Pizzeria offering unique way to feed kids while keeping them busy

April 2, 2020 | Danielle Eaton
daniellee@thereminder.com

Amedeo’s in Holyoke is offering two different types of pasta kits for $18.95.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo

HOLYOKE – A Holyoke pizzeria is finding a unique way to keep families busy and fed while they’re stuck at home.

Tony DiBenedetto, owner of Amedeo’s on 8 North Bridge St. in Holyoke, said he understands the struggle of parents trying to keep their children occupied as he has four kids of his own.

He told Reminder Publishing that his wife and one of the managers, “were bored out of their mind” so they “started thinking of stuff” both to keep business up at the restaurant  and to keep their children occupied when home.

DiBenedetto said it was the day after the manager had taken some dough home herself “to do stuff with the kids” that the pair thought to “come up with an idea for parents to do with their kids at home.” Everyone pitched in and the team came up with the idea to sell take home pizza kits.

Shortly after posting a photo of the first kit, DiBenedetto said orders poured in to the restaurant. “The next day we started them up, the first day we did it we winged it. We did 50 or 60 of them, the next day was 130,” he said.

 The kits, he explained, cost $10 and come with three pieces of raw dough, an eight-ounce container of sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and a four-ounce cup of flour “so the dough doesn’t stick.” All the ingredients are then packaged in a pizza box and sent home with the customer.  

On March 25, the restaurant also added pasta kits to their take-home options. The kits offer materials to make two different pasta meals at home, a “lazy lasagna” and a rigatoni pasta dish.

The lasagna kit comes with “mafalda pasta, baby meatballs mozzarella cheese and ricotta and meat sauce.” The second option comes with “rigatoni, chicken, broccoli and garlic oil.” Additionally, both meals included parmesan cheese and garlic bread. The pasta kits cost $18.95 and will make a meal large enough to serve a family of five.

DiBenedetto said he wanted to keep the price “reasonable.” “Value was number one,” he said. But he also wanted to give kids something to do as “parents are probably ripping their hair out,” he joked.

The pizza and pasta kits can be ordered any time the restaurant is open by calling 536-4056. Amedeo’s is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

DiBenedetto said depending on how busy the restaurant is, kits usually take about 30 minutes to prepare. Amedeo’s is also offering curbside pickup to maintain social distancing guidelines and keep everyone involved safe.

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