Laurent Lesort, Gregory Baratte and Nicolas Barthelemy.
Back in the summer of 2009, three friends met regularly for lunch in Midtown Manhattan. During these weekly meetings, they searched for something fresh, healthy and affordable, but they never found exactly what they were looking for.
So the trio—longtime restaurateurs Laurent Lesort and Nicolas Barthelemy, and luxury retail veteran Gregory Baratte—came up with their own fastcasual dining concept. One year later, Hello Pasta is here, with leases signed and recipes perfected in the home kitchens of Lesort (chief food officer of the new company) and Barthelemy (chief operation officer). Diners find expertly cooked pastas paired with impeccable sauces for eating in or for takeout via convenient containers reminiscent of Chinese delivery cartons.
Chief marketing officer Baratte, who worked at Louis Vuitton for 10 years, the last few as senior director of e-services for LVMH, carried his experiences there into his new venture. “The lesson that I learned from Louis Vuitton was to always pay attention to quality,” he says. That attention shows. Each of Hello
Pasta’s 10 sauces is all-natural and locally sourced, with organic or low-sodium options also available. The pasta itself comes in a choice of organic, whole wheat or gluten free—and everything is under $10.
“I would never open a fast-food place and serve burgers that are disgusting,” says Lesort. “We love good food.”
With four current locations and more planned for next year, Hello Pasta is similar to the portable pasta that has been making headway in the trio’s native France for the past few years. Though the friends realize they’ve borrowed a native dish from their European neighbors, they insist the French can do pasta as well as any Italian. “We love pasta,” says Baratte with a laugh, “and we make it very, very well.” Hello Pasta, 649 Lexington Ave.; 708 Third Ave.; 125 Maiden Lane; 1400 Broadway, 212-557- 2782; hellopasta.com
