Love What I Do—And The People, Too

Scott Morrison reflects on 25 years at BeanZ & Co.’s founding company,
The New England Pasta Company

Scott Morrison, co-founder and co-owner of The New England Pasta Company and BeanZ & Co.

December 14, 2019

My BeanZ & Co. journey began almost 27 years ago when I met my wife and business partner Kim at the Goodwin Hotel where she was catering manager and I worked part-time as a bartender while in graduate school. Kim came into the bar one night and said everyone was going out. A friend of mine and I decided to go. As we left the hotel, there was Kim, popping her head out of the sunroof of a limo saying plans changed, they found a ride and were going to Glastonbury. Did we want to go? I looked at my friend and thought, ‘Do I really want to do this?’ The rest is history.

When I think back on our 25 years with The New England Pasta Company and this past year with BeanZ & Co., two feelings surface. One: I don’t think I’ve ever had a job. I love what I do—it doesn’t feel like work the way people talk about work. And two: relationships. I’ve made some of my best friends here. I enjoy visiting with and getting to know our customers so much so, I literally took the door off of my office. The Pasta Co. employees even call me The Mayor.

I love seeing the families who come over time. We’ve been around so long that one of our first customer’s daughters is now getting married. She was pregnant with her daughter when we met. Parents who now have grandchildren come in for lunch on their Grandma Days. It’s pretty cool. Beginning on day one, Kim and I were intentional about having Pasta Co. and BeanZ & Co. be more than a place to grab a pound of pasta or a cup of coffee. And here we are 25 years later almost to the day (our official Pasta Co. 25th anniversary is tomorrow, December 15, 2019!). We hope to be around for years to come, and someday hand the reigns over to another Kim and Scott who will care about our community as much as we do.

An entrepreneur and professional pasta producer, Scott Morrison is passionate about making the world a better place to eat, work and live. Co-founder of The New England Pasta Company and the inclusive coffee café BeanZ & Co., Scott takes pride in cultivating community around good food in an environment where everyone belongs. You can connect with Scott on Linked In or by email.  

BeanZ & Co. is an inclusive coffee café employing people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities and demonstrates the possibilities in all of us. The coffee café serves breakfast, lunch, hot and cold beverages, and bakery items for take-out or eat in, and also offers catering services. BeanZ & Co. is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 300 West Main Street, Avon, Conn. For more information visit beanzandco.com and friend them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.