With many years of restaurant experience and a love for Italian cuisine, Steve Gonzalez and Kate Galassi are ready for their next business venture.
The couple first came to Coxsackie in 2018 when Steve was looking for a manufacturing space for Sfolglini Pasta, a pasta-making business he co-founded in Brooklyn in 2012. Quickly becoming immersed in the community, Steve and Kate bought a home in the village.
After selling his shares for Sfoglini, Steve was looking for a new outlet for his culinary creativity. When the Empire Auto building on 9W in Coxsackie went up for sale, the concept of Via Ravioli was born.
Set to open in late February, Via Ravioli will be a community-facing retail pasta shop offering homemade ravioli, pasta sauce, lasagna, meatballs, and a selection of Italian grocery items. The shop will be open Wednesday – Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“Most of the building is dedicated to a big production kitchen so we’ll hopefully be wholesaling to stores and restaurants throughout the Hudson Valley,” Kate said.
Via Ravioli’s origin story can be traced back to Steve and Kate’s passion for all things Italian. Kate, whose great-grandfather immigrated from Italy, spent a year abroad in high school, while Steve had the opportunity to work in Italy for three and a half years after graduating culinary school.
The couple makes it a point to return to Italy every year and has plans to go back overseas in April to look for specialized ravioli equipment.
“We really want to expand the different kinds of ravioli and do some fun, kind of unusual shapes, things that are not widely seen here,” Kate said.
Via Ravioli was awarded a $25,000 MULTI Grant from Greene County Economic Development Corporation, which will go towards purchasing equipment.
“Even though we’re a small shop, there’s a lot of equipment we need,” Kate said. “We bought an Italian ravioli machine, but we also need a mixer, an oven, fridges and freezers.”
In the future, the couple hopes to offer monthly dinners and expand the retail section of the store.
“We’re really waiting to see what the community wants from us,” Kate said. “Do they want hot lunch? Do they want a deli counter with sliced meats? We’re leaving ourselves a lot of room to expand that space depending on what the community wants.”
If you want to learn more about how to Make It In Greene, check out our free helpful business guides and contact the Invest In Greene team by email or phone at 518-719-3290.
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Topics: Success Stories
