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Editor's note: Congratulations to Carmelo’s Pizza and Italian Water Ice in being recognized in a video production created by the Telecommunications students of Boyertown High School at the upcoming TriCounty Chamber of Congress Boyertown Progress dinner featuring companies that are new to serving the community and/or have made renovations and improvements to their buildings to beautify the area.
by Jane Stahl
Carmelo’s Pizza holds decades of memories for many who grew up in Boyertown. Some remember Friday evenings with $2.00 to spend--taking in a movie at the State Theatre and afterwards enjoying a slice of pizza at Carmelo’s.
Recently, however, the establishment has undergone a major renovation under its new owner Mark Potash.
Choosing to honor the venue’s long history, Mark kept “Carmelo’s Pizza” in its name given its longevity and reputation as “the place” for pizza but added his own popular feature “Italian Water Ice.”
“I grew up in Philly,” explains Mark. “All pizza places back then served Italian Water Ice. And when I looked at the Boyertown location, adding water ice to the menu and adding a window to serve it was an obvious and natural fit.”
Reflecting on the renovation, he offers, “It was in bad shape after 20+ years of less-than-ideal maintenance. But I’ve watched Boyertown come a long way and I’m certain it’s going to go a lot further. Younger families are moving in. I remember it as a little old town in the 70’s, but the change is real. Boyertown is a desirable, growing community, and I want to be part of that.”
While Mark has lived in the Pennsburg area for over 20 years, he made his livelihood in residential and commercial construction until his oldest son—who worked with him in the industry--was murdered and buried on a farm in New Hope. Sturgis was one of four men killed and buried on a farm in Solebury Township, Bucks County in 2017.
“His death took every joy out of the job,” he adds. “I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. The grief is always with you. No one can help; no counseling is truly helpful,” he offers. “Unless you’ve ‘been there,’ you can’t possibly understand. Sadly, the grief is not treatable; it’s pretty much terminal.”
“It’s impossible to have closure, but there are levels of acceptance. Having the murderer in prison, for example, is better than his being free. If he were not breathing, it would be better than his being in prison. I needed a fresh start. And since I’d worked in a pizza shop under my first wife’s family as an 18-year-old; whenever anyone asked what I’d want to do instead of construction, I always said I’d own a pizza shop. And so, here we are!”
And as a remembrance to his son, the face painted on the shop’s exterior and used in his promotional materials is the face of the son he lost. "That was our way of making sure he was here every day,"
And so, while the hours are long and challenging and keeping the place clean and well-staffed is on-going, he often finds himself in the kitchen, offering pizza, finding “promise in a new day.”
More News from Boyertown
- The Peppermint Stick Ice Cream Parlor: a Long-Time Dream Realized The Peppermint Stick Ice Cream Parlor becomes Boyertown's Time Machine thanks to Rachael and Gene Kehler's long-time dream.
- Preston's Pantry: 2025 Recipient of James K. Boyertown Quality of Life Award This encore article shares the history behind Preston’s Pantry and offers congratulations to the 2025 recipient of the James K. Boyer Quality of Life Award.
