Radford’s Pazar Restaurant: an exotic home away from home

Liz Kirchner
communitynews@ourvalley.org

“Pazar” is a Turkish word. Like the Hindi ‘bazaar,’ it means ‘marketplace,’ but more than that, the word conjures feelings of abundance, warmth and bounty.

Perfect then, for Pazar, the corner bistro on Clement Street dedicated to hot, home cooking in comfortable surroundings.

Outside, the sky and the sidewalk are both ashen and empty, but inside, the place is all color and curated comfort among wooden tables and Tolix chairs, an enormous oil painting in brilliant oranges, pink swirls, and hookahs fill one blue wall, children’s art is strung like prayer flags in the sunny windows.

Pazar’s owner, Samantha Newcome, colorful too in a magenta T-shirt and a batter-spattered green apron, lunch is over and she’s sitting with her mother and chief-assistant, Debbie Cook.

“I kind of volunteer to help her,” Debbie said.

“She sticks around and helps me all day,“ Samantha said.

Samantha and Pazar have just won a Radford Incentive Grant as part of a multi-pronged program that’s aimed to woo new Radford businesses, then encourage them to persevere in their early days. On this cold afternoon, Samantha’s talking about the award, small-business struggles and strategies, and serving a creative menu.

“My goal was to provide home cooking for students when they’re away from their families. A nice warm meal. Radford has a lot of fast food, but nothing really down-to-earth home cooking. Southern. Comfort food,” Samantha said.

“A lot of kids get Grab n’ Go on the way to class or home. People come in and hang out on the weekend for breakfast.”

She does all-day breakfast on the weekends.

“They come do their homework. It’s so quiet and comfy it’s a nice place to do homework,” Debbie said.

It’s easy to imagine the roomful of warm muffins, hot laptops, coffee and Uggs.

Newcome’s is one of the first small-businesses awarded Radford’s Incentive Grant. The program’s designed to help and encourage fledgling businesses by returning their first year of taxes.

She was surprised when Basil Edwards director of economic development, came in one day.

“He just came in. He asked for me and told me about the program. I didn’t have any clue,” she said. “They will reimburse you your first year taxes. I didn’t expect it.”

The award is a way of saying “thank you” and “good luck to you” and “we hope we can continue to help you keep doing business here in Radford,” Edwards has said.

Asked whether the grant was helpful, Newcome laughed.

“I’m telling you, it couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s been a little slow with the kids gone. This time last year, I feel like I had more locals come in…they usually come when the kids are gone, the locals come in. This year, it’s almost the opposite. I guess the weather. It’s a lot colder.” Samantha said.

Cold weather and competition, limited parking, the restaurant business is hard. By the third year, about 60 percent of restaurants have changed hands or closed according to national studies.

Before she opened Pazar a year ago, Samantha, who has worked all her life, (starting in the cheese section at Wade’s Grocery when she was 15) worked hard to study the demographic she wanted to serve, arranged to take advantage of established business networks, and to build her own.

“I advertised on social media (we do a lot on Facebook), coupons, mini-menus. I’m in partnership with Radford University. We give 5 percent off for all employees and staff who come in. We have Red Shirt Fridays – they don’t have to have red shirts on, I’m not picky. Employees call in and carry out,” she said

“Marketing is so expensive when you’re a small business. They always say ‘put away some for that marketing fund’, but simple things pop up and you can’t always save the marketing fund for marketing,” she said laughing.

Radford University is increasingly working to engage with and strengthen local small businesses like Pazar. The school advertises it and other small businesses on their staff sites. Access to the school’s 1400 staff members links the economic engine of the school to the local economy.

Pazar is also part of “RU Express,” the university’s card that students use to pay for services including access to on- and off-campus merchants, supporting surrounding businesses.

And competition is a struggle.

“It’s hard to compete with chains,” she said. But research helped guide her menu design.

“They get all their supplies cheap, but we’re homemade. It depends on what you want to eat. That’s why our menu’s unique. It’s not pizza and Mexican. I try to bring a whole different menu. ‘Create your own Panini’ (some suggestions are ‘peanut butter and banana’, ‘grilled cheese’ and ‘waffle and fruit’). And there’s a vegan menu and gluten-free is big. “

So, dynamic is Pazar, the menu has a little calendar.

“Meatloaf and chicken and dumplings are huge! And there are hot and ready meals. You say you want it at 5:15 for pick-up. I know what it’s like for a busy family. I do a different pasta and soup every day of the week.“

Sitting there surrounded by orange and blue pages drawn by her children who are 13 and six, articles of ribbon cuttings and news clipping highlighting her son’s sports successes, the art-filled space reflects family, both her own and the family of Radford merchants, the school, city grants; a local photographer, Billy Myers, whose displays of black-and-whites: trees and trains, hang on the blue walls. Like the sign in the window, Samantha too supports local businesses.

“There’s no type of museum or place for a small local artist to go so, a local restaurant is a good way to get your stuff out there. You’ve got to help each other,” she said.

Giving advice to young entrepreneur, Newcome, who has wanted to run a business since she was young (“That’s true,” her Mom said.) is thoughtful.

“Definitely never give up on your dreams. I’ve always wanted to do this since I was a teenager. Just to own some type of business,” she said. “I could have prepared more, but my Mom’s helped so much.”

Like she said, “You’ve got to help each other.”

For more information on the Economic Incentive Grant, contact the City of Radford Economic Development office at (540) 731-3603 x 8. Pazar at 1026 A, on Clement Street, Radford