Little Carmine’s Reopens on Penn After More Than Three Years

Spaghetti and meatball sandwiches are back at 84 South Pennsylvania Street. “We closed for business that fateful day in March [2020], and we just haven’t been able to get back on our feet enough to get back open until now,” says Brad Ritter, owner of Little Carmine’s, the fast-casual sister restaurant of old-school Italian favorite Carmine’s on Penn and the newer Carmine’s at McGregor Square.

The business first debuted in 2013, offering a more affordable and portable way to enjoy Carmine’s Italian classics for lunch. But the pandemic forced Little Carmine’s to go on pause. “We finally had enough manpower and willpower to reopen it,” Ritter notes.

The space has been slightly refreshed, and while a couple of less popular items have been dropped from the sandwich lineup, most things remain the same, with the return of favorites like the Italian sausage, the chicken parm and the Chicago beef. “We just think it’s important to keep it simple; don’t try to do everything, and do what we do really well,” Ritter says of the menu, which includes nine sandwich options as well as three salads.

The doors opened for the first time in three and a half years on October 4. “We sold all the bread we made on day one, and we’re on track to beat that on day two,” Ritter notes. “It’s been a very satisfying turnout. We’re just thrilled. People are coming in and saying, ‘Finally! You’re back!’ And it’s just heartwarming, because we feel the same way.”

One off-menu item has already been requested a number of times, Ritter says: a veal parm sandwich. “We’ve been able to make it for them,” he notes, adding that the team is happy to do what they can to give customers what they want.

While Little Carmine’s itself will feel familiar to former fans, “the neighborhood is different than it was three years ago,” Ritter says. “There’s more activity than before” – a fact that has him hopeful for the future of this rebooted neighborhood eatery. “All those people working from home better come out and get a sandwich,” he concludes.

Little Carmine’s is located at 84 Pennsylvania Street and is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, visit little.carminescolorado.com.