Caffe Pagato invites Redding to 'pay it forward' with house-made pastries, coffee syrups
Melissa Haun and the staff at Caffe Pagato spent the past decade making sure the Redding coffee spot lived up to its altruistic name.
A coffee house tradition started in Naples, Italy, Pagato ― which means ‘paid’ in Italian — refers to the practice of paying the bill for the person behind you in a line at a cash register, either because the other person is low on cash, or just to be kind, said Haun, the café’s general manager.
The Redding eatery's staff named the cafe hoping customers would “pay it forward” too, she said.
Their wish worked worked.
Pagato staff keep running tabs for people who regularly pay the next customer’s bill. When that happens in the morning, the string of people treating each other can last all day, Haun said.
Pagato shares other characteristics with Mediterranean cafes: It’s a neighborhood gathering spot frequented by people working close by and it’s an intimate space to have breakfast or lunch.
Tucked behind Shasta Regional Medical Center and across the street from Redding Rancheria on Butte Street, the restaurant sits in a corner on the first floor of the Davis professional building ― home to the California Department of Transportation’s Redding offices.
Seating is designed to be cozy, with tables for 21 customers indoors, 10 more at bistro tables in the lobby and seating for six on its outdoor patio.
Many of Pagato’s regular customers work in medical professions or for the state government, Haun said. But people come from all over Redding to buy the shop’s pastries, which are made on site.
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The most popular treats are Pagato’s muffins, breakfast croissant sandwiches, a daily quiche, signature Earl Grey brownies and giant cookies. Prices range from $4.25 to $6.25 per pastry, Haun said.
For lunch, Haun and Pagato’s chef Adam Hadsall prepare a du jour sandwich, paninis and six different salads, all under $10. Salad dressings are made from scratch on site, according to Haun.
Best-selling paninis include the blackberry bacon panini with cream cheese, blackberry jam, bacon, house made pepper relish, pepperjack cheese and a roasted jalapeño honey aioli; and the turkey pesto panini with pesto aioli, cheese, red onion, tomato, spinach, a balsamic glaze and hand-sliced turkey, she said.
Haun said she and Hadsall like to experiment with coffee combinations and introduce five new drinks per quarter. Among Pagato’s spring menu is a ‘flight of the bumblebee’ latte, made with honey and fruit ($6.25 to $7.25).
Specialty drinks include ones with flavoring mixed in Pagato’s kitchen, including the cafe’s signature honey lavender and Hadsall’s salted caramel rum syrups.
Hadsall started at Pagato in 2017 as chef ― three years after former manager Jenny Melchor and building owner Mike Davis opened the cafe to serve Caltrans employees, according to Haun.
Pagato quickly blossomed into a little gourmet spot, with creative employees interested in experimenting with flavors and creating food from scratch. When she came on board, Haun said “they trusted me to dive in and let my creativity (run) wild.”
When she was hired, Hadsall was the cafe's baker. They had “a killer pastry menu” but no lunches, Haun said.
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The team opened another Pagato location in Mercy Medical Center in 2019 with a grab-and-go menu, but had to temporarily close the Butte Street location in 2020 during the COVID shutdown. Hadsall and Haun spent the down time planning new menus and experimenting with recipes, Haun said.
When Pagato reopened, it kicked off an ever-growing lunch menu, she said.
Working at a place where she’s free to create is a joy, said Haun, who always wanted to be a chef.
It’s in her blood.
Her great grandparents owned a cafe in the small Southern California town of Chiriaco Summit and her mother loved to cook, she said.
Growing up in Exeter in the Central Valley, Haun said she “was always fascinated with food" and "used to set up a cafe in the kitchen and make soup,” which actually was a pot filled with water and plastic toy vegetables.
After she graduated from culinary school in Santa Barbara in 2010, Haun spent the next 14 years working in restaurants throughout California, landing in her husband’s hometown of Redding in 2016. “I’ve worked in almost every restaurant position” at one time or another, she said.
Although she’s been a chef for most of her culinary career, Haun said she still calls her mother for recipe ideas.
More: Originally planned as a coffee kiosk, Caffe Pagato shines for its food
2024 is Pagato’s tenth year in business. While she’s mum about specifics, Haun suggested customers watch for specialty lattes and gourmet pastries “from the early days” to show up on the menu in the week leading up to Pagato’s anniversary on Aug. 12.
If you go to Caffe Pagato
Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays
Address: 1031 Butte St. in Redding
Contact: Call 530-338-2720 or go to caffe-pagato.com
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Downtown Redding cafe celebrates 10th anniversary
