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Mark Ladner will launch the Kickstarter for Pasta Flyer, his quick-service gluten-free pasta project at noon on June 10. The Del Posto chef confirms to Eater that he's at the helm of the project, which popped up on Twitter a few weeks ago, but also tells Eater that he has no plans of leaving his post at the Michelin-starred restaurant. And while his bosses Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich aren't involved in Pasta Flyer, they have been supportive of the project, which Ladner says is "sort of like a hobby" that he's been working on for several years now. Ladner of course has earned praise for his gluten-free versions of Del Posto's pastas, and he tells Eater, "I've always been really interested in affordable food, and in healthful choices in regards to food, and I like the challenge of trying to provide more options to more people."
Ladner's plan for Pasta Flyer is to create a mix and match menu of gluten free pastas, which can be paired with a variety of proteins and sauces (there will also be some suggested combos on the menu). The space itself will be small, and modeled after Japanese ramen shops. The food will be very much Italian, but the pasta will be cooked quickly to order, and customers will choose what they want on an iPad, which Ladner says is like the high tech equivalent of the automated ordering kiosks found in many ramen shops in Japan.
Pasta Flyer will start out as a pop-up, which Ladner plans to take to Northeastern college towns like Boston, Providence, and New Haven as well as New York. With those two or three day stops, Ladner will test the waters, do some "demographic research," and work out the kinks in his quick-service system. After that, he hopes to eventually open a number of Pasta Flyers across the Northeast, although that may be a ways down the road. Ladner hasn't decided how much he'll ask for with the Kickstarter, but keep an eye out for when the page goes live on Tuesday.
· All Coverage of Mark Ladner [~ENY~]
· All Coverage of Pasta Flyer [~ENY~]
