Today we’d like to introduce you to Karla Socci.
Hi Karla, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Socci Sauce began as a way to honor my grandparents (my dad’s parents) Anthony T. and Louise Socci. They cooked for their family every Sunday in our hometown in upstate New York and passed down their handwritten recipes for sauce, meatballs, my grandfather’s award-winning eggplant casserole, and numerous other authentic Italian culinary delights. For our big Italian family, food and my grandparents’ kitchen were the centers of celebrations and weekend meals.
Fast-forward 30 years after we had relocated to Georgia. My dad (Anthony R.) and I were part of our church choir in Lilburn, GA. We brought our family’s sauce and meatballs to all the choir parties and our musician friends and their families urged us to put our authentic Italian pasta sauce in jars so we could sell it. So, that’s what we did! Dad and I cooked up a few pots of sauce in my kitchen, canned it the old-fashioned way, and brought 40 jars to our church fall festival in 2015. We sold out! So, we kept making sauce and going to festivals and introducing people to our unique family recipe of Socci Sauce.
As our business grew, we had to find a co-packer to help us make our sauce in an FDA-inspected kitchen so we could sell it in local stores and online. We still make it in small batches using the freshest ingredients so it keeps that homemade, straight-from-my-grandparents’ kitchen authenticity.
We now have two versions of my grandparents’ sauce: Socci Sauce, our original family recipe chunky marinara, and a smoother version (all the same ingredients, blended) called Pizza Antonia (named for my daughter, the fourth generation of Socci Sauce). Both sauces are local favorites at Slow Pour Sunday Market in Lawrenceville, GA, and we never know which sauce will be the most popular at any given market. Some weeks, Pizza Antonia is the favorite, and others, Socci Sauce wins. Either way, our customers have very strong opinions about whether or not they like to bite into chunky tomatoes or if they prefer the thicker, smoother Pizza Antonia for their pizzas and pasta dishes.
We just like to help everyone “Get Sauced!” and to carry on my grandparents’ tradition of sharing good food with family and friends.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We’ve definitely had some challenges along the way! Finding a co-packer who is willing to make our sauce in small batches has been a feat. Most co-packers only want to produce much larger quantities than we prefer. And shipping glass jars across the country isn’t cheap! We ship all over the US, and we’re always looking for ways to lower the costs for our customers in other states.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Socci Sauce is known for our authentic Italian pasta sauce and pizza sauce. We use only fresh, natural ingredients and we don’t add a bunch of sugar like a lot of other sauce companies do!
I’m most proud of the fact that I’m now honoring my grandparents and my dad (who passed away unexpectedly in 2022) with our Italian heritage and traditions. My parents are both first-generation Italian-Americans and I’m proud of the fact that we offer delicious, authentic pasta sauce and pizza sauce that is ready to eat right from the jar. You don’t have to “doctor it up” like you do with mass-produced sauces that don’t have any flavor.
Socci Sauce and Pizza Antonia are also very versatile. You can add any kind of meat, fish, chicken, or seafood and create your own dishes. We’ve made everything from lasagna to pizza, to shrimp and grits, to chili with our sauces.
One of the most common compliments I receive when customers sample Socci Sauce and Pizza Antonia is, “Wow! This is the perfect blend of seasonings. You don’t have to add anything!” So, I guess you could say the flavors really live up to our tagline: The perfect marriage of olde worlde ingredients!
Some people say they can taste the garlic or the oregano. Some people say it’s the perfect level of “spiciness.” Most everyone who samples Socci Sauce and Pizza Antonia says, “Wow! That’s soooooo good!”
I know, without a doubt, that would make my grandparents and my dad very proud! It’s my honor to carry on our family legacy through our tradition of cooking for family and friends.
What does success mean to you?
Success is doing what you love and working hard to see your efforts come to fruition. My dad always used to tell me, “Do what you love and the money will follow.”
I truly believe that. Follow your passion and you never know where it will take you! I’ve met a wonderful community of supportive, creative people through my sauce business.
Also, learn how to pivot and always be flexible!
Pricing:
- Socci Sauce is $11.00/jar
- Pizza Antonia is $11.00/jar
- Two or more jars is $20 (mix and match)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.soccisauce.com
- Instagram: socci_sauce
- Facebook:Socci Sauce
Image Credits
Karla M. Socci
