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34 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • MAY 2015 chef's corner complete strangers. My daughter was only two years old at the time, and by the end of every meal, the chefs would have her in the kitchen. I'd never experienced that kind of warmth outside my own home — a place where everyone feels equal around a table. FE&S;: Why did you decide to get into fast casual? GC: It started with Pastaria — that's the most casual res- taurant I've done and it's geared toward families and is the kind of restaurant for everyone. It's a place where people can just go to eat without the pretense of having something deconstructed on a plate or the poetic version of what my dish is. Sometimes people are just really busy and want to go somewhere that has good, honest food for a good price and they can bring their kids or their wife and enjoy the same quality that anyone would serve in a fne dining restaurant. Even though I'm a chef, we're not always cooking at home. If we're really busy sometimes we'll grab Chipotle, but there are few options out there for that kind of good quality fast food. So we thought, why not bring something to the market that we feel doesn't exist but that we want? FE&S;: Do you think that's a growing trend among chefs and restaurateurs — opening fast-casual concepts? GC: If you look at our general public now and how food savvy everyone is, that's at an all-time high. Now all consumers — or at least the large majority — are starting to demand better qual- ity food. That's why you see older model fast food chains having a tough time. Everyone knows what's good and what's not now. It raises our standards as restaurateurs, but then it also opens up this whole new market of people. Because before, it used to be only people with money could afford to go to fne dining Slow-roasted pork shoulder with oils, pecorino, chili fakes and fresh herbs. Farro with grilled free range chicken, pecori- no, herb pesto, brussels sprouts, brown butter bread crumbs and fresh herbs.