The Pasta Peddler has officially opened at The Horsefeathers Building on Connecticut Street on the city’s West Side. The producer and retailer is the second permanent business to open within the building, which up until this point has mainly hosted the Winter Market. Last week Martin Cooks restaurant opened for dinner service (see here).
The Pasta Peddler first opened in Buffalo a decade ago, and is owned and operated by Eric Amodeo and his father in-law Mike Sedia.
Since first opening, the business has mainly set up at Farmers Markets around town. According to Eric, the Horsefeathers Market was the perfect set-up to establish a brick and mortar market in the city. “Until now, we’ve been operating out of my basement, which was basically converted into a commercial kitchen. Today we have an industrial machine that mixes and sheets pasta. It allows us to make a couple hundred pounds of pasta a day. We’re even selling fresh, non-dried pasta, which we wrap in butcher paper and sell out of our deli cases. It’s still wet and cooks in 2 1/2 minutes – there’s a noticeable difference in the tenderness and the taste.”
As you can see, the Horsefeathers Building is allowing The Pasta Peddler to explore new territories. Eric tells me that business is booming, and as more food operations come online at the market, his products will continue to grow in demand. At this point there are 16 pasta flavors to choose from, with different cuts as well. All of the pasta is vegan, with no artificial coloring added. The ingredients are all-natural, using non-bleached white flower.
Next up, Eric plans to expand the ravioli run, thanks to the addition of a walk-in cooler where he can store his latest product (coming soon) – dessert ravioli! After that he’s planning on adding another industrial machine to the mix, that will allow him to produce tortellini.
If you think the operation stops there, think again. Eric’s wife Andrea has added her own twist to the production and retail space, with a new venture called Blackbird Sweets. “Andrea started baking custom cakes out of the house, and her business growth timed perfectly with The Pasta Peddler’s move into the Horsefeathers Building. Today she’s baking and selling cakes, cookies, cupcakes, gluten-free brownies, vegan treats… there’s something different each day. She’s also a new seller at the Bidwell Farmers Market.”
Between the ever-expanding Pasta Peddler and the newly launched Blackbird Sweets, I asked Eric how the family is able to… well… be a family. “Andrea runs the day-to-day operation,” said Eric. “And I run the off hours with Mike. Instead of heading home after school, our two kids come to the market. This is where our family comes together to be a part of what has become “our life”. It’s never-ending, but it’s rewarding. We’re planning on putting a counter bar along the front of the shop, where people can enjoy their purchases immediately, and then we’d like to install a small sliding window to the street, so customers can walk right up and order pasta or a treat without even walking into the shop.”
Today The Pasta Peddler and Blackbird Sweets are both open for business, with expanded hours of operation and plenty of new treats to try. To keep up with all of the new advancements and business hours, be sure to “like” them on Facebook – The Pasta Peddler | Blackbird Sweets. You can also check out all of the latest “happenings” within the building by visiting the Horsefeathers Market page.
The Pasta Peddler | Blackbird Sweets | 346 Connecticut St., Buffalo, NY.