Meet the people behind the pasta.
(And our dog.)
Lolita grew up on an organic farm in Latvia – so she came to know high-quality ingredients at a very young age. From harvesting wild mushrooms to growing fresh produce, her experience has made her well suited to craft handmade pasta. Lolita learned the art of fresh pasta making in 2005, while working at an upscale Italian restaurant in Key West, Florida. You can taste the love she puts into everything she makes.
John has been cooking and working in various kitchen jobs since he was 12 years old. After growing up only blocks away from Bombolini, he attended Johnson & Wales University, where he earned a degree in culinary arts. He then honed his skills as a cook in Brussels, Belgium. Various other cooking experiences took John all over the world, but finally settled back in Richmond to start a family and Bombolini pasta. His new passion is distilling spirits. In fact, he has added small batch distillery to Bombolini’s shop. Stop by for a taste.
Ella and Laila are John and Lolita’s lovely daughters. They’re the real reason why Bombolini started back in 2008. Working from a newly renovated kitchen in their residential basement gave Lolita and John the flexibility they needed to start a family. More than a decade later, the girls are part of Bombolini crew, lending a hand when things get busy.
Could this fluffy fellow be the inspiration behind our logo? Well, he’s not the original model for it, but our buddy Niko fits right in Bombolini family. He’s also fond of hanging out at our stand at the farmers market.
In 2008, we combined our culinary skill with optimism and a heavy dose of creativity to launch Bombolini Pasta. We called it Bombolini after the name of a type of pasta — and because it’s fun to say. Our goal: to bring central Virginia high-quality, uniquely flavored fresh pasta to elevate every meal. At first, it was a small operation with no storefront. But within a few years, many restaurants and stores started carrying our Bombolini Pasta products. Our popularity grew, as we gained loyal customers throughout the city and beyond. So in 2010, we opened a storefront in the heart of The Fan in Richmond, VA, extending our staff and menu, and adding products like freshly made microwavable meals and fine wines.
Today, we still closely monitor every step of our pasta’s production. By using the finest quality ingredients and applying our masterful skills, we’re creating what we believe is the best fresh pasta available. And we always enjoy incorporating exciting, non-traditional ingredients into this highly traditional product. It’s all made fresh to order. Stop in, and we’ll cut your pasta by hand for you. (Or, just come by to say hi.)