Today we’d like to introduce you to Dun Badejo.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dun. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Came to the US in 1978. Started in restaurant management in 1984. Worked for Brinker Intl. (Chili’s) from 1989-2002 and for Carlson Cos. (TGI Friday’s) from 2002-2008. Expanded own business with my wife (Kemi) from catering, when it was started in 2002 to full service restaurant in 2009. Kemi’s Kitchen serves authentic African food and is principally targeted to meet the needs of the African immigrant community and adventurous diners who have an interest in cuisine from other parts of the world.
PastaMasta is the culmination of over 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, with a really great awareness and understanding of what drives the guest experience and a real focus on the essentials of what it takes to deliver a great pasta meal without all the “stuff” that you would find in “Italian” restaurants that have nothing to do with the food. I strongly believe in the idea of “mass customization” without sacrificing freshness, flavor and speed of service. PastaMasta is the embodiment of what it is to be a cutting-edge, modern American restaurant. We even have Captain America icons slightly hidden all over our restaurant.
PastaMasta does not fit into traditional restaurant categories. We define PastaMasta as an Urban American Pasta Bar. We insist that we are not an Italian restaurant but rather a Pasta Shop. We think pasta is as American as pizza and pizza places are usually not classified as Italian restaurants. We aim to redefine our genre.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
PastaMasta was conceived about seven years before we actually opened for business so finding the right location to launch was probably the biggest challenge. Proving to ourselves that the concept can work as conceived has been a fun and exciting journey. Perhaps the greatest challenge that a single-unit, unknown brand is the “what is it?” question. Thankfully, technology has helped us to overcome a lot of that as guests are able to find out about us by using their smartphones. We take nothing for granted and we are really passionate about pasta, and extremely dedicated on delivering on fully customizable pasta meals that are fresh, flavorful and fast.
PastaMasta – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
PastaMasta was opened in December 2016. We are a customizable pasta shop with 15 different pastas, 15 different sauces and about 60 other items that guests can use to create a pasta bowl as unique as themselves. We are known for food that is fresh, flavorful and fast. We use technology to enable our service process. Guests are able to order using any of the 8 wireless tablets (which are as easy to use as any smartphone or ATM). We also offer ordering online as well as with the PastaMasta app. We offer value pricing with our $6 Weekday Lunch Combos and our $8 Anytime Combos.
We are very proud that we have been able to deliver on the promise of our brand: Food that is Fresh, Flavorful and Fast. We are also proud of the commitment of our staff to delivering on this promise.
What sets us apart is that we are fully committed to mass customization as being the keystone of our brand identity. We have been able to leverage our experience, knowledge of the restaurant industry and informed understanding of what guests truly want, to deliver the promise of PastaMasta. Moreover, we will only get better, and that gives us great optimism for the future.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Personally, I define success as achieving the goals that you sent out for yourself in whatever forms they may be–personal, family, professional, community, spiritual. There is great satisfaction in knowing that you have given your all, and more. And if you fall short, knowing that you gave all you had is solace enough.
We really have two sets of clients for whom we have responsibilities: Our Guests and Our Staff.
For our staff, we are committed to providing a great work environment with opportunities for personal and professional growth. Essentially, a happy place that enables people to perform at their best.
For our guests, we are committed to making every guest happy. Built into that is understanding the level of engagement that each guest desires and meeting the expectations of the guests. That is simply the starting point. We have to get better from that point. If we do these things, in addition to delivering on our promise of pasta that is fresh, flavorful and fast, the other measurables will fall into place.
Pricing:
- Customizable options starting at $2 per bowl
- 8 Anytime Combos for $8 each. Includes Most Popular Combinations, Breadstick andLarge Drink
- $6 Lunch Combos – Pasta, Sauce, Meat, 2 Toppings, Breadstick and Large Drink
Contact Info:
- Address: 620 W. Park Row Drive, Arlington TX 76010
- Phone: 682-330-6141pastamasta.com
- Email: dun@pastamasta.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/pastamastausa
- Facebook: facebook.com/pastamastausa
- Twitter: twitter.com/pastamastausa
- Yelp: yelp.com/pastamastausa
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