Don't Live Life Without Pasta

Twelve months of social content for a Sicilian fresh-pasta kitchen in Union Square

Case study · 08New York · 2025–2026Scroll

Case study · social media, content, campaigns

A neighbourhood pasta kitchen, told post by post.

Pasta Eater is a fresh-pasta restaurant at 9 East 17th Street, a few steps from Union Square, where owner Giusto Priola makes pasta the Sicilian way, with semolina and water. From June 2025 to May 2026 Luca ran the brand's digital communication: an editorial plan built on seven content pillars, food photography and reels, a free pasta guide, an Italian-regions video series, the Valentine's Trip to Rome sweepstakes, events, and the launch of an online shop, gift cards and fresh pasta for restaurants.

Client
Pasta Eater NYC
Sector
Restaurant · fresh pasta
Location
Union Square, New York
Period
Jun 2025 – May 2026
Pasta Eater NYC · the mark in motion

The brief

What was needed

Make a neighbourhood pasta kitchen the place New Yorkers think of when they want real Italian pasta. The goals were to fill the tables at lunch and dinner, grow to-go and delivery orders, and launch new lines: an online shop, gift cards, fresh pasta for restaurants, events and catering.

The idea

How it was solved

The content is built on assets the restaurant already had: the yellow and black logo, the hand-painted wall of black lines with flying pasta, and the neon sign that says it all. Seven content pillars and recurring formats (series, tips, characters) kept the feed alive between the big moments, while campaigns and launches gave people a reason to come in, order or buy.

Don't live life without pasta.

01 · Seven content pillars

From Sicily to New York.

Nearly a century ago, Giusto Priola's family left Sicily for Utica, New York, bringing a way of making pasta with them. That story is the brand's strongest asset: Giusto, his kitchen and his pasta machine take centre stage, so the feed feels made by a person, not by a restaurant.

  1. HeritageGiusto, Sicily, Utica and the 1930s.
  2. Pasta schoolTips, pairings, a free guide and a tour of Italy's regions.
  3. CampaignsThe Valentine's Trip to Rome sweepstakes turned a social campaign into footfall.
3D render for Pasta Eater NYCSocial mediaEditorial planReelsCampaignsPaid social

02 · Colour

The palette

Pasta Yellow#F4C430Logo / accents
Sunset Gradient#F07A12Tips and announcements
Ink#151413Type / logo
Union Navy#100D2CStory posts
Cream#FFF6E6Backgrounds
Tomato#C8341FHighlights

Values from the brand-kit board (board 03). They are approximate, sampled from the published content, not official brand values.

03 · Applications

Where it lives.

Instagram feed@pastaeaternyc, a selection Jun 2025 – May 2026
Feed postsHero dishes, tips, events, regions, offers
Win a Trip to RomeValentine's sweepstakes, Oct 2025 – Feb 2026
Campaign storyLaunch, draw, take-off
Beyond the tablePasta machine, online shop, gift cards
Food photographyBlack-ink spaghetti with shrimp

What I did

  • 01Social media strategy and editorial plan (seven content pillars)
  • 02Art direction of photo and reel content
  • 03Paid social campaigns
  • 04Delivery platform optimisation
  • 05Valentine's Trip to Rome sweepstakes communication
  • 06Event communication: aperitivo sessions, Asti Week, New Year's Eve, Aperi Pasta Night
  • 07Launch communication for the online shop, gift cards and fresh pasta for restaurants

Credits

Client: Pasta Eater NYC (owner Giusto Priola)
Social media and digital communication: Luca Colucci
Images from the @pastaeaternyc account; photographers and videographers to be credited.
Logo redrawn for this presentation from the restaurant's website file. The pasta guide is shown as a mock-up.