About
Hi! I'm Kristina- owner and head chef at Viola's Pantry, and granddaughter of Viola. I've been in hospitality for almost two decades, working in various concepts and capacities in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Austin, Wichita, and now Phoenix. I started Viola's Pantry in 2020 as a Covid project, and it grew organically to what it is today! I have a Bachelors Degree from Villanova University, and a Culinary Degree from Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. I grew up all over the world- from Portugal, to Jordan, Oman, Greece, and the UAE. I now live in Phoenix with my wonderful husband, Tony, our baby, Olivia, dog Pesca, and two cats- Cacio and Pepe. We enjoy taking family adventures regularly, and of course, cooking and eating together.
Behind the Name
Viola's Pantry is named after my paternal grandmother, Viola Grappo. It's named after her first and foremost because you can't have a business based around Italian food and not name it after your dead Italian grandmother!
Che sfiga!!!
But most importantly, because this fiery 4'10" lady from Calabria was everything I wanted to emulate my business after. Small but mighty, she came from humble beginnings in Akron, Ohio. She married my grandfather, Tony, and moved to central Florida for his job in the Marine Corps. While my grandfather was in Korea during the war, Vi was stateside raising two boys, and wanted something to challenge herself. She put herself through school, trained as a realtor, and started her own real estate business-- during a time when women rarely worked, let alone owned their own businesses, she was a trailblazer. Vi grew her business beyond her wildest dreams, and my grandfather ended up retiring from the Marines to work with her.
Beyond business, Vi was a fabulous mother and grandmother, always impeccably dressed, and,
you guessed it, an incredible cook.
Our Story
Viola's Pantry started in Wichita, Kansas out of the back of a coffee shop that had closed its kitchen during Covid. We made our first sale in November 2020, and within a year of delivering family meals, farmer's markets, and pop-ups, we were ready to find a permanent kitchen. I believe Vi's keen sense for real estate brought VP to Cleveland Corner- a collaborative building with rotating female-owned business concepts, and our second home for the coming years. We opened November 2021, selling fresh pastas, sauces, authentic desserts and imported wines.
In the summer of 2023, my husband left the Air Force, which had brought us to Wichita, and got a civilian job in Phoenix, Arizona. We kept the business open as long as we could-- until we had our daughter in December. It became clear to us that running the business out of state with a newborn just wasn't going to be sustainable for our family, so we shut our doors 12/31/2023.
Now, with our new lives in the Southwest set up and a growing, happy baby, Viola's Pantry is ready to make her debut once again- only this time, completely online with private classes in Phoenix!
