Inside Brooklyn's Little Italy pasta shop that uses a machine over 115 years old
· Business Insider
Business Insider
- Queen Ann Ravioli & Macaroni, a Brooklyn staple since 1972, offers unique pasta products.
- Manager George Joseph Switzer III uses early-20th-century machines he fixes himself.
- Switzer hopes to pass the small business down to his son.
Renowned for its silky smooth round raviolis and hand-cut fettuccini, Queen Ann Ravioli & Macaroni is a Brooklyn institution. The small business opened in 1972 and has remained a local favorite ever since.
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As large pasta brands dominate the market, Queen Ann's manager — George Joseph Switzer III — offers more specialized products that customers might not find in supermarkets, including 25 types of ravioli and 50 different pasta cuts.
"Businesses like this are disappearing," said Switzer, who took over managing the family business from his father-in-law in the late 80s. His wife and sister now own it. "It's hard to find the labor; it's also hard to find the clientele."
George Joseph Switzer III in his pasta shop in Brooklyn.Business Insider
About 25% of the company's business is retail, and that number is shrinking, Switzer said. The rest is wholesale.
Business Insider recently met with Switzer at his shop in Bensonhurst, often called Brooklyn's "Little Italy," for its "Small Business" video series.
Step inside Brooklyn's pasta time capsule
The back of Queen Ann Ravioli & Macaroni's shop, where the pasta is made.Business Insider
Behind the counter, Queen Ann runs on machines that feel closer to a working museum than a modern factory.
Switzer points to one in particular — a pasta press built in 1909 in Manhattan — that still runs daily. He said it may be the only machine of its kind still in regular use in the country.
Switzer's pasta press from 1909.Business Insider
Other equipment dates back decades: a mixer-and-gromola combination unit that smooths the dough and removes air pockets is at least 50 years old.
A ravioli machine used to produce 50-count batches is about 75 years old. Even the crepe machine used to make specialty pasta is roughly 60 years old.
Switzer's ravioli machine that's about 75 years old.Business Insider
Switzer describes the setup as a "time capsule," where machines are repaired and maintained rather than replaced. He keeps backup belts, gears, and motors on hand and often fixes breakdowns himself.
"When I'm in my office doing paperwork, I'm always listening. I'll know right away if something's wrong by the sound something's making," he said.
What machines don't handle is done by hand, including stuffing shells and boxing ravioli. Switzer estimated the shop produces 1,500 to 2,000 boxes of ravioli a day.
Ravioli is boxed by hand off the conveyor belt.Business Insider
"I don't think there's a secret to perfect pasta," he said. "I think anybody could come in and do like I do. I think the trick is, can you do it every day the same way for 20 years? That's the trick."
Running Queen Ann Ravioli & Macaroni means managing far more than pasta
Switzer said the business brought in just under $2 million in revenue in 2025. Keeping it running requires constant output.
Hundreds of handmade tortellini from Queen Ann Ravioli & Macaroni.Business Insider
"No matter what, a certain amount of money has to be made on a weekly basis, daily basis to run this store," he said.
Costs add up quickly. Switzer said labor is the largest expense, followed by utilities and insurance.
The biggest challenge is keeping the business going and dealing with everything from finances and machinery to employee attitudes, he said.
Switzer with his son, who is set to take over the business.Business Insider
Eventually, that responsibility is set to fall on his son, George Joseph Switzer IV. The son already works in the business, stuffing shells and doing other manual work. But Switzer plans to start easing him into more responsibilities, such as pricing and finances.
"I'd like to take it a little easier and let my son lose a little of that hair like I did running this place for all these years," he said.
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