Owen Buescher

Pasta La Fata’s June opening of its brick-and-mortar location is part of a trend of Columbia pop-ups setting up permanent storefronts. Owner Shelly La Fata got her start as a vendor at the Columbia Farmers Market, selling homemade ravioli off TV trays on Saturday mornings. After growing her customer base at the market, she decided it was time to move forward with a full-time business. “Originally, I didn’t have a grand plan. I was just making as much ravioli as I could,” she said.