Pasta, Passion, and People: A conversation with Andy Palermo of POPS

Oct 28, 2024

At POPS (Palermo's Original Pasta & Sandwiches), owner Andy Palermo shares his passion for fresh Italian-inspired cuisine and family-oriented dining. We sat down with Andy to talk about what makes his restaurant unique, from their fresh pasta offerings to their commitment to community.

Tell us about the moment you decided to turn your love for cooking into opening a restaurant.

Andy: "I have a hard time defining the actual moment. I’ve been very privileged in my career to work alongside some really unbelievable chefs. I’ve always loved to cook, but it’s really hospitality and leadership I’m passionate about. Cooking has been more of a hobby, but hospitality and people development—that’s where my heart is. It’s always been a family dream to start something close to home that we could all be involved in, so it was just a matter of making it a reality when the time was right."

Could you describe the average customer experience at POPS, from walking in to finishing a meal?

Andy: "Our goal was to create a comfortable space where guests feel welcome anytime, whether they’re on a date, with family after a ballgame, or just passing through. We wanted to make it casual and accessible, which is why we chose counter service and an open dining room. Our hope is that people walk away saying, ‘Wow, that was even better than I expected.’ We feel like we’ve done a pretty decent job so far."

He explains that POPS has given them the opportunity to connect with friends and neighbors in the community. “We think of our guests as our friends and neighbors, and quite literally, that is the case.”

What do you hope people remember most after dining at POPS?

Andy: "I want people to leave thinking they had a great meal without all the fuss of a full-service restaurant. We aim to deliver a truly delicious meal at great value, made with a lot of care and love. Internally, we say ‘simple, fresh, and delicious’—food doesn’t have to be complicated. With fresh ingredients and simplicity, it should just be delicious."

Why did you choose Canton as the location for POPS and what drew you to the historic Jones Building?

Andy: "The defining moment for turning this dream into reality came when we saw this space for rent in Canton. My wife and I had always had our eye on the Jones Building. One day, I was at Bizarre Coffee and saw the ‘For Lease’ sign. I called my wife and said, ‘This is for lease—wonder what they’ll do with it.’ After a phone call and talking with the team here, it felt like the perfect opportunity. The building’s storefront and windows caught our attention; it’s not a space you’d find in just any city. The dream really took shape from there. POPS wasn't intended to be anywhere else other than this."

How does your menu reflect both traditional Italian cooking and your own personal touch?

Andy: "Italian cooking is really about good ingredients and freshness. In Italy, they cook with what’s local and in season. We do our best to keep things seasonal and simple. For example, we use refined semolina flour from Naples for our pasta and source high-quality tomatoes for our sauces. My personal touch comes from my background in Connecticut, with a lot of Italian-American influence. Some of our dishes, like chicken parm, are uniquely American; they didn’t exist until Italians came to America. We lean into that Italian-American concept, which I grew up with."

Do you have any seasonal pasta dishes or sandwiches? How often do you change your menu?

Andy: "We try to follow a seasonal approach, doing a ‘fall/winter’ and ‘spring/summer’ rotation. We just updated our menu with fall flavors like roasted butternut squash, sage, and walnut pesto, trading out the lighter, summery dishes. In spring and summer, we’ll bring back some old favorites, maybe with a facelift, but we’re committed to rotating dishes with the seasons."

How do you stay creative and inspired when coming up with new dishes?

Andy: "I’m constantly thinking of ideas. I have a great team here, and we bounce ideas off each other all the time. There’s a lot of great content out there that sparks inspiration, and I often think about how we can adapt a technique or dish for POPS. My mind is always going, and I’m fortunate to have a team that helps me refine these ideas."

You make your own pasta fresh on-site. Why is that important to you?

Andy: "I’ve been making fresh pasta for years. It’s therapeutic for me, and it instantly elevates any dish. It fits our values of ‘simple, fresh, and delicious,’ and we want to give our guests something fresh, made with time and care. That’s why we didn’t compromise when our pasta machine was down early on—we served only sandwiches and salads until we could make pasta fresh again. We believe it’s worth the effort."

Can people also buy your fresh pasta to cook at home?

Andy: "Absolutely. For the most part, any shape that we make is usually available. We'll bag it fresh, ready to cook and enjoy at home, if you ask for it."

By bringing home POPS’ fresh pasta, customers get the same high-quality ingredients used in the restaurant’s signature dishes in their own kitchens.

Tell us about the miniature market inside the restaurant. What can we expect to find there?

Andy: “Anytime you're around, come and check it out because we're always rotating things in and out. We source items that are special and unique. Most of what you’ll find is actually things that are imported from Italy … [It’s about] getting your hands on something really interesting and being able to take that home with you, creating something unique and fun for your own friends and family.”

In addition to Italian imports, the market stocks pasta-making tools, such as ravioli stamps, for anyone looking to try their hand at fresh pasta. “If you're interested in making fresh pasta at home, or maybe you have been for some time but don’t know where to get some of the stuff, there’s some of that here.” POPS also carries a selection of sweets and treats that are rotated to keep things interesting.

Your pasta gets a lot of attention, but we heard that POPS was originally planned as a sandwich-specific place. Could you tell us more about that?

Andy: “This is a really fun [story]. We've had a lot of fun with the sandwich menu...” Andy shared that he comes from a large family, with seven siblings, and that several sandwiches on the menu are inspired by them. “...our meatball sandwich, the ‘Sammie Sammie,’ is named after my little brother. His middle name is Samuel.” Each sandwich is a nod to his family, even if they’re not directly named after them.

Andy and his wife, Amber, saw a need in Canton for “that thoughtful lunch destination,” noting, “We heard nothing but rave reviews of R&M Hoagie Shop … [which] closed before we really started spending time in this area.” With that inspiration in mind, they brought classic Italian-inspired sandwiches to POPS, including their meatball and chicken parm sandwiches. “We wanted to take the things that we love and turn them into really great sandwiches.”

It seems like family is an essential part of POPS. What role does your family play in the restaurant?

Andy: “It’s become a second home for us. The amount of time that we've spent in this building together, even leading up to the opening … has been a dream come true.”

Andy recalls POPS' opening week in January, during his kids' winter break, saying, “They came in and worked the opening week. They were here for 12 hours a day, having fun, greeting people at the door, and just being intimately involved. I think they enjoyed it. It was really, really cool to just build that foundation together as a family.”

The restaurant’s name, POPS, is not only an acronym for 'Palermo's Original Pasta & Sandwiches,' but is also a tribute to his father, whom Andy has always called “Pops.” Even the restaurant’s logo—a caricature—was inspired by his dad.

Why is using authentic imported Italian ingredients important to you?

Andy: “The key staple is obviously the semolina flour that we use for our pasta … that flour is unmatched. It’s unrivaled. It’s the best of the best, and it’s something that … you sacrifice quality if you were to go a different route.” He adds that while not everything at POPS is imported, they aim to find the highest-quality ingredients, such as tomatoes from an Italian family farm in California. “In my opinion … that’s the best tomato product that you can find that’s not San Marzano tomatoes.”

For Andy, it’s all about “finding the right value for the money … so we could pass that off to the guests.” He notes that they also use quality local ingredients such as Gulf shrimp and premium cold cuts with no nitrates. "It's the way food should be—you should be able to recognize the things that are on the labels.”

Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about POPS?

Andy: “We've been so blessed with the people that have come on board and come along for this journey.” He credits POPS’ chef, Matt, and other dedicated team members for making the restaurant what it is today. “[Without them] we wouldn’t be where we are.”

POPS has created a unique working environment by sharing tips across the entire team. “Every one of our team members has an opportunity to make a portion of the tips that come in.” In many restaurants, only front-of-house staff receive tips, but Andy wanted everyone, including kitchen staff, to benefit from busier days. “Everybody benefits from giving better service and making the guest experience better … the ability to offer that tip share for all of them is really special for us. We really are all in this together.”

Be sure to visit POPS in Downtown Canton at 130 E Main St, Canton, GA 30114. You can view their menu and order online at POPSCanton.com!

Author

Michael Loizou

Digital Content Specialist; City of Canton, GA

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