By Yeraldi Pacheco Miguel
This month on the Bucktown Business Beat, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Patrick Padula Jr., the man behind Carmella’s Sauces – A Taste of Bunker Hill. Carmella’s Sauce originates from Carmella’s Restaurant, located at 140 Erie St, Dunmore, with a second location, Carmella’s Italian Deli, at 106 N Main Ave, Scranton.
The original Carmella’s has been a Dunmore staple for over 30 years! Patrick shared the history of his beloved grandmother Carmella and how he strives to keep her name alive.
The story begins in 1984 when Patrick’s family opened Padula’s Ice Cream Shop at 112 W Grove St, Dunmore. Four years later, in 1988, the original Carmella’s was opened. Patrick fondly remembers spending a lot of time in the restaurant as a kid and always having an affinity for it.
“The whole family would help out – my parents, uncles, I was always there when I was a kid,” Patrick shares.
As his grandparents grew Carmella’s Restaurant, his uncle expanded the name into the West Side of Scranton, opening their second location, Carmella’s Italian Deli.
Patrick’s family has been serving the Dunmore area for decades, but the journey of Carmella’s Sauce – A Taste of Bunker Hill has only just begun in the last couple of years.
Unfortunately, in 2020, Patrick’s grandmother, Carmella, passed away. It was then that Patrick knew he wanted to do something to keep her legacy growing. “In order to keep her spirit alive and keep the family name rolling on, we started Carmella’s Sauce,” says Patrick.
The process of getting the sauce on shelves was not an easy task, especially with all the delays caused by COVID in 2020, but they took it step by step. “We started making sample bottles, we put them out at the restaurant and Carmella’s Deli, and a lot of people took a liking to it. We realized this might be something that can catch on.”
Carmella’s Sauce is Carmella’s very own recipe that has been used at the restaurant for years.
After all the logistics were completed, a full-circle moment happened for Patrick when, on November 22, 2022, Carmella’s Sauce was placed on the shelves of their very first store, Riccardo’s, where Patrick worked when he was in high school.
Fast forward to today, and you can find Carmella’s Sauce in over 100 grocery stores, including: Price Chopper, Gerrity’s, and ShopRite. Not to mention many locations in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.
Patrick does not plan on stopping here. He has a dream and plans on accomplishing it. “My first and main goal is to keep my grandmother’s name, Carmella, around forever,” he shares. “My second goal is to teach people that our pasta sauces are for more than just pastas.”
He reminds us that Carmella’s Sauce can be used on numerous dishes, from pizza sauce to chicken cutlets. Carmella’s is a restaurant-quality sauce that you can have right in your own home!
This whole endeavor is a beautiful way to memorialize an amazing woman who has been feeding people throughout NEPA for years. You can find Carmella’s picture right on the jar itself. Patrick says, “We’re shooting for the stars, hoping to be in every grocery store.”
A huge part of this journey for Patrick is the support from the community he has been receiving. “I love when someone from the community tells me how excellent the product is. I love getting feedback or when people send us photos of what they’ve made. When we get stuff like that from customers, it really means a lot to us,” he shares.
Patrick offers some advice to anyone looking to pursue their dreams: “Don’t ever hold yourself back. Don’t overthink about chasing your dream. Put your mind to it and accomplish it.”
Make sure to check out Carmella’s Sauce when you get the chance and don’t forget to visit their many locations.
Carmella’s Restaurant is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Carmella’s Italian Deli is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and while the weather is still nice, make sure to cool down with some of your favorite ice cream flavors at Padula’s, open every day from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
May Carmella continue to feed the community for years to come!