Our Story

The Carm's story begins in 1929. My grandparents, Mary and James Fontano, opened a corner grocery store. During the summer, they made italian ice.

In the ‘60s, when the City of Chicago built the University of Chicago Circle campus (now UIC), my grandparents moved the grocery store across the street to what is now Fontano's. They turned the existing corner into Carm's and began selling Chicago-style street food--including italian ice in the summer.

The name Carm's comes from my grandparents youngest child Carmella. My Aunt Carm ran the business until the late ‘70s, when my mother and father took over. I started working in the restaurant a few days a week during high school. In the summer, I worked full-time, and after graduating high school began working side-by-side with my mother for well over 35 years.

Over the years UIC became bigger and bigger, while what was left of the neighborhood retained a residential feel. Carm's was grandfathered into the neighborhood--along with Fontano's and Tufano's--and as long as we are here, we will be a staple of the Little Italy neighborhood.

We are an increasingly rare breed--a small, family-run business--in a city neighborhood. Little Italy used to be occupied by all Italian families, and today is largely a college community. I have been very fortunate making a living on this corner, raising a family here and meeting so many wonderful people. I have seen thousands of college kids come and go over the years, and it's rewarding to see so many return years after graduation to show their families where they ate when they were a student.

In 2029, we will be 100 years old on a corner in a small Chicago neighborhood. I am grateful to my hard-working grandparents and my parents--my mother Mary was without a doubt the hardest-working person I ever met.

If you have never been to Carm's, we look forward to meeting you and try to make you feel at home. And if you have been to Carm's, we look forward to seeing you again in the old neighborhood for an italian beef, a meatball sandwich, some tacos and the best homemade italian ice around.