Jenny Pezzica, a native of Tuscany, Italy, is bringing a taste of her homeland to Montrose with her newly planned business, Italian Food Emporium.
She expects the artisanal pasta manufacturing business to open by the end of the year, offering both fresh and dried pasta crafted using Italian techniques and machinery, as well as ingredients sourced from Italy and local Colorado farms.
Pezzica, who has a background in business and culinary arts, spent 15 years operating a boutique in Italy before moving to Montrose eight years ago. Before relocating to Colorado, she spent five years living in India.
Now she is ready to launch a business inspired by her heritage at 10 S. Park Ave. “Since we moved here, we thought we should have our own business in town related to Italian products,” she said.
Italian Food Emporium will produce a variety of pasta products, including ravioli, tagliatelle, and pappardelle, with plans to eventually expand to gnocchi and tortellini. “I’m not going to buy those machines immediately,” Pezzica said. “I just want to focus first on making it right. We do need a little bit of time trying to find a good recipe. It’s really different here from Italy — the humidity, the altitude. All those things will need a little bit of time to figure out.”
Pezzica said she recently traveled to Italy for training in pasta production and plans to return this summer for further training. She has also hired a consultant from Italy to assist with the business’ development.
“We already have a contract with someone from Italy who is going to come here and help us figure out the right amount of water and the perfect recipe for the weather and the altitude here,” she said.
She emphasized that her dry pasta will be produced using a slow-drying process at low temperatures to avoid toxins that can result from rapid industrial drying. “We will do it right,” she said. “We will do it at a very low temperature for a long time, so our pasta won’t have any toxins in it.”
In addition to pasta, Pezzica plans to eventually sell sauces that pair with the pasta products, allowing customers to bring home a complete meal.
She also hopes to open a small Italian market within the storefront, though that plan is contingent on import tariffs and other logistical factors.
She said she will try to have a small Italian market, depending on whether tariffs are being implemented when they open.
Pezzica intends to distribute her products wholesale to local restaurants and grocery stores. “There is no pasta manufacturing in the area,” she said. “The closest one is Denver.”
Italian Food Emporium is participating in the Rural Jump-Start Program, a state initiative administered by the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT).
The program provides tax incentives to businesses that create jobs in economically distressed areas. The Montrose Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is sponsoring the company’s application.
“The Rural Jump-Start program is an important tool to support new jobs across Colorado, and we are thrilled to see the Italian Food Emporium recognize the many benefits of being based in Montrose,” said Eve Lieberman, OEDIT Executive Director. “The company’s commitment to using local ingredients while incorporating traditional techniques is diversifying and strengthening the region’s economy.”
Pezzica said she is currently in the process of finalizing the lease for her storefront and purchasing equipment, though the opening date remains uncertain.
“Ideally, it will be the end of the summer, but I don’t know,” she said. “I’m just hoping it will be by the end of the year.”
In the meantime, Pezzica continues to refine her recipes, working to adjust for Montrose’s higher elevation and drier climate. “I just want to focus before on production and making it right,” she said. “And then everything will go from there.”
Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at justin@montrosebusinesstimes.com or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.
