This Thursday, October 8th Pastini is celebrating a remarkable milestone…our 19th anniversary. In 2001, the three of us, Kara, Craig and Susie, had an idea for a pasta-centric bistro serving classic dishes that everyone would love. Craig created our recipes and we started in our tiny storefront on NE Broadway, with a small cadre of staff, while Craig and I greeted our guests every day (so many of you still coming in!), sampled (job perk) and ordered wine, bussed tables and generally had a wonderful time serving our neighbors. There were lines out the door and happy, full diners inside. We felt so at home in Irvington, where we also lived, and the neighborhood welcomed us with affection and support. Such great memories!
The next few years our success quickly expanded to Pastinis on NW 23rd, SE Division and downtown Portland, then we made the leap to the suburbs at Bridgeport Village and Cedar Hills Crossing, and in 2008 we opened in Bend and Corvallis. Suddenly we had eight restaurants and almost 300 employees! After a few years hiatus while we caught our breaths, we finally opened our much-anticipated Pastini in Eugene in 2017… a longtime dream.
Today, we’re still involved in every part of Pastini… Craig still cooks up our recipes, Susie picks the wines, and Kara oversees the restaurant’s design. We have many, many staff, managers, kitchen and servers who have been with us for 5, 10, 15 years and more. It’s truly a wonderful restaurant family!
This year has been as difficult and challenging for us here at Pastini as it has been for you, our loyal customers, and we want to say a huge “Thank You!” to everyone who has helped sustain us through it. As you can see every day, so many restaurants have closed or may not survive this time. But, thanks to you, our supporters, and our dedicated team here at Pastini, we are continuing to make delicious food in our kitchens, welcome you to our restaurants, and send you home with a warm, wonderful dinner to share. That makes us very happy!
Everyone at Pastini joins us in saying Buon Appetito!
Susie and Craig Bashel, Kara Hale