Good Food and Good Vibes Partner Up at PAIR Charcuterie
Located in a recently opened retail incubator, the Downtown storefront hosts private events and workshops — and offers up some excellent breakfast and lunch options.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAIR CHARCUTERIE
Shaquala Swinton-Betts returned from a trip to Portugal with a suitcase full of cheese.
Sharing the edible souvenirs and the stories behind them with friends and family led the solo traveler to launch a charcuterie business during the pandemic.
“I can’t draw and I don’t paint, but playing with fruits and cheeses and seeing all the colors come together on a board puts me in my creative element,” Swinton-Betts, a 2025 Pittsburgh Magazine Women in Business honoree.
In 2024, PAIR Charcuterie opened a brick-and-mortar location through the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s Project Pop-Up, which activates vacant storefronts in the city center. The partnership aims to fill dozens of spaces by April’s NFL Draft.
It’s located in the historic Pitt Building on Smithfield Street. The Greenwood Plan, a local nonprofit, converted the 40,000-square-foot structure into a mix-use retail space and incubator for Black businesses, entrepreneurs and organizations.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAIR CHARCUTERIE
In two years, PAIR the pop-up has taken root as a creative hub for Downtown workers, particularly women, who are attracted by the good food and good vibes.
In addition to crafting charcuterie boards and grazing experiences for private events and workshops, which focus on everything from wine and cheese to maple syrup making, PAIR has amazing coffee, breakfast and lunch options. I recommend pairing a sweet potato latte with a bacon, egg and cheese croissant to boost your productivity.
Of course, just being in the presence of Swinton-Betts will motivate anyone to work harder. When she’s not playing Picasso with meats and cheeses, the busy mom works in real estate and banking.
In April, the entrepreneur is expanding PAIR to an even bigger Smithfield Street storefront, which will be used to host workshops as well as serve as a shared kitchen facility where both professional and budding chefs can test their mettle, and their recipes, in a collaborative environment.
Think of it as a coworking space for foodies.
She also wants to grow the brand to include fast-casual breakfast spots throughout Pittsburgh.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAIR CHARCUTERIE
A South Side native, Swinton-Betts landed one of her first jobs at the Smithfield Street McDonald’s. Her new venture is located just a few blocks from the now-shuttered fast food joint, but she knows she’s come a long way. She hopes PAIR will restore some of the vibrancy to Downtown.
“I think PAIR has moved beyond catering and events to fostering a lot of conversations,” she says. “We’re serving the public in a lot of different ways. Downtown Pittsburgh is starting to pick up again.”
