Fasta & Ravioli Co. to reopen in State College after fire

Fasta & Ravioli Co., in the aftermath of its building fire in Pleasant Gap, will return to downtown State College.

The move, however, means that Good Seed Baking Co. will close its doors by the end of the year.

“Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it — we hope it was a good one for you and all your loved ones.” a post on Good Seed’s Facebook page said Sunday. “Christmas brought some bittersweet news for us. We regret to announce that we’ll be closing our doors as of Thursday ... Why the sudden change? Well, it isn’t so sudden. While we have been glad to serve the gluten free community, it’s become increasingly obvious over the past few months that we overestimated the size of that market.”

Fasta will sell macarons, but no other gluten-free products due to cross-contamination risks.

The fire at Fasta, Good Seed’s sister company that once operated at 129 S. Fraser St., left Fasta owner Bob Ricketts in need of equipment.

“All of their equipment was lost, and they are in desperate need of a commercial kitchen,” the post said. “We decided to make the best of a tough situation for all involved and transition the space back to Fasta.”

Fasta will reopen in the new year, and Good Seed will have a closing sale.

“It’s hard to express how much we love and appreciate you, our customers,” the post said. “Your loyalty over the past 18 months has truly kept us going. We hope we get to see you over the next few days to say goodbye. Thank you.”

Fasta also made a Facebook post Sunday that said it would rebuild the store in Pleasant Gap.

It could reopen in three to six months, according to Ricketts, who said smoke, not fire, caused most of the damage. He also said the fire began in the front sales area of the building.

“While we are saddened to be closing one business, we are also thrilled that Fasta will have a storefront in State College again while the Pleasant Gap Fasta is being rebuilt,” it said. “Please stay tuned ... for the opening date of Fasta & Ravioli Co. at 129 S. Fraser St.”

Ricketts also thanked the Pleasant Gap Fire Department for going “above and beyond” and the community.

“It’s been a rough Christmas, but it would be a lot harder without the community,” he said. “So many local businesses and people have reached out to us. The Pleasant Gap Fire Company has been tremendous. I want to thank everyone for their overwhelming support.”

This story was originally published December 27, 2015 at 11:53 PM with the headline "Fasta & Ravioli Co. to reopen in State College after fire."