IT ALL STARTED WITH A HORSE NAMED CHOO-CHOO.
In the early 1930's, from a cart drawn by his horse, Choo Choo, Carl Mellone sold fruits and vegetables throughout the streets of Northern New Jersey. After Choo Choo's untimely retirement in 1938, Carl opened a retail fruit and vegetable store in Teaneck, New Jersey, under the name "Carl's Market". Over the years Carl's retail business expanded to include a wholesale delivery service. In 1958, Carl was joined by his son, Carl Jr., and the business name was changed to "Carl Mellone & Son".
While their retail business continued to thrive, the Mellone's wholesale delivery service was growing in leaps and bounds. Ultimately, in 1983, in order to better service their increasing number of wholesale customers, the Mellone's closed the doors to their retail store and relocated their wholesale business to a larger, warehouse facility in Hackensack, New Jersey.
In 1986, Carl Mellone, Sr. welcomed both of his grandsons, John Mellone and me, Carl Mellone, III, into the family business. Although our grandfather has since passed on, his policy of customer satisfaction has remained. My brother and I will be the first to tell you that we can still hear our grandfather saying "A satisfied customer is a loyal customer". The policy works. In 2020, our family company proudly celebrated its 82nd year of business.
Since our inception, Carl Mellone & Sons - now Mellone Wholesale Produce - has remained predominantly a purveyor of fresh fruits and vegetables. However, in order to meet the needs of our customers, we have continually expanded our product list to include new items. Frozen fruits and vegetables, french fries, prepared salads and juices are now included in our inventory. In addition, we also carry salad dressings, pickles, eggs, butter and cheese. Our customers take comfort in knowing that if there is an item which they need, we will get it for them.
To ensure that our customers will receive the highest quality product at the lowest cost, the majority of our inventory is purchased directly from farmers and growers all over the United States. We also make daily pick-ups from the Hunt's Point and Philadelphia produce markets. In the warmer months, in order to take advantage of the quality produce grown in our very own area, we still make trips to the local farms - just as Carl Mellone, Sr. and Choo Choo did over 60 years ago.
Through three generations, the goal at Mellone Wholesale Produce has remained the same - to provide every customer with quality products, timely deliveries and low prices. The pride which we take in achieving this goal has earned us the respect and loyalty of a wide range of customers - from small family businesses to large corporate facilities. We invite you to experience the difference!
