It’s a gray winter’s day in Union City, New Jersey, but inside Jono Pandolfi’s studio in the former Yardley Soap Factory with windows framing postcard views of Manhattan, it feels light and airy. The studio hums with activity. In one area, three women jigger clay that will become their signature bowls, while a man who previously rolled pizza dough in a nearby factory works the rollers. Other rooms are equally busy, with glazing, sorting, packing and shipping. This hive of activity is the antitheses of the “starving artist” trope and there’s one reason why: Jono Pandolfi’s ceramics grace the tables of the hottest and best restaurants across the United States.
A dozen years ago, Jono Pandolfi left the corporate design world to reboot his own ceramics brand. Soon after, Will Guidara and Daniel Humm came knocking. “Will and I were in a band together. They were about to launch the NoMad and asked me to create their tableware.” It was a 6,000-piece order that took 11 months; a huge undertaking for a small business, but Pandolfi rose to the challenge, blending his artistic talent with the principles he honed in corporate design. “One of the things that sets me apart is that I’ve always looked for ways to find efficiencies,” he explains.
The order put Pandolfi’s creations on the map. “After the NoMad, we designed items for the MoMa café and Eleven Madison Park and from there it just took off.” Take a glance at the racks lined with pottery, or the pallets stacked with boxes and it’s clear they’re supplying to some of the biggest names in the business. Curious to see who else they supply? Pick up a copy of their restaurant guide and you’ll discover a MICHELIN Star-studded lineup with nearly 100 pages of clients ranging from Dirt Candy and Red Paper Clip to Bresca and Boka. Top hotels are fans and the recent studio visit saw racks of ocean-blue glazed dinnerware sitting ready for Virgin Cruises.
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Jono, who now employees 20 artists and staffers, sells directly to restaurants and retail consumers through his website. “They’re plate flippers,” he explains when asked how people find him. “They’re dining in a restaurant and turn over the plate to see who makes it.”
His work is popular with restaurants because of its clean aesthetic, but it’s the adaptability that keeps them coming back. The handmade ceramics are available in 50 shapes with two finishes (toasted or dark brown), along with 10 glazes. His catalog is designed to appeal to chefs’ artistic natures, offering true-to-size silhouettes. From there, it’s mix and match. “It’s impossible to not feel custom,” he says.
The business has grown steadily each year, with new orders coming in as quickly as others are filled. Knowing that these pieces are going to the world’s best restaurants is a thrill. “I got into pottery to create functional pieces and it’s very special that these chefs who put their heart into their food choose to serve it on our plates.”
On the first Friday of every month, Jono opens his studio to the public for a seconds sale. The items are different each time, and it’s an event he personally looks forward to. “It’s everyone from retail customers to young chefs. In fact, it’s perhaps the most satisfying when a young chef who worked elsewhere (that featured our work) comes back because they’re opening their own place.”
