Meet Kamila Batyrova

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kamila Batyrova a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kamila, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

How We Found Our Purpose

A few years ago, our lives were turned completely upside down. We had set out to travel, but unexpectedly found a place that felt like home. The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything — life slowed down, plans shifted, and suddenly we had something we’d never truly had before: time.

More than 15 years ago, back when my husband was still my boyfriend, we dreamed of opening a small restaurant someday. Cooking had always been our shared passion, even though our professional paths were completely different — I was trained as a lawyer, and he worked in finance in the oil and gas industry. Back then, it felt like nothing more than a romantic dream of our youth.

But during the pandemic, surrounded by quiet and stillness, we found ourselves back in the kitchen. We spent hours cooking, finally trying the recipes we had been saving for “someday.” Our home filled with the aroma of fresh bread, hot meals, and homemade desserts. We started sharing our food with our neighbors — at first just to spread a little comfort during those long, uncertain days.

And then something unexpected happened. Our neighbors began responding with comments like:
— “You two should really open a restaurant!”
— “Can we place an order?”
— “We’d happily pay for this!”
— “Did you make this yourselves, or did you order it from somewhere?”

Those reactions were eye-opening. It felt as if someone had reminded us of a dream we had tucked away years earlier. And in that moment, we realized that maybe the right time for it had finally come.

That’s when we began researching the restaurant industry, exploring the market, and taking our first steps toward what eventually became our business, our home, and, without a doubt, our true purpose.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’ve been cooking my whole life — for my family, for friends, and eventually for my two sons, Mirat and Khandan. When they were little, both of them developed a sugar allergy, and since they were true sweet lovers, I had to reinvent the way I baked. I began creating my own desserts, replacing sugar with healthier alternatives. One recipe turned into ten, ten into fifty, and before I knew it, I had an entire collection of sugar-free cakes and pastries.
That was the beginning of my journey into professional food — born from a simple desire to feed my family well.

At the same time, my husband — the financial mind of our partnership — became curious about the U.S. restaurant industry. While researching popular food trends, he discovered that pizza was the country’s number one favorite. Pasta held second place. And that immediately caught our attention.

We are originally from Kazakhstan, where dough is deeply rooted in the culture. Our national dish, beshbarmak, is made with thin sheets of rolled dough, cut almost like lasagna sheets. We grew up with food made by hand, shared around a big round table with family. To us, pasta felt familiar, natural, and close to home.

Our love for fresh pasta deepened during a trip to Italy. One afternoon in Rome, we stumbled upon a tiny window in a wall with a handwritten sign that said “Fresh Homemade Pasta.” Curious, we knocked — and found ourselves in the warm, little kitchen of two grandmothers who made pasta by hand. They shared their ingredients, their stories, their techniques — everything except their secret touch.
That experience inspired what later became the heart of Soul Pasta:
the idea that everyone should be able to “build their own pasta” by choosing their favorite shapes and sauces — not just the traditional pairings found in restaurants.

From Inspiration to Production

We soon discovered Arcobaleno, a family-owned pasta equipment factory in Pennsylvania. One morning we simply got in the car, drove four hours, and showed up at their door. They welcomed us like old friends, gave us a tour, and even made fresh pasta with us right there in the factory. We left with gifts, inspiration, and a clear decision:
this is where we would buy the equipment to start our pasta venture.

We chose to produce mafalda, bigoli, and several varieties of ravioli — the shapes that would later define our brand.

Opening Soul Pasta in Pittsburgh

In September 2023, we opened Soul Pasta — a street-casual concept serving fresh, handcrafted pasta, our signature bread, baked goods, and sauces like:

Ragu alla Bolognese

Marinara

Arrabbiata

Boscaiola

Classic Pesto

We also offered ravioli (meat, chicken, spinach-ricotta, cheese), served boiled or fried, and allowed guests to customize everything with add-ons like meatballs, breaded chicken, parmesan, or truffle oil.
It was fun, creative, and interactive — exactly what we had imagined.

The first four months were incredible. We received amazing reviews, built a loyal community, and many customers became part of our daily lives. But then, suddenly and sharply, the restaurant market dropped. People stopped going out. Sales fell across the board. After several difficult months of fighting the decline, we had no choice but to close the restaurant in early 2024.

A Second Beginning

We were devastated. For more than a month, we felt empty, confused, and heartbroken.
But then messages started pouring into our social media:

“Where are you?”
“Why are the doors closed?”
“When are you coming back?”

That outpouring of love brought us back to life.

We changed our strategy and began again from zero:

selling fresh pasta at farmers markets

hosting pop-ups

focusing heavily on catering

And the city welcomed us back. Word spread quickly, people came to try our food, and soon we were hosting weekly pop-ups in breweries all over Pittsburgh.

Just ten days ago, we took a major new step:
we launched a full culinary collaboration with Acclamation Brewery, where they brew their craft beer and we — Soul Pasta — run the kitchen. For us, this partnership is a huge milestone and an entirely new experience.

What’s Next for Soul Pasta

We are moving forward with more energy than ever.
Our upcoming plans include:

expanding catering

continuing pop-ups and farmers markets

completing the paperwork required to sell our fresh pasta in local stores

launching our products in retail (early agreements are already in place)

We started from scratch, lost everything, and started from scratch again — and today we know one thing for sure:

When food is made with soul, people feel it.

We are Soul Pasta.
And our story is just beginning.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Three Most Important Qualities, Skills, and Areas of Knowledge

Looking back, I can clearly see three things that made the biggest impact on our journey — and on the success of our business today.

1. People and Communication
One of the most important parts of our story has been the people around us. We feel genuinely lucky — along the way, we met so many kind, supportive, and generous people who shared their experience with us. Their advice helped us understand how to build and grow a business, especially in an industry that was completely new to us.
Good communication became one of the key skills we had to develop. Talking openly, asking questions, listening to feedback, and building real relationships — all of that helped us move forward faster. For anyone just starting out, I’d say: don’t be afraid to reach out, learn from others, and surround yourself with people who believe in you.

2. Persistence and Work Ethic
Our friends, clients, and partners often tell us they admire how hardworking and responsible my husband and I are. This is something our parents taught us from a young age — to show up, to do things well, and to never give up. Running a food business demands long hours, discipline, and a lot of physical and emotional energy. There are no shortcuts.
For those starting their journey, my advice is simple: stay consistent. Even small steps every day add up. Talent is great, but persistence is what gets you through the hard days.

3. Curiosity and Continuous Learning
Faith in our dream was important, but so was the willingness to grow. As a business owner and a chef, I knew I had to keep evolving. Every day I read about different world cuisines, study ingredients and spices, and explore new culinary techniques. The food industry moves fast, so staying curious keeps you relevant and inspired.
If you’re just beginning, make learning a daily habit. Be open to new ideas, experiment, and don’t stop educating yourself — whether it’s about food, business, or people.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

The past year has been one of the most challenging for Soul Pasta, but it’s precisely these moments that show how capable a team is of growing, adapting, and moving forward. We faced every challenge with dignity, and today we can confidently say — our efforts have paid off.

Our brand has become truly recognizable. We see it in the steady growth of our loyal clients: catering orders continue to increase almost daily. More and more corporate and private customers choose us for our consistent quality, attention to detail, and, of course, our fresh pasta, which has become the signature of Soul Pasta.

The reputation we have been building step by step has started working in our favor. This year, Soul Pasta was selected as the catering company for one of the largest and most popular sports events in the city — an important acknowledgment of our team’s dedication and hard work.

And the good news didn’t stop there. Just two weeks ago, we received a collaboration offer from one of the city’s breweries, and now our guests can enjoy a full dine-in Soul Pasta experience at Acclamation Brewery.
This marks a new level of brand presence in the city — a chance to be closer to our guests and expand the way we serve the community.

Soul Pasta continues to grow, evolve, strengthen its position, and shape its own culture of culinary hospitality in Pittsburgh.

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Soul Pasta

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