Twirl, a fast-casual pasta shop, began serving customers this month in a College Street storefront in downtown New Haven. Diners can build a bowl by choosing a pasta shape, sauce and add-ins. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for Wednesday, as reported by Hartford Courant.
Twirl was founded by Craig Hutchinson and Jim Baronowski, the co-founders and co-owners of Olmo Bagels, according to the Yale Daily News. Olmo, a New Haven bagelry, won Best Overall Bagel at the national BagelFest competition in 2023, according to Discover New Haven. At Twirl, a standard bowl costs $10 and a double portion, called the Poppa, costs $17, the Yale Daily News reports.
A Return to Pasta After a Pandemic Pivot
Twirl brings pasta back to the Olmo business that Hutchinson and Baronowski started in 2018. Hutchinson told the Yale Daily News that the original Olmo combined an Italian influence with a more casual approach to dining and served pasta alongside bagels, sandwiches and salads. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Olmo narrowed its menu and reduced staffing; Hutchinson said he regretted that pasta had dropped out of the business.
Olmo’s shift toward bagels reflected increased demand for portable food during the pandemic, according to Daily Nutmeg. The business also changed its production process, replacing traditional boiling vats with combi-oven steam technology to address labor shortages while preserving texture, according to The Perfect Rise. Twirl uses a standardized bowl format for its fresh pasta menu.
A Snapshot of Local Food-Service Wages
In May 2023, food preparation and serving related occupations in the New Haven metropolitan area had a mean hourly wage of $18.72, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That figure offers a wage benchmark relevant to restaurants, but it does not show how local food-service employment changed since the pandemic or establish current hiring conditions.
Build-Your-Own Bowls and Yale-Friendly Pricing
The menu ranges from simple pomarola to richer meat sauces, with add-ins such as $6 meatballs and $3.50 guanciale, according to CTbites. Hutchinson has described Yale students as a target audience for Twirl. Twirl offers catering, according to Twirl.
Hutchinson told the Yale Daily News that Twirl is also intended to serve theatergoers looking for a quick meal before a show, noting that a restaurant visit elsewhere in New Haven can take more than an hour and a half.
From B Natural Kitchen to a New Tenant
The Shops at Yale is involved with Twirl’s storefront. Hutchinson told the Yale Daily News that the overall process, from acquiring the property to the ribbon-cutting, took about three and a half months, compared with an expected four-month schedule.
Stepping Back While Students Line Up
Hutchinson told the Yale Daily News that he is stepping back from day-to-day work at Olmo to focus on Twirl. The two restaurants share the same founding team, though Hutchinson’s attention is now on the pasta shop.
Nicolas Gertler, a leader of the Yale Entrepreneurial Society, told the Yale Daily News that the group is planning a preliminary partnership with Twirl to help establish it as a gathering place and part of New Haven’s Italian food scene. Gertler visited the restaurant last Thursday night and said it was nearly full.
Elizabeth Ovelil, the Yale College Council’s business director, told the Yale Daily News that the council plans to hold a free student sampling night at Twirl on October 20. The council also plans to contact other Yale student groups, including the Yale College Chess Club, about activities for the event. Hutchinson said Twirl has discussed possible collaborations with several Yale student organizations.
