P.O.P.S. Restaurant, a Family Affair

“We’re thrilled to be open in Canton, close to home and with the opportunity to serve our friends and neighbors,” says Andy Palmero. Andy runs P.O.P.S. with his wife, Amber, and with the help of their two children, Agnes and Augustine.

P.O.P.S. certainly adds to the local flair of historic downtown, located right on the square on East Main Street. Charming jazz music plays overhead, and customers are greeted with a smile once they step over the Love Local doormat. The family photos on the wall and the occasional check-in from Agnes or Augustine for customers dining emphasize that P.O.P.S. is a family-centered business.

The family likes to keep the restaurant casual. No reservations are needed. When you arrive, grab a menu and order at the counter. Once your order is placed, you can make your way to an empty seat, and your food will be brought to your table as soon as it is ready.

The menu is designed by Andy and inspired by the neighborhood Italian restaurants with which he grew up. The restaurant has a big emphasis on pasta dishes which are divided up by shape. The menu features the classic spaghetti and meatballs (with Palermo’s red sauce), but the restaurant’s original pasta shapes allow for other unique dishes. Gnocchi sardi becomes a roasted seasonal vegetable plate or an authentic pizzaiola dish with roasted peppers and mushrooms. Seafood lovers can also check out the mafalde style, served as seafood scampi or seafood fra diavolo.

P.O.P.S. also offers gourmet salads and sandwiches. Sandwich items include the Hey Frankie, St. Joseph, Sammy’s Sammie, and more. As for salads, the P.O.P.S. Chopped is an employee and crowd-favorite, as is the caprese panzanella salad.

Desserts and treats can be found in the restaurant’s miniature market or on display at the counter. P.O.P.S. has now released a tiramisu dish—the perfect follow-up to a pasta dish or sandwich.

“If I didn’t have this restaurant, I’d be at home, cooking the same meals,” Andy jokes. “It’s the food I love to eat and the food I love to cook.”

Serving friends and neighbors lies at the heart of the vision of P.O.P.S. Andy and Amber’s list of values for the restaurant focuses on treating customers as guests, emphasizing productivity and positivity, and centering family within the restaurant. The restaurant’s nickname is inspired by Andy’s dad as well.

P.O.P.S. also aims to maintain an air of authenticity. The restaurant’s miniature market features a wide variety of eye-catching goods, most of which are imported from Italy. Here customers can purchase everything from olive oils to balsamic pearls to pasta-making tools. On display in the market is “Nonna,” named for the Italian word for “grandma.” Nonna is a pasta-making machine, a smaller version of the machine in the kitchen.

While he’s never been a chef professionally, Andy’s prior experience in the restaurant industry gave him the opportunity to combine his curiosity and love for cooking by working with highly skilled chefs. “Andy ran all of Chef Ford Fry’s Superica restaurants like a fifth-degree black belt in culinary art,” says Penn Hodge, the developer for the location.

Andy and his family are thrilled to be working in the Canton community, serving the food they love to the people they love.

This article was featured in the Historic Canton magazine. Read more here.