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Pascack Duo’s Garlic Knot Sliders Go Gangbusters

RIVER VALE, N.J. — Shayna Minuto of River Vale and James Awad of Woodcliff Lake literally can’t leave their Hold My Knots food stand at the Gansevoort Market in New York’s Meatpacking District.

Shayna Minuto of River Vale and James Awad of Woodcliff Lake, owners of Hold My Knots.

Shayna Minuto of River Vale and James Awad of Woodcliff Lake, owners of Hold My Knots.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Shayna Minuto
Closeups of two Original Garlic Knot Sliders.

Closeups of two Original Garlic Knot Sliders.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Shayna Minuto
The logo of Hold My Knots, designed by James Awad, coowner who also is an architect.

The logo of Hold My Knots, designed by James Awad, coowner who also is an architect.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Hold My Knots
An Original Garlic Knot Slider.

An Original Garlic Knot Slider.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Shayna Minuto

The lines for their Original Garlic Knot Sliders – hot sandwiches served on garlic knots instead of bread – never end.

“We’re in the city seven days a week,” Minuto said.

“We don’t take any days off. Basically, Hold My Knots has been taking over our lives.”

The business leapt into success: it opened in Manhattan in January.

At 23, Minuto also is sole owner of Big Daddy’s Pizza and Grill on Hillsdale Avenue in Hillsdale, which also sells Original Garlic Knot Sliders.

Seven years ago, the concept was developed by the Minuto family, which loves experimenting with food.

They make Buffalo Chicken, Chicken Parm, Meatball Parm and Eggplant Parm Original Garlic Knot Sliders.

“We can take anything and put it inside a garlic knot,” Minuto said.

Encouraged by the reactions of their customers in Hillsdale, the Minuto family first took their Original Garlic Knot Sliders to street fairs.

People went nuts for them at the fairs, too.

“So we decided to open in the city and see if we could make it work there,” Minuto said.

That’s when she teamed up with Awad, her business partner, and Hold My Knots was born.

Two weeks after it opened in the Gansevoort Market, Insider Food came by and did a video feature on the food stand.

Life hasn’t been the same since.

“We’ve received 10.2 million views on that video,” Minuto said.

“People have been going crazy over them. They’ve been coming in from London, from Germany, from Florida saying they saw the video and they had to try our sliders.”

She likes to say that social media made their business.

The pair will not rest on their laurels, though. They’ve already been invited to another location in the city.

Plus, they’re looking for their own standalone place.

Also, Original Garlic Knot Sliders will be in the frozen food sections of local supermarkets by year’s end.

“We figure, We’re popular now. Let’s just go for it,” Minuto said.

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