We were lucky to catch up with Francesca Pittaluga recently and have shared our conversation below.

Francesca, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

As a passionate home chef, COVID inspired me to cook more than ever…Until it didn’t.
Life got busier, and I started looking for easy meal options with a clean label and great taste. As an Italian-American, I lean towards foods that bring me nostalgia for my Italian dad’s home cooking, using few quality ingredients.

Marinara sauce was a childhood favorite, but nothing stood out after many trips down the grocery aisle. All options were dated, tired, neglected, and didn’t speak to me…the modern female consumer. I couldn’t find a sauce that tasted homemade or celebrated local California agriculture!

Plus, the stories were repetitive and male-dominated, even though 93% of food purchasing power is female.

When 80% of food consumers want to make a meal in less than 30 minutes, I saw an opportunity to better represent Italian food and California farms. Ciao Pappy is a modern pantry lifestyle brand specializing in marinara sauces inspired by my love for the Italian Riviera and California coast.

Our “Italifornian” sauces expand a dated category and aim to speak to today’s generation with our clean label certifications and elevate food quality by using locally sourced ingredients; with no added sugar, pastes, or concentrates.

Ciao Pappy is creating a new family recipe by modernizing Italian food classics, adding an accent to your pantry staples, and inspiring you to “find your Italy.”

Francesca, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I found myself in the food industry following a 14-year career in fashion. As an Italian-American, I was passionate about working in fields that blended my love for Italian culture and lifestyle.

My Italian father started documenting his favorite recipes over two decades ago, collecting an impressive repertoire of almost 250 dishes. In 2020, during the pandemic, I started making a small cookbook in his honor.

That Christmas, I gifted his signature “Marinara alla Pappy” to friends and family, which was a huge hit! It inspired me to explore what it would take to make a food product and how to make our family story come to life through my Italian-American experience.

During the R&D phase, I launched a charity campaign supporting causes against ageism and also gathered valuable customer insights. Within three weeks, we successfully sold over 500 jars, realizing we had created something special.

Encouraged by overwhelming positivity, my husband and I launched the brand with two cherished family sauces a few months later.

Today, our Italifornia™ sauces blend my Italian heritage and home in California, using 100% locally sourced, few quality ingredients. We don’t use any pastes, tomato blends, sugar, or preservatives – unique to the marketplace. Our flavors embrace traditional Italian flavors with a modern twist, incorporating new ingredients in our sauces, such as sour cream and creamy Calabrian spice.

In addition, we continue to support the aging community with a committed annual donation, marketing campaigns, and local community partnerships.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I cannot stress enough the importance of starting in your backyard. The chance to personally engage, exchange handshakes, and establish customer connections is truly priceless. This approach fosters the development of meaningful, devoted customer relationships, enabling you to gain insights into their preferences, personalities, and communication styles.

In our initial two years, we dedicated ourselves to hand-selling jars, actively supporting stores, and collaborating with their teams. Through our grassroots endeavors, we created a reputable identity for our brand. The authenticity of our efforts shines through when customers have the opportunity to meet the founders and hear firsthand about our products. This direct interaction creates a genuine, enduring connection that resonates with our audience.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

As a small brand, we still have the opportunity to create very high-touch experiences with our customers. Online orders often include a personal note or a personalized email, particularly if it’s their second or third order. We really want our customers to know they are meaningful and an integral part of our family business.

Other ways we communicate are through more traditional marketing efforts such as email marketing and social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ciaopappy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ciaopappy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ciaopappy/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ciaopappy/

Image Credits
Jen Sosa Danielle Adams Brigitte Schambon-Kiser