local flavor
Story By Shaila Creekmore, Photos By Dero Sanford

Freshly prepared Italian meals made just for you and served at your table in just minutes – that’s the idea behind Pasta Patch Italian Cafe, one of Jonesboro’s newest restaurants created by the father/son team of Michael and Matthew Byrd and head chef Steve Hickinbotham.

Pasta Patch opened to a packed house its first week of operation in early April.
“Our sales were double what we expected week one,” said Michael Byrd.
Pasta Patch’s menu items were each designed specifically for the store by Hickinbotham to be quick and inexpensive but retaining the quality of great Italian food.

“It was important that I would still have the flavor I want, but have the fast food as well. I am excited that I get to use my actual talents here,” said Hickinbotham. “I live to have people enjoy my food. Some of the things I’ve developed since I’ve been here, some are things I’ve brought with me. Now I have the opportunity to try more things I’ve developed than ever before.”

The large menu includes items such as stuffed shells, chicken Parmesan and baked spaghetti. Pizza can be ordered by the slice or pie. Three soups, tomato basil, minestrone and three-cheese tortellini, can be ordered separately or alongside one of four salads – house, Caesar, chicken Caesar or apricot chipotle glaze. A number of sub sandwiches are offered as well as the smaller version, a skinni, a breadstick topped with your favorite sub toppings.

The key concept to the new restaurant however is its “Build Your Own Pasta.”
“That was an idea of mine,” said Hickinbotham. “It just gives you a lot of options. We have it all right there, so why not. You choose your pasta, then sauce and then whatever type meat you want. Or you can just order pasta and meat or just sauce and meat.”

Each of the pastas, sauces and meats are priced individually to allow you to design the dish just as you would like it. You can choose two types of pastas mixed if you choose, three meats on your noodles or something like shrimp in garlic butter sauce.

“People have enjoyed mixing and matching,” said Hickinbotham.

Each dish is served with two breadsticks and children’s meals come with one breadstick. They can also be ordered individually or by the dozen.

For a family on the go, Pasta Patch offers several pasta dishes in family meals. The dinner for four includes the entrée, salad with multiple dressings and breadsticks for under $27. For larger parties, catering is available.

And to drink, Byrd decided to carry an extensive list of drinks with ten sodas, punch, lemonade, sweet and unsweet tea as well as raspberry and peach tea, coffee, cappuccino and hot chocolate.

“I’m not sure if any restaurant beats us with drink options other than maybe Sonic,” said Byrd.

One feature Byrd and Hickinbotham are particularly proud of is the price of their food in what they describe as a fast, casual restaurant. Most meals are priced around $7 with the Build Your Own Pasta allowing you to eat for as little as $4 with two selections.

“It was a challenge to find the things you want and stay under a certain price point, but it was important to us,” said Hickinbotham.

Orders are taken at the counter and then carried to your table by a server. All dine-in meals are served in real dishes with real silverware.

This merging of ideas seems only natural considering the varied backgrounds of the three men. Hickinbotham served as the head chef of an upscale downtown restaurant for nearly seven years. Michael left Fowler Foods, a major franchisee of Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken, after 18 years to take on this new adventure with Matthew,whose idea it has been to design and build restaurants.
“I never dreamed I would leave Fowler Foods, but you just don’t have a lot of opportunity to work with your son,” said Michael Byrd. “We really started it all with prayer. We just felt like we had followed the plan laid out for us.”

The Jonesboro Pasta Patch is only the first of three scheduled to be open this year by the father/son team doing business as Matthew Michaels Concepts. The Byrd’s initial plan was to purchase the Jonesboro Fazzoli’s franchise, but in the meantime purchased the Jonesboro El Chico restaurant in November 2007 where Hickinbotham was already working as the kitchen manager. After dealings with Fazzoli’s corporate office fell through, the Byrds and Hickinbotham decided to escape the trappings of a corporate franchise, join their talents and design their own concept.

“Here we can be creative,” said Byrd. “Instead of a corporate environment, we can change and adapt to what our customers like.”

In just a six-week period, the team took the restaurant from concept to opening, designing the menu, décor, logo and even serving as the general contractor. Each Pasta Patch location will feature original artwork by local artist Matt Miller.

“We designed everything from the first breadstick to the wall colors,” said Byrd. “To have our ideas turn out as what we could have envisioned, it’s just a miracle.”

“I feel like I’ve gotten in on something that’s going to be really good,” said Hickinbotham. “Our idea, not even a month and a half ago, has come to reality.”

And Matthew Michaels Concepts has not slowed down yet. The Little Rock store is expected to open by June 1 and work on the Conway store will begin by late summer.

Pasta Patch Italian Cafe, 1730 E. Highland Drive, is open 10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m daily with the drive-through remaining open until 10 p.m. For more information, call 268-0006.