REAL FOOD MEETS FAMILY TRADITION

Caravia Fresh Foods was founded in the spirit of Italy—the old country—on a strong foundation of family and community, and with a focus on fresh ingredients, quality Italian products, and outstanding customer service. 

The Cognetti family opened Caravia in 2004, after Joe Cognetti sold his wholesale produce business. Joe and his son, Ryan, and cousins Peter and Marianne, were looking to build on their tradition of large family meals with plenty of fresh Italian dishes, and also wanted to bring the burgeoning trend of organic, locally-sourced food to their community. 

The Cognettis took these inspirations and got to work. They named their concept Caravia Fresh Foods, honoring their Italian heritage through Joseph’s grandmother, Michelena Caravia, from San Mango, Calabria, Italy. With “fresh foods,” the family emphasized the organic and local produce, sandwiches, soups, and prepared foods they would offer. 

To build out the store, they first set up a prepared foods department, and ensured that all the food was made from the freshest possible ingredients. Next, they chose the highest-quality and most unique grocery items they could find, including a wide range of imported Italian specialties. Finally, Joe leveraged generations of Cognetti produce industry knowledge to make a produce section that has become a destination for local customers, and even many travelers passing through as they head to vacation destinations in Northeastern Pennsylvania and Upstate New York.

Since 2004 Caravia Fresh Foods has grown, and the organic and local trend has become a cultural fixture. While the store has taken on some new concepts, and retired others, during the years the mainstays of the store remain the same: real, quality food and a friendly shopping experience that is, we hope, more a pleasure than a chore.