User:Derekfarr/fastadraft

Fasta & Ravioli Co. is a fresh pasta shop located in downtown State College, Pennsylvania. Often referred to simply as "Fasta," the business has been active since 2009.

History
Although Fasta's storefront opened on October 7, 2009, owner Robert "Bob" Ricketts began selling fresh pasta and ravioli several months earlier at local farmers' markets. Ricketts, who has claimed to have "always been an entrepreneurial-type person," began experimenting with pasta and ravioli production for an assignment while studying hotel, restaurant, and institutional management at Penn State University, with the university's Center for Food Innovation lab serving as his exploratory platform. However, this academic endeavor soon evolved into an enterprising one. Chain grocers such as Wegmans were the only local sources of fresh pasta for State College residents (outside of restaurants), and Ricketts was unsatisfied with their product. It was this perceived void in the local market, paired with Ricketts' general enjoyment of pasta-related research and development, that led to the formulation of the Fasta & Ravioli Co. business plan. Upon his graduation in May of 2009, Ricketts' parents purchased a small storefront formerly occupied by State College mainstay Herwig's Austrian Bistro, providing him a space within which to build the business, although the shop wouldn't open its doors for several months.

Come October, Fasta was able to gain notoriety within State College fairly quickly, owing in part to a pasta giveaway held on the day of its opening. The event, which allowed each patron to receive a pound of fresh pasta for free, was intended to supplant an initial advertising campaign. Two hundred twenty nine pounds of fresh pasta were given away by the day's end, likely assisted by Fasta's social media presence, and Ricketts expressed confidence that those who received pasta gratis would return to make purchases proper. Early involvement with Altrusa International also helped build the business's local rapport, as Fasta provided roughly a thousand pounds of cheese ravioli for a fundraiser benefiting the literacy division of the charity. These efforts, as well as Fasta's uncommon product offerings, contributed to a generally positive community reception, including praise from community leaders like late State College mayor Bill Welch.

Products
Fasta & Ravioli Co. offers roughly 60 varieties of fresh pasta, many of them fettuccine. Relatively popular kinds, such as egg, whole wheat, or roasted red pepper fettucine, are consistently available, while more exotic flavors, such as jalapeno orange and sesame seed, are made less frequently. Several kinds of ravioli are available as well, ranging from rather classic varieties like three cheese, to seasonal offerings like butternut squash. While these products are relatively unique in rural Centre County, some State College restaurants (specifically those offering Italian cuisine) could be perceived as being in competition with Fasta, although to date none have expressed concern over this possible contention.

Fasta continues to have a presence in area farmers' markets, as well.