There’s something special about the bags of pasta Chitarra Pastaria is selling online and at farmers’ markets.
That’s because the pasta-making business, founded last year by Boston chef Ken Oringer, Dan Tatar, and David Long is staffed entirely by workers with autism.
Calder Stames, 29, was one of the company’s first employees. In his first months on the job, he learned the ropes of making dry pasta alongside Oringer, and he’s now the daily operations manager for Chitarra’s five employees.
“The goal was to create an environment that actually helps people on the spectrum learn and thrive,” Stames said. “The pasta we sell is what pays our employees.”
Chitarra operates out of Little Donkey, the Oringer-owned tapas restaurant in Central Square. The pasta makers arrive in the morning, before the restaurant is busy with chefs and servers. Each bag of dry pasta is handmade in the restaurant, from shaping to drying to packaging, and the bags are signed by the employee who made it before they are shipped out.
The business currently only sells its pasta online and at special events and farmers’ markets, or through bulk orders for companies. According to Stames, plans are underway to sell the pasta wholesale in local grocery stores.
“We’re creating a community where everyone wants to sell more boxes and really see [Chitarra] thrive. That’s our startup mentality — we’re boots on the ground,” Stames said.
While many businesses in the United States hire workers with autism, those that exclusively hire workers with disabilities are few and far between. Other examples include 321 Coffee, based in North Carolina, and Popcorn for the People, based in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
“Our employees are all in different places on the spectrum, so we try to look at what we have to accomplish as a business, and see how we can best set everyone on our team up for success,” Stames said. “We make sure everyone’s not just showing up, but learning and growing, so they all want to sell more boxes and see this thrive.”
Ezra Kukis, 20, joined Chitarra a year ago. She said that one of the best things about working at Chitarra is that her input is valued and she can contribute to business operations.
“Once people in my general circle find out I’m autistic, I become infantilized,” Kukis said. “Working here, where I’m treated as an adult and I’m asked for my opinion on things, really helps build up my confidence. I like coming here and knowing that my co-workers can depend on me, and that I can also depend on my co-workers to create something.”
Kukis noted that Chitarra Pastaria offers not only employment but a strong community, which she believes is imperative for people who have autism. She is also a member of the Common Room, a social club for people with autism, which was also co-founded by Chitarra cofounder David Long, and hopes that more spaces that give people with autism opportunities can exist.
“A lot of people on the spectrum don’t end up getting employed, and it becomes a huge problem because if you don’t have anything to live off of, you’re basically on your own,” Kukis said. “It’s really scary to have nothing to fall back on, so I just want there to be more spaces for people to join like Common Room and Chitarra.”
Stefano Micali, 29, began working at Chitarra at the beginning of this year. He also works for Boston Duck Tours, and notes that Chitarra gives him a valuable pathway to his future career interests.
“Chitarra is a great step for me,” Micali said. “I don’t know if I want to be at Chitarra forever, but what I do want is to have my own culinary business that educates people to use the healthiest ingredients in whatever they do.”
Micali is also interested in performing — he sings and plays guitar for the Flutie Foundation, named after former Patriots player Doug Flutie’s son, who is autistic, with their Spectrum of Sound Choir. He even wrote a guitar jingle for the pasta company (“chitarra” means “guitar” in Italian), which he is hoping to use in promotional material.
Julia Agostino, 19, has been involved with advocacy for autism awareness since high school. She attended Lexington High School, and joined its Turing Alliance club to help her school better accommodate people with disabilities. As a Chitarra employee, she sees their product as a new way to advocate for herself and others with autism.
“This whole venture is about spreading awareness about the spectrum and showing that people like me can function in normal society,” Agostino said. “We’re going to the Brighton Farmers’ Market, and we’re going to be selling pasta there. That way, we can tell people about Chitarra and spread some awareness along the way.”
Agostino takes a lot of pride in the company’s continued success, and with wholesale as the next step, she’s ready to bring Chitarra Pastaria to a wider market.
“When I first joined, I didn’t think we’d be selling several hundred boxes every season, and that was in our first year of operation,” she said. “I compared it with the pasta that you find normally at a grocery store, and this stuff is much higher quality.”
What makes Chitarra pasta so special? Agostino thinks the answer is simple: “We like to say that it’s made with love and autism.”
Ryan Yau can be reached at ryan.yau@globe.com.