In 1958 Carmen and Ruth DiMeglio opened a steak and hoagie shop on the Southeast corner of Mac Dade Blvd. and Milmont Ave.in a small white storefront that used to house Major’s penny candy store.  In 1959 they started selling pizzas from the same storefront. 

In a small room off to the left, Carmen would knead the day’s dough by hand on a wooden butcher block table.  Customers could see him preparing the dough through the glass panes in the old wooden door.  In the evenings he would close himself off in the same room and bake the pizzas to order.  Customers would wave, but he kept the door closed to keep the heat of the ovens away from his wife, who was waiting on customers and preparing sandwiches.  It would be over a year before they could finally afford a used commercial mixer.

Their reputation in the neighborhood quickly spread, and their business continued to grow.  In 1960 with the grand opening of Gino’s Hamburgers directly across the street, Carmen’s Pizza’s reputation and customer base spread to an even wider audience.

By 1961 the business had outgrown its original location, and in 1962 the family built the building on the Southwest corner of Mac Dade Boulevard and Milmont Avenue where Carmen’s Pizza continues to operate today.   Through three generations and many renovations and upgrades, the family traditions of freshness, quality and hard work have been the driving forces behind the growth of the business.  

Mushrooms at Carmen’s never came from a can and are still sliced and cooked fresh.  Meatballs are still made with fresh parsley and fresh garlic with lean ground beef from a local butcher and breadcrumbs we make ouselves from day old hoagie rolls.  Extra virgin olive oil is still used exclusively in all our sauces, dough, and on our hoagies.  Dolphin free tuna for hoagies contains no fillers.  There is no MSG, shortening, food chemicals or additives anywhere on the premises.  There never were.  There never will be.  To do anything less would be a disservice to Carmen and Ruth’s legacy and memory.

Come join our family and taste the tradition.  Discover what real pizza was meant to be.