A staple of Houston’s Energy Corridor for 38 years, Carmelo’s Cucina Italiana is undergoing a major remodel. Esteemed local restaurateur Benjamin Berg (B&B Butchers & Restaurant) purchased the restaurant from founder Carmelo Mauro in December 2017, adding to the portfolio of Berg Hospitality Group, preserving the neighborhood business and updating the customer experience.

Benjamin grew up in the epicenter of Italian-American cuisine – New York City. After moving to Houston several years ago and steadily observing Carmelo’s importance to the area he now calls home, he was approached with the opportunity to purchase the restaurant when its owner announced his intention to retire.

Benjamin devised a plan to breathe new life into the restaurant and create a lively, inviting atmosphere to attract all ages. The interior will be modernized and revamped with completely new bathrooms and a horseshoe-shaped bar, plus an updated main dining room and private event rooms. The space will be redesigned with an eye to increase the openness and flow and improve the overall dining experience. The external façade will receive a notable facelift to elevate its curb appeal.

Meanwhile, Daniel reimagined the menu to bring it up to the standards he’d grown accustomed to while working at award-winning eateries in New York, Milan and Sicily. Excited by the opportunities to utilize Texas’ long summer growing season, he set about sourcing the best ingredients the local region could provide. Not only will dishes star produce like fresh, local tomatoes and melons, but also uniquely regional items like shishito peppers and redfish. They may not be traditionally Italian, but as Daniel says, “if Italian cuisine is about doing simple things with outstanding ingredients, then what could be more Italian than taking inspiration from your own bountiful backyard?”

Fresh pasta, both stuffed and extruded, will be made in-house daily using a top-of-the-line pasta machine flown in from Italy. New York-style pizza, subs and calzones – all cooked in the stone deck oven in the recently renovated kitchen – will be available to-go at the bar or for delivery to avoid overcomplicating the menu or cheapening the dining room ambiance.

Many of the waitstaff and service team had been a part of Carmelo’s for over two decades. Under Berg Hospitality Group, employment benefits have been introduced to the staff for the first time in the restaurant’s history. To help the front-of-house staff give diners the best experience, Berg Hospitality Group has offered additional education and training around the new food and space. The restaurant has also deployed new technology to empower the waitstaff to settle checks tableside as it’s done in Europe.

Fans, friends and diners in the area have spent their countless holidays, celebrations and special occasions eating at the local stalwart for decades. While the format and concept of the Italian-American restaurant will remain familiar, it’ll be the Bergs’ approach to the classic cuisine that will be revolutionary for Houston and offer a truly world-class experience.

When Benjamin Berg opened B&B Butchers & Restaurant, he set out to create the best steakhouse in Houston. Since they opened their doors in 2015, B&B has remained one of the top-rated restaurants in the city and opened a second location in Fort Worth, Texas.

So, when he turned his attention to Italian cuisine and teamed up with his Michelin-star restaurant-alumnus brother, Daniel Berg, the city paid notice. News of Carmelo’s renovation was covered by publications such as Eater Houston, the Houston Business Journal, the Houston Chronicle and CultureMap Houston.

With his experience opening multiple restaurant locations in old buildings, Benjamin has a deep knowledge of the process of a renovation as extensive as awaits him at B.B. Italia & B.B. Pizza (formerly Carmelo’s). In January 2019, he announced the temporary closure of the restaurant (reported in the Houston Business Journal) to focus his efforts on the renovations.

As of March 25th, the Berg brothers announced that Carmelo’s will reopen as two new concepts – B.B. Italia Kitchen & Bar and B.B. Pizza. Expanding Berg Hospitality’s portfolio, this neighborhood staple will exude a fresh and new environment for diners.

Benjamin’s business savvy has also identified opportunities that haven’t been explored at this historic eatery. A section of the building will be transformed into a bar and patio where locals and visitors will have access to its full menu in a more casual, family-friendly setting. Serving liquor, wine, and beer throughout the restaurant is also unique to an Italian-American restaurant in the Houston area.

Part of the refresh will include a new offering: authentic New York-style pizza. Their new “real New York” stone deck pizza oven will be used for takeout only – a decision made to avoid overcomplicating the dine-in menu or disrupting the in-house ambiance.

Classics to include Margherita and Pepperoni Pizzas to go

Carmelo’s has been known for its catering services and hosts a multitude of parties for the surrounding neighbors and more. Daniel has already revitalized the menu while Benjamin has purchased a van that focuses solely on catering orders.

Approaching these new avenues with Benjamin’s knack for creating an unforgettable experience will build brand new revenue streams.

The decision to maintain a family-oriented experience was partially in response to the restaurant’s locale. It’s a market that Benjamin is engaged in as a resident and expects that, by offering authentic, New York-style pizza, subs and calzones as a takeout option, it will still capture customers seeking convenient yet high-quality offerings.

Should they wish to dine in though, they’ll be the recipients of Benjamin’s impressive brand of hospitality, developed and honed over his years spent in every role of the industry. In addition to receiving his Masters in the subject from Cornell University and working for the then number-one small hotel in the country — The Point in upstate New York — he spent the better part of 17 years working in upscale steakhouses in cities ranging from New York to Las Vegas to Mexico City before opening his own in Houston.

Prior to joining his brother in Texas, Daniel Berg had recently been focusing on French cuisine. But after several years of cooking Italian classics and studying in Italy, he was excited by the opportunity to return to his culinary roots. Both the Berg brothers grew up eating Italian food in New York City, one of the best places in the world for Italian outside of Italy – and better than the original thanks to its New World twists! After a lifelong love for the cuisine, they hope to share an outstanding Italian-American experience with the city they now call home.

B.B. Italia & B.B. Pizza (14795 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77079), located in the heart of the Energy Corridor, is part of an affluent Houston Memorial neighborhood.

For over 30 years, the restaurant formerly known as Carmelo’s has built a loyal audience in the nearby suburban and office district. It has served as a go-to place for celebrating special occasions and holidays.

As a resident in the area, Benjamin is also an active participant in the community and has an intimate knowledge of the local dynamics. With B.B. Italia & B.B. Pizza, Benjamin and Daniel Berg are bringing anew an outstanding, food-focused, family-operated, standalone dining experience to an area dominated by chain restaurants. In many ways, they have a captive audience in the nearby suburban homes, and they also have the advantage of being the only one of their direct competitors to serve liquor.

The Energy Corridor is distinctly outside of the city center, comprised of a mix of office parks and suburban residences. While also densely populated with single-family homes and schools, the area got its name from the unique hub of office campuses for energy industry titans like BP America, Citgo, and Shell Oil Company. The business expects to capture an extended customer base with its updated menu and new takeout options.

Though the area and the restaurant are around 20 miles from the heart of downtown Houston, it’s still less than a 30-minute drive from the city center — not a long trip for those used to commuting daily, and easily accessible via two of the region’s main arteries: Interstate 10 and Highway 6.