Decio Pasta has made a great name for itself in the premium pasta market. We have been featured on television shows, magazine ads, and newspapers. The following are a couple of the great reviews that Decio Pasta always receives!

Arizona Foothills

Lotsa Pasta - Want to create a pasta dinner more interesting than plain ol' spaghetti? DeCio Pasta makes handmade noodles in its Tempe-based facility that can add life to your pasta bowl. Linguine varieties like artichoke hearts, chili cilantro, red bell pepper wild mushroom and Szechuan orange spice are so flavorful that you don't even need an elaborate sauce. Looking for a creative housewarming gift? DeCio Pasta also sells gift baskets packaged in a colander and filled with pasta, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes and a wooden pasta rake. DiCio Pasta can be found at AJ's Fine Foods, Wild Oats and Whole Foods Market, or purchased online at www.deciopasta.com.

Self Magazine

Chic Eats - New gourmet noodles - Proof that the pasta craze isn't getting older, it's getting better: these eye catching bundles of tagliarini (very fine linguini). You've probably tried pretty, colored vegetable pastas before— they look good yet taste basically the same as the regular kind. But these noodles are real standouts— each one spiked with herbs and spices to give it a distinctive flavor all its own. And they're so savory they need only a smidgen of sauce (a touch of olive oil, light tomato sauce, even a squeeze of lemon will do it) —and that's great calorie-sparing news. Made by DeCio Pasta, you'll find them in gourmet, grocery, and health-food stores across the country, at prices a little steeper than most brands, though well worth the splurge.

USA Weekend

Cybill, other celebs are passionate about pasta - Pass the pasta, but hold the sauce. Flavored noodles are all the rage—DeCio Pasta makes some 22 versions, including artichoke heart and Szechuan orange spice. Fans include Cybil Shepherd and Michael J. Fox. Try them plain with a little extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and grated cheese.

 Arizona Business Gazette

 Who: DeCio Pasta Scott Morrison chef and chief executive officer.

 When established: " The company was founded by Rebeca DeFalco and Gary Ciminello in 1985.  Morrison bought the company a little over fourteen years ago.

What: Handcrafted pasta in nearly  four dozen  flavors  that don't  cook away. it's pure pasta,"Morrison explained. No preservatives,no eggs,and  because we use  real vegetables and herbs with the best semolina. The color in the pasta  is real, not from any dyes.And there's actually protein, vitamins and calcium in it." 

 Where: Based in Tempe, sold online, and at Arts and Crafts festivals throughout Arizona , Nevada, California and select AJ's farmers' markets,several wineries, and smaller gourmet stores.

How much to get started: $ 25,000 Enough to run  things for the first three months ," Morrison said.

Employees: Ten employees and several distributors.

Why it's called that: DeCio is a combination of the original owners names. Lets face it, would you buy a pasta called Morrison's.?"

Bright idea: "Continuing to develop flavors and products selling the product at art festivals and finally, realizing tha giving people a sample creates sales. Plus people from Arizona support Arizona business tourists like to try local products, and when they go home, they order online.

Not  such a good idea: We had quite a few when  we started out !", said Hazel Morrison, the office administrator and self-described  "chief of whatever needs to be done in the office or packing  area. Her son  said," When I started, I would do only one festival or market a weekend. If  that got rained out, or sales weren't good, it was a bad weekend. "It just works better  to do at least two or three every wekeend."

Biggest Challenge: "Like any small busineess our biggest challenge initially  was cash  flow. Now that  we're doing  more  shows each week,and have added some catering as well, we are on a steadier track."

Why I do this: " I don't  play well with others! No, really, when I  finished at Scottsdale Culinary Institute, I had already been working at different restaurants and caterers, I knew I wanted to do something on my own.  So, I figured out how to put  together a business plan. The only problem was, I was 21 and  no one  would  loan me any money at all. So when I started,  I did this during the day and then  taught at SCI from 6 p.m. until midnight. And I love doing this."

What he wishes he'd known before opening for business: "How hard  it would be. it's  been a roller coaster. When I started I just  thought I could make  it  work  and it would take two or three years. It's  seven years and it's labor intensive.  We outsource nothing and I also do a lot of the festivals myself. So there's rarely any weekend off."

The next big thing: Primarily expanding the square footage and adding a full-scale commercial kitchen and more storage by taking over the space next door.  I'm going  to go  back to doing dessert pasta, I've  been playing with flavors for that.  We also plan on expanding our catering operation. We will be doing  much more when  we move  next spring."

Long-term: I want  to see how big I can make it.   Eventually, I would like to have a bunch of gourmet food lines."

Exit strategy: I'm 29, why would  I want an exit strategy?" ( Seriously, Morrison like any good business owner, works regulary with  his accountants and an attorney in figuring out his next steps.)

Bottom line; Morrison hand crafts somewhere around 4,000 pounds of pasta a week, and because of its  unique taste and quality ," I don't  see most  pasta  as competition. We  can't  make it  fast  enough " he said." This year is  our breakout year.