The Hazleton Kitchen Incubator is excited to announce that John Carsia, co-founder of Retro Dough: Pierogi and Specialty Foods, LLC, has been named its new Kitchen Manager. As both a current tenant and now a resource to others, John is uniquely positioned to support fellow food entrepreneurs as they launch and grow their businesses.

A Hazle Twp. native, Carsia joined the Hazleton Kitchen in 2023 to bring his longtime culinary dream to life through Retro Dough, a nostalgic food business focused on pierogi, Italian cookies, and small-scale event catering. Now, in his new role, he’ll help others navigate the same journey he’s on: offering support with compliance, scheduling, kitchen operations, and more.

“This space has helped my own business grow, and now I’m excited to give back and help build up the community here,” Carsia said. “It’s a great opportunity to support other food entrepreneurs and make the kitchen even stronger for everyone involved.”

We sat down with Carsia to get his perspective on his new role and what kitchen users can expect.

How do you balance being both a business owner and Kitchen Manager?

There are definitely times when I need to separate the two roles and focus on one at a time, but they also naturally overlap. As Retro Dough grows, I’m spending more time in the kitchen, which helps me stay connected to its day-to-day flow. That ongoing connection helps me spot opportunities for improvement and support other tenants more meaningfully.

What do you enjoy most about juggling both roles?

Honestly, I love being part of a space that’s always evolving. I get to support other tenants while also learning from them. Seeing how others solve problems or scale their processes often gives me ideas for my own business — and vice versa. It creates shared momentum that really energizes the whole incubator.

What excites you most about your new position?

Welcoming new tenants and helping them get started. There’s a lot to navigate in the beginning — compliance, operations, licensing — and being able to guide people through that process is really rewarding. I also see this as a chance to streamline operations and create a more scalable, supportive system.

Do you have any future goals for the kitchen?

Definitely. I’d like to optimize storage and packaging workflows, improve the onboarding process, enhance our cleaning and maintenance protocols, and ideally double tenant utilization. Long-term, I want the kitchen to be known as a welcoming, well-run space where food entrepreneurs can come to life and make an impact in their communities.

Leadership Rooted in Experience

Carsia’s expanded role highlights the Incubator’s commitment to fostering a peer-led, collaborative environment for culinary entrepreneurs in the Greater Hazleton region. His journey from a new client to a community leader is a reminder that big dreams can start in small kitchens, and that support is always available for food entrepreneurs along the way.

For more information about the Hazleton Kitchen Incubator or to learn how to become a tenant, visit canbe.biz or contact Nico Makuta at nmakuta@hazletoncando.com.