Central Pa. businesswoman gaining national exposure for entrepreneurship

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A recent invitation to the Global Food Summit in Texas proved to be a monumental moment for York‘s Toni Calderone, the founder & CEO of PastaNito. 

“Although I didn’t win the $3,500 prize, I was given the opportunity to pitch in front of a room full of peers and top executives from top brands we know and love, including scoring a mentorship from CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken,” said Calderone, whose PastNito restaurant opened in 2019 as Presto Fast Italian. 

“Being on that stage, telling everyone in the room all about the disruptive fresh pasta fast concept that will soon sweep the nation with our franchise efforts, was a monumental moment in a lifelong endeavor,” Calderone said. 

Calderone was chosen to present PastaNito at the 20th Annual Fast Casual Executive Summit held Oct. 5–7 in Austin. She was selected through a global search for the industry’s most promising emerging restaurant concepts. PastaNito took the stage on Oct. 6, during the summit’s Perfect Pitch competition. The event was designed to spotlight innovative, early-stage brands shaping the future of fast casual dining. Calderone pitched PastaNito during the Round 2 session, alongside other finalists chosen from around the world.  

The Global Food Summit was the latest national exposure for Calderone. Last January, she auditioned for Shark Tank, a TV show highlighting entrepreneurs and their business ventures. 

“We flew out to Vegas to stand in line with thousands of other hopeful pitches,” Calderone recalled. “It was just me and a PastaNito t-shirt. No fancy invention, no costumes or skit for the 1-minute pitch- just a girl and a dream. To get the call back was a wild experience, although you won’t see us on the show this year.” 

Calderone said she’ll also be appearing on QVC with her pasta. It’s an impressive list of national appearances by Calderone, who has also opened Tutoni’s Restaurant and Tutoni’s Flour Shop, both in York City, and serves as president and CEO of O.N.E. Hospitality Group in York. 

“York is my hometown,” Calderone said. “My grandfather originated pizza in York and sponsored several families to come from Sicily. He retired, and moved to Florida, we followed. I grew up in Mickey Mouse world, so when I moved back to York through my previous marriage, I saw endless opportunities to create my own hospitality group and work towards figuring out PastaNito, which was originally my parents’ failed conquest that I made my mission. 

“After opening my first restaurant in downtown York, Tutoni’s, then 13 different restaurants from there, the journey through losing my father and pivoting through Covid while learning what not to do with a new and unique concept led me to make the decision to put all of my focus into franchising. PastaNito is a disruptive concept with fresh pasta fast and a drive-thru. 

“Although we are growing this concept to communities across the nation, York will always have my heart. They kept us going over the pandemic by buying our fresh pasta off of our food trucks, the Rig.a.Toni, as we circled neighborhoods like the ice cream truck.” 

Calderone offered her thoughts on diversity in business, along with advice to women who are interested in entrepreneurship. 

“There’s no secret that women owned restaurants are rare,” she said. “When I show up in the rooms of founders now, I’m one of few females at the table.  I have had to work 10 times harder to earn respect in the seat I am in, constantly proving my credibility. My father taught me that if I wasn’t invited to the table, build your own. And that’s just what I have been doing. I invite everyone to eat at my tables. 

“Mentoring women or being a transparent voice about the hardships instead of a filtered insta’glam’ for the journey through motherhood and business ownership, is definitely part of my platform. I was given great advice by a woman in my community that I have much respect for, ‘Women can have it all, just not always at the same time.’ As a mother of three little children, I have had my challenges of being able to physically be present and lead from the front line, and I feel that is the only challenge that women are set apart and we should always extend grace to ourselves, and from our teams and community. We physically have to be strong enough to have the children and get back to business.” 

Calderone has partnered with teams that have been responsible for the growth of megabrands such as Rita’s and Subway and has goals of building 500 units in the next five years. 

“We are launching an equity crowdfunding campaign to raise the capital as a real community building effort to bring our supporters along on the journey,” she stated. “Any google search on me will show how much my community has meant to me and to the success of what we built.” 

Calderone said she is seeking “to bring the shark tank to the people who deserve the reward of investing in a winning company. 

“It’s all about the little guy, always has been and always will be. Thanks to the lessons taught by my Nonno and Nonna.”