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Erica’s Pasta turns Farmer's Market
into Family Market

By Patty Mayeux

When Erica Gluck was 7 years old she really wanted to make some money. She also loved pasta, especially the fresh, flavored brand that her family often ate. In fact, it was while she was slurping such pasta that she came up with the idea to sell it at local farmer’s markets.

“Pasta, get your fresh pasta!”

Her parents agreed to let her try it. You see, Chris and Mary Gluck had always worked for themselves and they wanted to pass their love of entrepreneurship on to their daughters. The Glucks saw this as a perfect opportunity for Erica to learn the ins and outs, and ups and downs, of owning a business.

As customers began to discover Erica’s Pasta, they wanted to know the best way to cook it, so Chris wrote a brochure with some hints and recipes. The brochure became a newsletter that Chris says he presumptuously named  “Pasta Press, Volume 1.” He was not prepared for the demand that came later when their growing number of customers wanted to know when Volume 2 was coming out.

As the newsletter caught on, sales of Erica’s pasta grew. Soon both businesses were so successful that Chris and Mary decided to devote all of their time to the pasta business, leaving behind their award-winning construction and design company. “We realized that it was going to be more than a lemonade stand,” Chris says of Erica’s brainchild.

From the Market to the Table

Today the Gluck family spends every weekend at farmer’s markets in the San Diego area selling a large variety of pasta in addition to specialty breads and olive oils. Erica is now 15 and she still loves pasta. She also loves to cook it and sell it. Erica and Chris work together closely to develop new recipes, especially ones that kids will enjoy. Her sister Katie, 12, helps with tasting the delicious new recipes.

What began as a 7-year-old’s dream has evolved in to a full-fledged, full-time family business, and it continues to grow and provide new opportunities for each of the Glucks. Erica and Katie plan to completely take over selling the fresh food at farmer’s markets when they get older to help pay their way through college. That will allow Chris and Mary to concentrate on writing and marketing their growing line of cookbooks.

You see, the four-page newsletter that Chris wrote to help educate customers on the benefits of cooking with pasta evolved into 18 issues of Pasta Press magazine sold all over the country. It’s grown so large, that the Gluck’s decided to transform the magazine into a cookbook filled with low-fat pasta recipes. The first one, Pasta and Garlic, is currently in its third printing.

The history of how Erica’s dream became a tasty and healthy livelihood for the whole family can be viewed at their Website, www.pastapress.com. Check it out for information about products, recipes and their free online newsletter, available soon.

Resources for Entrepreneurship Education 

To find out more about helping your young entrepreneur start a business, check out some of these titles available in the YoungBiz online catalog.

Fast Cash for Kids - By Bonnie and Noel Drew
A great book for young entrepreneurs. Learn how to think like an entrepreneur and turn ideas into a successful business.

The Totally Awesome Business Book for Kids - By Adrienne G. Berg and Arthur Berg Bochner
With the help of his mom, Arthur provides information on starting a business in an easy to understand style, using humorous characters such as Penelope Pennypincher and Stephen Spender.

Our Wildest Dreams: Women Entrepreneurs Making Money, Having Fun, Doing Good - By Joline Godfrey
Godfrey explores the values and vision of the women entrepreneurs who are now fueling the nation’s business growth. Profiles of top role models, as well as stories that show how they achieved success, are included.