be Serv Safe Certified, this will be provided by Pasta Mani.
Organizer
Oni Gastronomy JayMidwood
Organizer
Worcester, MA