Category: Entrepreneurs

Costantino’s kitchen produces gourmet Homestyle pasta sauces that have been in their family for over five generations. These days it’s Christopher Costantino at the helm of the company following in the tradition of his grand mother in the making of their unique sauce, a sauce that contains no chemicals or preservatives. Adding to our understanding of what makes Costantino’s kitchen pasta sauce so unique is our conversation with Diane Thorne, director of marketing for Costantino’s. Q – Is it accurate to say that at this time Costantino’s kitchen pasta sauce…

Read More

In the spring of 2014, with the USDA approval in hand, Paul Guglielmo was set to show the world what pasta sauce should really tastes like. July 2014 found Paul making the rounds of supermarkets marketing his pasta sauce. To date, he has 70 stores that stock his sauce, a sauce with his name on it, and get this his phone number on it as well!! How often do you see that? Try never. Paul Guglielmo has quite a story to tell about what it takes for an entrepreneur to…

Read More

For the past 15 years Paolo Volpati-Kedra and his company Sauces’n Love have been providing the public with his own brand of 100% fresh and natural homemade sauces. How does he do it? That’s what we wanted to find out. Q – So, I walked into Wegmans the other day and right by the front door were Wegmans own pasta sauces. There are offering a family pack of three bottles of sauce for $3.99. How do you compete with something like that? A – We don’t. That’s a segment of…

Read More

Silver Palate Kitchen makes a wide variety of products including salad dressings, dessert toppings and pasta sauces. And it is the pasta sauce we are most interested in for this interview. And who better to answer our questions than the president and CEO of Silver Palate Kitchen, Mr. Robert Harris. Q – Mr. Harris, what happened to the original founders of this company, Julie Rosso and Sheila Lukins? A – The two ladies sold out in 1988 and my son Peter who worked for me as a sales manager for…

Read More

Rienzi Foods has been around since 1967. Initially they made and sold mozzarella and flour to pizzerias and bakeries throughout New York City. Over the years they expanded their product line and their sales market. We wanted to focus on the growing business of pasta sauces and took our questions to Joseph Rienzi, Vice President of Rienzi Foods. Q – As you see it, what separates your pasta sauce from all the other pasta sauces? A – Rienzi pasta sauces are actually 100% imported Italian. The product is actually made…

Read More

Imagine with your entire mind, believe with all your soul, and unlock your dreams of true happiness. Success is your key. Bernadette Rella said that and she should know! She’s well on her way to making her pasta sauce Ma Ma Rellas a household name. Q – Somebody just got through making an appearance at the New York State Fair. A – Yes that’s correct. Q – How did you like being at the Fair? A – Oh, I loved it. It was a lot of good marketing. We did…

Read More

La Pasta Inc. has been producing pasta and sauces for more than 30 years. In the ever growing gourmet pasta sauce business that’s certainly a plus. Emily Buckley is La Pasta Inc. marketing and sales director. She was gracious enough to give us some insight into the company. Q – Why did the company decide to enter the pasta sauce business? A – The business itself was started to cater to restaurants in the area (the Washington, D.C. area). Basically, the owner’s cousin owned a catering company and she had…

Read More

She started out in Brooklyn, New York. Now her pasta sauces can be found in major retail chains as well as Sam’s Club and Walmart. We are talking about Bea’s Gourmet Sauces and their founder Beatrice Namm. Q – Is it true that organic pasta sauces are now very popular? A – You know, it’s really big on the West Coast in California. It’s huge. I’ve been asked to go organic and cater to some customers however; I am the real deal Brooklyn gravy, okay? So, in my block in…

Read More

It started in a small restaurant in southern Italy and now it’s on grocery store shelves in the U.S.A.. We are talking about Viva Italia Sauce, as distributed by the UGO Foods Corporation. To talk with us about Viva Italia Sauce is company spokesman Harvey Grossman. Q – Mr. Grossman, what is your position with the company? A – I actually work for a company called I-Trade. I’m the account manager on the UGO Foods Company. The company headquarters is in Italy. Were the U.S. representatives for them. I am…

Read More

Sorrisos Gourmet Pasta Sauce is a high quality product that is handmade with all-natural ingredients in a family-owned and operated business in Firth, Nebraska the recipe has been a family favorite for decades at home and in the family restaurant Poppa D’s Pizzeria. Betsy Ashman spoke with us about the family business of Sorrisos Gourmet Pasta Sauce. Q – Betsy, where’d you come up with the name for your company? A – Sorriso without the S is actually the Italian name for smile. The actual brand name is Sorrisos so…

Read More