A longtime neighborhood fixture is back in business: Carmela’s Pizzeria has reopened under new ownership, bringing renewed energy — and familiar faces — to the Franklin Square community.
A family-run community hub since 1971, Carmela’s was founded by Bart Calia, who named it for his wife and built its reputation on family recipes that made it a welcoming place for generations of local residents. In 1999 the restaurant, on Hempstead Turnpike, expanded to include an adjoining Italian dining space, and was overseen by Bart and Carmela’s son, Anthony, who played a central role in the business and was widely popular in the community.
When Anthony died at age 32 in 2004, the loss was felt far beyond the Calia family. But loyal customers continued to return, holding on to their connection with both the restaurant and the memories tied to it.
Amid a closure in 2024 and a brief period under outside ownership, Carmela’s struggled to maintain its footing. This year it returned to the family, when cousin Rick Calia stepped in to take over operations, determined to preserve its legacy.
Calia, a sanitation worker for the Town of Hempstead for 35 years before he retired, and the owner of Calia Construction, had no prior experience in the restaurant business. Still, he said he was motivated — especially by his son, Rick Jr. — and confident in the support of his family.
“We just want to bring it back to the way it was,” Calia said. “The response from the community has been unbelievable.”
Now run by Calia, his son, his brother-in-law and his extended family, the restaurant has returned to a model centered on family involvement and longtime staff. Several employees who worked at Carmela’s for decades have returned, helping maintain that continuity.
The reopening has drawn large crowds. During a soft opening promotion on Friday, April 24, the restaurant briefly revived its original 1971 pricing, offering pies for $2.40 alongside regular-priced orders — a nod to its history that brought customers flocking back.
“They sold, like, 300 pies in 30 minutes,” Ali Calia, Rick’s daughter-in-law, said of the surge of customers on the first Friday back in business.
Fran Calia, Rick’s wife, credited the staff — many of whom returned to help with the reopening — for the restaurant’s newfound success. “They are the hardest workers that I know,” she said.
Rick Calia said he has relied heavily on both his family and experienced employees as he learns day-to-day restaurant operations. His schedule now stretches from early-morning preparation to late-night closing.
Despite the long hours, he said, it has been rewarding to reconnect with the community. Customers frequently share stories of eating at Carmela’s when they were growing up, with many now accompanied by their kids.
“You hear the same stories,” Calia said. “People who came here as kids are now bringing their own children.”
The adjoining space is expected to fully reopen once he acquires a liquor license.
For Calia and his family, the goal is not expansion but preservation — ensuring that Carmela’s remains a community fixture for years to come. “I just want to see this place successful again,” he said, “and keep it going for another 50 years.”
