Culture
Jono Pandolfi’s niche
Pandolfi refers to himself as a “dinnerware designer and manufacturer”. His company produces close to 10,000 pieces of dinnerware each year.
Image courtesy of: Tabletop Journal
Fifteen years ago, Jono Pandolfi started his business with the unique desire of providing affordable and unique tablewares to the hospitality industry. He started so small… Pandolfi initially had one wheel and one kiln. Soon thereafter, he collaborated with patient chefs, started taking more and more risks, and learned from his mistakes.
Pandolfi at his New Jersey studio.
Image courtesy of: Gear Patrol, photographed by: Kayla Ramsey
Pandolfi’s team has spent more than a decade testing clay bodies and glazes in hopes of providing his customers with the best product possible. Due to the fact that he’s mainly manufacturing commercially, the wares need to be able to handle high-volume kitchens and commercial dishwashers. In addition, the dishes need to have a long shelf-life.
The Union City, New Jersey studio overlooks the Hudson River and Midtown Manhattan.
Image courtesy of: Jono Pandolfi
Pandolfi has always worked with ceramics.. but through many different avenues. He studied at Skidmore College and then taught at the Millbrook School prior to moving to NYC to design jewelry and manage Penn South’s ceramics studio. Totally random, Pandolfi also co-authored a book for fishing enthusiasts before he found his niche.
Through years of studying, Pandolfi developed and tweaked and innovated techniques in order to help him speed along the “construction process”. Now, any one of the seven artisans working at his New Jersey studio can form the pieces. However, Pandolfi handles all the glazing and stacking of the kilns himself.
8″ Coupe Pasta Bowl. The stoneware is dishwasher safe and made in USA.
Dimensions: 8” (w) x 2” (h)
Image courtesy of: Jono Pandolfi
In a time where cutting corners isn’t unusual, Pandolfi has been deliberate about taking his time in growing his business. The company is built on 100% custom, handmade dinnerware for restaurants and hotels. While the quality of the pieces is of the highest importance, so is Pandolfi’s ability to fulfill orders in the time promised.
The studio averages 150 finished pieces daily by running all five kilns at max capacity, weekends included. And while Pandolfi’s process is standardized, it still takes three days to complete a single piece. There are many stages the piece has to go through; for example: measuring, molding, drying, bisque firing, glazing, and glaze firing.
With his signature style, dinner plates are not glazed on the back. Even though this “looks cool”, the main reason is because it cuts down on production time!
Image courtesy of: Serious Eats
The process is a ritual: clay is de-aired and rolled out into inch-thick sheets before being cut with a tracing tool. The clay is then placed into a mold and formed with a jigger on a pottery wheel.
After the clay dries, it is bisque fired at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, solidifying the form and “infusing” it with a terra cotta hue. The fired piece is glazed by Pandolfi and left to dry. A second firing at 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit finishes the piece. The clay then darkens and becomes less porous (making it safe for food purposes).
That’s a wrap!
