CLM Fall 2018

CHAPTER 2 – PASTA & PROVISIONS ON PARK ROAD
In the 10 years that past since his decision to go back to a single shop,
Tommy had been eyeing a funky little property on Park Road. Then home to
Mike’s Discount Beverages, Tommy would give the landlord a call twice a year
for 10 years just to say if the space ever became available he was interested,
then the last two years, he called quarterly.
Persistence paid off and the Park Road location of Pasta & Provisions
opened in late January 2016. At this new location there was the luxury of
space, plenty of parking, room in the kitchen for a pizza oven and some seating
plus a large outdoor patio. Like the Providence Road locale, this shop had
a cozy neighborhood feel and that was important to the Georges. On the
patio-side wall of the building there is also room for a very personalized
mural – go take a look and see who you recognize!
With the opening of this location Tommy also hired Chef Brent Martin to
join the team as the executive chef. With pasta as the mainstay, the second
store provides the opportunity to prepare and sell more take-and-bake dinners,
prepackaged homemade sauces, local and regional cheeses as well as
imported varieties, wine and beer and more.
A veritable one stop shop for anything one needs on the way home for
dinner and a great place to land if salads, sandwiches and pizza are what calls
to you. Favorites of this food writer include the Kale Salad, the Cobb Salad, the
meatball sandwich and the caprese pizza.
While the team at P&P has hosted wine and beer dinners at the Providence
Road location, space for makeshift seating is tight. At Park Road, specialty
theme dinners can take place out on the patio, unless of course it rains and
then there is plenty of room for creatively constructed seating inside.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
Remember those three little boys that made the big move with mom and
dad from Boston to Charlotte so many years ago? The three George boys grew
up in the pasta business. Old drawings and tons of fun photographs – many
used for ad campaigns – still adorn the walls in the original Providence
Road location.
Tommy and Debbie didn’t start P&P with the intention of having it
become a family business, they just wanted to open a “cool store where
people loved to shop.” Mission Accomplished.
Son Simon is now an accomplished musician in Asheville, while Max is a
writer and the managing editor of The Oxford American, a southern literary
magazine.
Dylan expressed an interest early on in being a part of the business. At first
his parents wouldn’t let him – at least for a while – and insisted he go out to
learn the trade, learn about customer service, working with people and
everything else being in the retail business entailed.
To that end he worked for several years as a successful wine wholesaler
and learned a lot, but was always anxious to continue the family legacy his
father had started.
After several years away Dylan reached out once again to his dad and
they came up with a deal that worked for both sides. Today Dylan George is
the general manager of Pasta & Provisions and is following in his father’s
footsteps.
“My Dad is legendary. He gives back and creates second chances for people.
Everything he does is based in love and kindness and has used this business
as an engine to drive that in supporting our community. I don’t ever want to
see that end and want to be able to help continue that on into the future.”
Executive Chef
Brent Martin
VERY CULINARY
Chef Raymond Grubb,
bakes cookies and other
specialty items in the
kitchen at the Providence
Road location
CHARLOTTE LIVING | 71