Meet Carolyn O’Connor | Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carolyn O’Connor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carolyn, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was given the opportunity to open a coffee shop from the ground up with no real experience just a great boss who really trusted me. A lot of my family is in academia and I thought I might follow suit, but the coffee shop experience challenged and stimulated my mind in ways beyond my degree and prior research in Neuroscience. I loved being on my feet, making food, designing menus, hiring people, taking photos, thinking about numbers, and all of the other millions things that come along with running a business!

The coffee shop gave me the confidence to know I could do it and also the realization that even though it’s challenging, I would never find anything that could excite me in the same way. I feel activated every day. In terms of my particular business, I loved making fresh pasta. The feel of the dough, the taste, the simplicity and mediative process. And, there just wasn’t any great fresh pasta in Tucson, so I filled the niche and the community response has been incredible!

What should our readers know about your business?
My first business is Ceres Pasta. It’s a tiny 200 sq ft space with a quaint walk up window where we sell fresh pasta, homemade sauces, pastries, espresso, and soft serve gelato. You can also order pasta lunch where you pick your noodle and sauce. We made the pasta fresh every morning and classic Italian sauces with only the best ingredients. Our food is true comfort food and customers will often tell me how loved and cared for they feel while eating it.

Even more than the food, I’m proud of the working environment we’ve created. Our staff is mostly women, trans, or non-binary folks which is pretty atypical of most commercial kitchens. The work is really hard, because the space is so small and we are so busy, but someone is always laughing, singing, or dancing. It’s magical, I think our staff feels very loved, safe, accepted, and challenged to try new things.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Our time together would most definitely be centered around FOOD. I think Tucson has some of the best food I’ve ever had. My favorite place to bring out of towners used to be the Tohono O’odam swap meet, because it felt like you were in Mexico and had some of the best food in Tucson, but unfortunately it’s now permanently closed. But, you can find my favorite tacos from there at El Taco Rustico. I loveeee the tacos de costilla, but everything is good. My other favorite taco spot is a carnitas taco truck on N Oracle next to the Mister Car Wash. They make their own tortillas fresh for every order and I get a carnitas taco and a carnita quesadilla. SOO GOOD! A block south is also a really good mariscos truck. My favorite lunch is The Little One. I almost always get the crema de chipotle pork platter.

For a fancier dinner, I’d probably go to the Coronet. The food is always delicious, I love the patio, and they have the best service. Or Tito and Pep!

The rest would be enjoying the desert and nature. I love Mt. Lemmon and take everyone who comes to visit up the mountain. I love swimming at Tanque Verde Falls. Depending on the person, I’ll hike up Tumamoc. It’s such a wild and unique experience and so Tucson.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe my success to so many people! My mother in law is a badass restaurant owner herself and she really believed in me and is the investor for both of my businesses. She has been right there for me with anything I’ve needed the whole way. I would not have been able to do it without her.

Her son, my husband Ben, is constantly behind the scenes helping with everything and anything. Nothing is impossible to him and he has an uncanny ability to make shit happen. He’s a true renaissance man who can do a little of everything. He’s also the best dad and an equal partner which allows me to continue to work as much as I do.

And, of course, my team!!!! I have the most wonderful managers in the whole world. They are loving, kind. considerate, smart, and incredible problem solvers. Since having a baby and now being pregnant again, I’ve had to step back from the day to day operations a lot and my managers carry much of that responsibility. They all bring so much love and attention and care for the spaces as much as I do and that transfers to all other employees as well. I’m so grateful and I couldn’t feel more lucky to have such a fabulous crew!

Website: cerespasta.com noodiestucson.com

Instagram: @cerestucson @noodiestucson