So'Pasta, from the owner of Wang Gang Asian Eats, opens in Edwardsville
The fast-casual model allows guests to order dishes online, prepay, and pick them up from a no-contact cabinet that unlocks to reveal their orders.
Courtesy So'Pasta
So'Bianco, a signature pasta with 3 meat tortellini, alfredo sauce, peas, bacon, and mushrooms
So’Pasta has opened in Edwardsville, at 1031 Century Drive, next to Wang Gang Asian Eats.
The fast-casual pasta concept offers dine-in, to-go, and delivery for dinner. Lunch service will open in two weeks, says owner Ryan O’Day, who also owns Wang Gang, which started as a takeout- and delivery-only Chinese restaurant and has since expanded to a full-scale restaurant and bar. O’Day considered the dining establishment's model when he developed So’Pasta.
Due to restrictions associated with COVID-19, So’Pasta allows guests to order dishes online, prepay, and pick them up in a state-of-the-art, no-contact cabinet. They scan an individualized QR code, and the door unlocks to reveal their order.
Courtesy So'Pasta
Interiors include hanging tables that “add gravity to the space and look really kickass,” O’Day says. He saw the concept on Pinterest a while ago and worked with his partner to purchase them from a furniture company. The tables are petrified wood reminiscent of what many people envision when they think “rustic Italian,” he says.
The name So’Pasta was decided on after O’Day did some brainstorming. He wanted “pasta” in the name in case he decided to pursue franchise opportunities, but he didn’t want a first name in it. He created So’Pasta as a play on his last name and then found out that “So” means “I know” in Italian. The name, which literally translates into “I know pasta,” was born.
Although So’Pasta was developed with takeout and delivery in mind, it's ramped up that aspect of business even more than initially planned to meet customers’ needs during the pandemic. O’Day decided to open the restaurant despite the COVID-19 pandemic, because his business model supported the current restaurant climate.
“Takeout and delivery are becoming more and more common for families," he says. "We wanted to develop a more chef-driven, quick-service, casual Italian eatery that will provide large portions at affordable prices. It’s our concept, and the pandemic pushes people to it faster.”
Courtesy So'Pasta
Con Broccoli, a signature item, includes cavatappi, vodka sauce, broccoli, and oven roasted mushrooms
O’Day worked with St. Louis area food companies Louisa Foods and Kuna Foodservice to develop the menu, which features such signature items as Con Broccoli (pictured above), Putta Nesca (cavatappi pasta with So’ Secret sauce, red and green bell peppers, red onion, and chicken), and Fonduta Gigante (house Bolognese, mushrooms, and giant tortellini stuffed with five cheeses, as well as a touch of white truffle).
Courtesy So'Pasta
So'Pasta also has a build-your-own pasta option, in which guests can choose a noodle base, sauce, and add-ins. Among the nine noodle options: fettuccini, lobster and shrimp ravioli, chianti-braised beef ravioli, cavatappi, and spaghetti, topped with a choice of nine sauces and nine add-ins, including chicken, shrimp, and plant-based Impossible Burger.
In addition to main dishes, guests can choose from such sides as toasted ravioli, risotto bites, pizza sticks with a variety of dipping sauces, and buffalo chicken typhoons (pictured below)—wonton-wrapped drummies served with ranch on the side.
Courtesy So'Pasta
The restaurant will offer several salads, including the So’Pasta Salad, with cavatappi, mozzarella pearls, salami shred, Kalamata olives, red onion, tomato, a house Italian dressing, and a side of pepperoncini. Dressings include Caesar, house Italian, ranch, raspberry poppyseed, and house pesto ranch.
Courtesy So'Pasta
So'Pasta will also serve piada, a stuffed bread wrap with fillings, which is a popular street food in Northern Italy. Piadas include the Signature, with Volpi capocolla, salami, pepperoni, red onion, and a romaine mix (pictured above), along with five other options.
Desserts include tiramisu and a signature cannoli. For the latter, guests can choose from flavors including gooey butter cake, chocolate ganache, and chocolate cookie dough.
If all goes well, O’Day hopes to expand So'Pasta as a franchise in the St. Louis area. “The dining scene in St. Louis has been going gangbusters for a long time," he says, "and we’re proud to be a part of it."
