Tucking into a plate at Pasta Grill might seem like heaven to pasta lovers such as those who voted the chain Best Italian Restaurant” in AY About You’s “AY’s Best of 2025” readers poll, and for Suzanne Hall, opening the restaurant with her husband, Wes, was truly a work of providence.
“Whatever job you do and whatever resources you have, if you will let God be the real boss, he can use you and what you have to make a difference,” she said. “God is the real boss of Pasta Grill.”
After graduating from college, Wes with a business degree and Suzanne with a degree in criminal law and a postgraduate certification in corporate law as a paralegal, the couple met David Bubbus, now co-owner of David’s Burgers, through mutual friends. Bubbus gave them the opportunity to start an Italian restaurant in Russellville.
“We said, ‘Let’s do it,’” Suzanne said. “We had no experience, but God had a plan.”
The couple opened their first restaurant in 1994 — Italian Gardens.
“After a few years, we decided we wanted a name that would let people know a little bit more about who we are and who we were becoming,” she said. “We were sitting on our patio with some friends from our church life group one afternoon. Somehow, we got on the topic of a new name for our restaurant.”
After much debate, the couple chose a new name for their restaurant — Pasta Grill.
“We wanted people to know that we were definitely about pasta but also that we were about steak and not just noodles,” Suzanne said. “My dad was meat and potatoes. From the very beginning, I knew I wanted to have a really good steak that he could look forward to.”
Now with an additional location in Conway and a franchise in Van Buren, much has changed over the past 31 years. The company has grown from 15 employees to more than 35 at each location, and its menu has expanded from about 20 menu items to more than 100. The style of the dishes has changed, as well.
“We used to serve a few traditional Italian dishes, but now we serve an eclectic blend of traditional Italian dishes like scratch-made lasagna and manicottie, chicken parmesan, chicken piccata; prime, hand-cut steaks; seafood; Cajun dishes, including shrimp and grits, crawfish cornbread and jambalaya pasta; sandwiches; flatbreads; savory cheesecake; handcrafted soups; desserts; appetizers; and delicious salads with fresh, house-made dressings,” she said.
The restaurants serve lunch and dinner, in addition to offering takeout and delivery. Pasta Grill also provides large, family-style dinners to go and caters weddings and events across the state.
“Mornings start very early, but we love making everything from scratch,” she said. “Our incredible staff preps most of the day every day except Sunday, and we are closed. Time to rest.”
Over the years, she and Wes have faced their share of obstacles, from water leaks and broken-down equipment to moving after opening or closing locations. However, Suzanne said she and Wes both had parents who instilled in them a strong work ethic, teaching them the importance of being the first to arrive and the last to leave.
“I think my greatest accomplishment is not giving up,” she said. “There were times I wanted to.”
Working with a spouse can also be a challenge, she said, but it is a blessing too.
Wes and Suzanne Hall
“Wes and I have endured a lot together, like maybe a few flared tempers and slammed doors, but we have also built this business together with God‘s hand guiding us before we even realized that he was,” she said. “I can’t imagine doing life or PG with anyone else. I wouldn’t ever want to try.”
At a small business, everyone feels like family, she said, and she enjoys the opportunities it provides her to get to know people and help others in times of need.
“I love it when God opens doors to sit down and sow good things into someone else’s day,” she added. “I know I always receive the bigger blessing. We want every guest that enters Pasta Grill to settle in at their table and feel cozy and comfortable and appreciated because they are.”
