PastaforPeoplebyPeople

InterviewwithKPastaownerAnnieKirsner
ByStephanieGonzalez

AsMs.LesleypulledtheHighTechHighvanintothenearlyemptyparkinglotofthe
smallpinkwoodenpaneledrestaurant,onequestionenteredmymind:Whoeatspastaateleven
inthemorningonaThursday?IalmostimmediatelyforgotaboutthatassoonasIsteppedout
ofthevanandontotheconcretewherethebrightsunshonerightintomyeyesandIsmelledthe
aromaticscentoffreshsaucesandspices.Isoonrememberedwhywewereconductingthis
interviewKPastaisalocallyownedfamilyrestaurantfoundonlyinImperialBeach,ittook
themtwoyearsjusttoopenbecauseofthestrictecofriendlycodesthecityofImperialBeach
hasforbuilding.Theytakeprideinbuyingonlylocalandorganicproducemostlyfromtheir
neighborSuziesFarm.Thiswasoursecondscheduledinterviewanditcouldnotcomesooner.
WewalkedthroughtheglassdoorintothecompactinteriorandItookinmy
surroundings:acolorfulchalkboardmenutakesupmorethanhalfoftheleftwallanddirectly
acrossfromitisanequallylargewindowfillingthesmallrestaurantwithmorethanenough
light,nolightbulbsneeded.ThewomanatthecashregistergreetedusandexplainedthatAnnie
waswaitingforusinthepatio,andsowewent.Wewalkedoutsideontoawoodendeckunder
whitetentsandeventhoughwewereaboutamileawayfromtheactualbeachthecoolocean
breezewaspresentandwelcomedinthatsunnymorning.Awomancrouchedoverherlaptop
withpapersscatteredaboutonthetableshewassittingandlookedupandgaveusabroadsmile
whensherealizeditwasus.ShestoodupandIwassurprisedtoseethatshewastheownerof
theKPastaShehadflouronherKPastatshirtwornoverregularlightwashjeansandher
midlengthauburnhairwaspulledbackintoasimpleponytail.Ireallywantedtoknowhowshe
managedtorunthishighlyratedrestaurantwhilealsocominghometosixyearoldtwinboys
andanequallyasengagedhusband.Shemotionedforustohaveaseatandweallgathered
aroundthelargewoodentableinthecenteroftheshadedpatio.Itwassilentandforabrief
momentyoucouldonlyhearmefumblingwiththeGoPrountilZoebroketheicebyintroducing
usandreadingthefirstquestion.

KpastafromAly:20minutes
Zoe:0min3min
(TalksaboutSuziesFarms)
Heysays,Wellhowcomeyouarenotusingourvegetables?Sowemetwithhim
andstartingbuyingfromhimandthroughthem,wehavelearnedotherwaysto
plantbasedproduceandlocalcraftmakingslikeoursausage.
Weuse(waterproof??)plans,yeah.


Me:Anddoyoueducateyourcustomersaboutwhereyourfoodcomesfrom?
Yeahwedo.Mostofthetimewepostsomethingonwherethefoodisfrom.LikeI
said,SuziesFarms,wedoalotofcrossmarketingthroughthem.

Me:Youmentionedpastabutwhatotherpopularfoodsareservedhere?
Um,wellwerollourownmeatballs.Thatsaverypopularitem.Um,wedo,lets
see,wemakeourownlasagnafromscratch.Wedoraviolisfromscratch.Soyeah,
itisdefinitelywrappedaroundpasta.Ourmenuisprettysmall.Um,wedo,you
know,notforyouguys,localbeercompaniesandwine.Thingslikethat.Butits
mostlypasta.

Me:Whatsyourbusiestseason?
Summer.Yep,wegetalotofhotelpeoplecominghereonvacation.Summerby
faristhebusiestseason.

Howmanypeopledoyouserve?
Ohgoshinsummertime?Howmanypeople.Idhavetolookthatup.Iknowone
thing.Iknowthatoursalesaredoubleduringsummertime.Icouldlookthatup
andknowitoffhand.

Me:Wouldyouconsideryourrestauranttobeenergyefficient?
WellImperialBeach,weopenedupatthattimewhenallbusinesseshadtobeeco
friendlysoprettymuch,allofourconstructionhadtopassthesecodesthat
ImperialBeachenforced.Idontknowifthatstherightword.Butyeah,wehad
to.
Me:Soitsprettymuchallgreen?
No,notallgreen.Ourlighting,ourwaterheater,umohgoshtheresalotofthings.
Uh,yeahImeanwehadtodocodetoIB.Wewererestrictedtothat.

Sowefoundthatecotourismis...thataffectstheenvironmentaroundus....
(continuesinto3:02andbeyond.)

Stephanie:3min6min
ZS:Ecotourismisthepracticeoftouringdifferentareaswhileleavingapositive
impactontheenvironment,doyouconsiderKPastatobeEcotourism?
AK:Definitely,Imean,wedoscratchcooking,webuylocalsuppliers,everything
weusewereusethere'snothingthatwethrowaway.Wemakeapointofusing
containersthatcanberecycled,weusepaperbags,wedefinitelydonotchoose
Styrofoamforthatpurpose.Wedon'thavealotofwaste.Wesupportestuary
[TijuanaRiverEstuary]andlikeIsaidlocalfarms.
ZS:SoyoumentionedworkwithSuzie'sFarms,isthereanyotherorganizations
thatyousupportthatpromoteEcotourism?
AK:WedoalotofworkwithTijuanaRiverEstuary,Iamnotsureifyouguys
madeitthere,butitisagreatplacetocheckout.Theydotoursandhavealittle
giftshopthereyoucangoto.Wedoalotofpurchasingatspecialtyproduceand
theysupportlocalfarms,soespeciallyforproducesthereisabigwarehousewhere
youcanpurchaseforrestaurantsandtheydoalotoflocalfarmsCaliforniafor
sure.Letsseewhatelse?ImeanwebuyourSalamiandourSausagesfromlocal
companiesbutIdon'tthinktheyareorganic,Tarantino'sisasupporteroflocal
farmsandtheysellatWholeFoodsTheyareactuallythePadresofficialHotDog
nowbythewayit'sallnaturalproductsbutIdon'tthinkIt'sallorganic.It'shardto
doallorganicIknowthat.Ourpricesarelowsowehavetopickandchoose
wiselywithwhatwebuy.
ZS:Ifanything,whatdoyoudotopromotesustainability?
AK:SustainabilitybasicallyallthatIsaid.Webuylocal.Wearealsopartofa
groupwherewebuyallofourfloursandgrainsthrougha_____standard,where
everybodyisbuyingoneproductdoitislesstransportationpollution.Weare
scratchmade,weuseeverything.Wemakemakechickenstockoutoftheleftover
partsofvegetablesandchicken.Weusecompostabletogocontainersandthings
likethat.Imeanwedoourbest,wearesmall,butwedoourbest.

Allan:6min9min(InformationMissing)
Dylan:9min12min
KPasta(atexactly9minutes):...helpyououtaswell,butIdokindofhavetorun,
too.Okay.
Dylan(afewsecondslater)[inaudible]:Mrs.Kirsner,Ididsomebackground
research.DoesyourhusbandstillownKSurplus?ThehardwarestoreinNational
City?
KPasta:Yes.
Dylan:Howlonghashebeendoingthat?
KPasta:He'sbeendoingthatIthink27years,now.Yeah.Howdoyouknow
it?
Dylan:Ididsomebackgroundresearchonthisrestaurant.Itypedyournameand
therestaurantnameupinGoogle,buttheinformationfromthewebsiteswas
mostlythesameforeacharticle.Justtoclarify,isitcalledKPlusorKSurplus?
KPasta:KSurplus.It'skindofwhereournamecamefromum,becausehehad
aHisbusiness,KSurplus(unintelligibleduetobackgroundnoise)KPasta,of
course,cameup,andit'skindofcatchyrightnow.(sayssomethingabouttheword
pasta
beingSpanishaswell.)That'swherethenamecamefrom.Haveyoubeen
there?
Dylan:Notyet.
KPasta:It'sawonderfulplacetoexplore.
Dylan:Howlonghasthisrestaurantbeenopen?
KPasta:Fiveyearsthissummer.
Stephanie:Thissummer?Orlastsummer?
KPasta:Thissummerwouldbefiveyears,sofourandahalf.
Dylan:Andwhatyearwasthat?
KPasta:Thatwasuh,2011?Yeah.
(I'mcuttingthisnextpartabitshortbecauseI'mnotfacingamicinthisclip,and
thereforehardtounderstand.)

Dylan(guessingwhatIsaid):Andthatwashowlongafterthatfirstcitymeeting?
BecauseIfoundthisdocumentonlineabouttheminutesfromwhatIthinkwasa
citycouncilmeeting.
KPasta:Saythatagain?Ofwhat?
Dylan(can'tbeheard):Theminutesofacitycouncilmeeting.
KPasta:TheminutesofanImperialBeachcitymeeting?
Dylan:Yeah.
KPasta:Ok.Sowhatwasitabout?
Dylan:Therewereseveraltopics,but,uh,thisrestaurantwasoneofthem.
KPasta:Yeah,wehadtodoseveralmeetings,and

Carla:12min15min
KPasta:Theyjustlaunchedthenewecofriendlyum,businessbuildingmaterial
mechanicalprocess.umYeahwehadtogothroughthat.Itwasabigprocess.
D:umHowlongdidittakeyoutoopenthisrestaurant?
KPasta:UmyeahofcourseIdo.Umwellwestartedtheproject,andthenIgot
pregnantwithtwins.Soumwestalledforaslongaspossible.Thatactuallytook,
(pause)twoyears.Yeah.Butwedrownedourfeetat[inaudible]
D:Andsincethenishasbecomeafamilybusiness?
KPasta:Yes,itis.(laugh)Itsureis.
KPasta:Sothequestionwassummertime?Yeah?Howmanypeoplecomeduring
summertime?
[Audioisinaudiblebutshetalksaboutherspecialsoftheweek.SHealsotalks
abouthowduringsummer,therearemoretouriststhananyothertimeoftheyear.
Buttherearenormallymanycustomersaroundlunchtime.Whenwewerethere,
wesawmanyUSMarinescominginforlunch.)

Alyssa:15min18min
Annie:Sowhodidyouguysmeetwithatthehotel?
Zoe:Uhhwemetwiththemanager,wellwetriedtointerviewwithhertodaybut
wecouldntbutwewereabletoexplorethehotel.

Annie:Yeahthatsprettycool
Zoe:Yeah
Annie:Theyredefinitelyecofriendly,thatswhyittookthemsolongtoopenup
Stephanie:YeahIrememberlike5yearsagotheystartedconstructing
Annie:Yeah!Itsbeenalongtime,theywentthroughalot,andnotjustwith
constructingbutwithownershipaswell.
Zoe:Soyouhavetwins?
AnnieYeah,theyresixyearsold,twoboys,theyrefraternalsotheyrevery
differentlooking,andyeah,theyreahandful.Theyvegotalotofhomework,do
youguys?
Stephanie:*laughs*Theydonothavealotofhomework!
Annie:Iwaskindasurprised,Imeantheyrelearninghowtoread,sotheresextra
stuffonreadingandstufflikethat,butittakessolong!Buttheyalsodospelling
andtheyhaveprojects.Itsjustkindacrazy.
Stephanie:Aretheyinfirstgradeorinkindergarten?
Annie:First!
Zoe:Whatschooldotheygoto?
Annie:TheygotoSacredHeartinCoronado,itsaprivateschool.
Annie:Didyouguysalreadyorder?
Everyone:Nonotyet!
Annie:Whatdoyouguyslike?Pasta?Whatsyourfavoritekind?
Jr:UhhLikeFettuccine
Annie:Thatsveryverypopular!Isuggestalfredo.

Junior:18min20min
(Theinterviewisover,butsheaskswhatkindofpastawelike.)
KPasta:IwouldsuggesteitherA,Spinachwiththealfredoisverygoodorumif
you'refeelingalittleadventurousyoucangetthesuperbate,andthatismadewith
organicgrainsfromSuzie'sfarms.Umweputswishedchard,weputbroccoli
leavesandkelpinthereandthatsreallygood.WealwayspickSussiesforthat
productandthenthere'sareallygoodcreamsauce,itsabaconporkgonzolabean,
umitsdelicious.Wecanhaveyoutasteitifyouwant.