Today we’d like to introduce you to JM Lynch.
Hi JM, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in New Jersey. I started cooking in high school as a result of a lot of food sensitivities. I quickly realized I enjoyed the creative nature and for bringing people together.
I went to the Culinary Institute of America and began a career working in Country Clubs around the country. I enjoyed the challenge of running dynamic operations with a very discerning clientele.
I landed in Minneapolis as a result of family and worked as Executive Chef of the Travail Collective which included 2 levels of chef tasting menus, events, and Pig Ate My Pizza restaurant. During my tenure there, my passion for pizza was reignited. After some success and recognition I committed to a creating a company vision that promoted locally milled flour, natural starter, and seasonal ingredients and unconventional pizza flavor profiles.
Farina Rossa started as a pop up in local restaurants and is now located attached to Fair State Brewing in Northeast and seasonally at Bang Brewing in St. Paul.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Maintaining a business in the hospitality industry is never short of challenges. The main challenge in the beginning was gaining attraction and attendance at our pop ups that occurred monthly. Many times they were filled with guests that made reservations and never showed. As a result it was a struggle to maintain the business. I stayed the course and just continued to work on quality and consistency. That paid off when we received the opportunity to be a resident at Bang Brewing in St. Paul. Opening a pizza tent was filled with its own challenges. Every day we would prep and transport the ingredients needed to St. Paul then set up, cook, and breaking down the tent. The effort in doing so was substantial and required a lot of fortitude. As a result of being outside, the weather affected us greatly. The elements of rain, air quality, heat, and cold impacted the business substantially. It really pushed my acumen for managing the cost controls of the business. This process took time while absorbing sometimes enormous losses of money. By sticking to our core values, with time we were able to gain a following as a result of our partnership with Bang Brewing. At times the challenges seemed to be too much effort to keep going. The focus became just trying to make small improvements daily. The persistence and the love for crafting a unique product kept me going and is paying off.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We specialize in artisan, Detroit, and tavern pizzas that focuses on organic and locally grown flours for our crust. Combined with our natural starter it has a taste and texture that we believe is unmatched in the Twin Cities. Not only is our product delicious but is much more nutritious and healthier than mainstream crusts that are using bleached and bromates flour. Combined with our creative and global flavors, we strive to provide a truly unique pizza experience.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The great thing about pizza is it’s a mainstay in our culture. It is approachable, relatively affordable, and easily obtainable. The biggest changes I see are the growing popularity of different style of pizza. (Detroit, Chicago or tavern style, NY, Neapolitan).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Farinarossamn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farinarossakitchen/
