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36 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • MAY 2015 chef's corner restaurants and enjoy good food. Now everyone's craving really good food but not everyone is rich and famous. FE&S;: What's the look and design of the space? GC: We wanted to design Porano with personality much like our other restaurants so it doesn't feel like a sterile fast food restaurant. There will be concrete foors, schoolhouse lighting, maybe some church pew-like benches, and wood tables made by a local table maker. We'll also have some personal elements — photos of my family and our trips to Italy. We wanted to create a warm space where it doesn't feel like we're trying to push you out. If you want to come in the evening and stick around for a bit we want it to be the place where you can still have a nice din- ner for $10. There will also be a lot of transparency — the pasta making room will be right at the front with glass windows so everyone can see and the kitchen is completely open. FE&S;: So, why pasta? GC: Italian food has always been popular. But oddly enough, pizza has been the only type of Italian food to dominate the fast food setting. Pasta is not easy. It requires a higher level of consistency and management. That's why we focused on hiring the right people to make sure the pasta is always perfect. We're training real restaurant chefs to learn how to run these types of fast-casual restaurants, which will offer them a better career maybe than in the fne dining world where they would otherwise work longer hours and have less time for their families. FE&S;: It's true, consistency is the key to success for fast-casual restaurants. How will you strive for that same type of consistency? GC: Part of maintaining consistency is in the technology and recipes and systems but again, it all comes down to hav- ing the best people. Using pasta cookers with timers and machine-based extruders makes it a lot easier to make the pasta. We'll also use combi ovens for cooking because they are programmable and make things a little more exacting. And just using strozzapreti for pasta helps because it holds its structure really well and doesn't get soggy or overcooked as easily as say, spaghetti or another type. FE&S;: How do you plan to balance Porano with your four other restaurants? GC: Again, it's all about the people. The person taking the helm of Porano is Michael Petri, who has been with me for six years now as the executive chef of Pastaria and he will help build the brand as well. This is something I could see happening more in the future — trained restaurant chefs taking over fast-casual concepts. Pasta is not easy. It requires a higher level of consistency and management. That's why we focused on hiring the right people to make sure the pasta is always perfect. Strozzapreti with slow roasted pork shoulder with pomodoro, pecorino, pistachios and fresh herbs.