Such Devoted Sisters: Siblings Carry on Family Legacy at a Pair of Appleton Restaurants

One of SAP’s amazing bakery creations by pastry chef Kari Mueller. Contributed photo

Sometimes the most interesting aspect of any business is the story behind the name, and when it comes to a pair of restaurants in Appleton, it’s all about family.

It begins with the fact that they are owned and operated by sisters Nicole DeFranza and Kristen Sickler and just takes off from there.

Carmella’s is an Italian bistro named for their grandmother, and it doesn’t get any more rich in family tradition than when you’re working out of her recipe box.

The other restaurant is SAP. There’s more to the title – SAP Brunch, Brown Bag & Bakery – but it’s SAP to the many who frequent the establishment. The day I visited, the waiting list for a table was lengthening and I put on two pounds just looking at the delectable items in the bakery.

The name SAP also comes from the family but is attributed to a member three generations removed from Carmella.

DeFranza’s eighth-grade son Owen displayed a budding aptitude for marketing at age 5 when his drawing of a possible breakfast restaurant suggested the name SAP.

“Not S-A-P,” said Sickler sounding out the letters. “Maple Syrup,” explained Owen, an apparent expert on the most famous of all breakfast condiments.

The sisters were young girls when they began their indoctrination in the restaurant business, growing up in New York. Their parents had moved there to run the family restaurant that dated back to the early 1920s.

“Our dad was the chef,” said Sickler, who along with her sister performed the basic kitchen chores all the while rubbing elbows with him and, possibly even more important, their grandmother.

“Food has been the center of our family,” said DeFranza. “It’s so rooted in who we are,” added her sister.

Just how strong those roots were became evident when the sisters went their different ways upon entering college. Their parents eventually moved to Wisconsin to be closer to their mother’s family.

The daughters eventually followed but admitted they always seemed to have a toe dipped in the food business.

“Food always seems to bring people together,” said DeFranza, emphasizing a point that not only worked for their family but also seems to be aimed at the general public.

The sisters don’t hesitate to credit their father, Larry DeFranza, as being the driving force behind the decision to open Carmella’s in 2009. Seemingly the embodiment of the American dream, he encouraged his girls to open Carmella’s in a non-descript strip mall on Casaloma Drive.

“He created our menu and used recipes that were handed down from our grandmother,” said DeFranza. One of those is the marinara sauce that the sisters have bottled and sell retail.

But it’s clear the apples did fall far from the tree as the sisters have forged ahead, admitting the strip mall wasn’t their fi rst choice for location.

“We were approached by a friend and real estate developer about the space that Carmella’s is housed in,” explained DeFranza. “We were wary about the location in a strip mall but decided that we would transform the inside space and take our guests to a ‘different’ place. We want you to feel like you’re coming to a family dinner,” she added.

“It’s turned out to be a brilliant location,” summed up Sickler. It is within throwing distance of the Fox Cities Mall and situated in perhaps the busiest shopping district in Northeastern Wisconsin.

That explains why when SAP opened in 2014 it was located just a short walk away in the same mall.

“When the space opened that now houses SAP, we jumped at the opportunity,” DeFranza said.

A wall of family photos serves as a reminder to Carmella’s roots.

‘Food has been the center of our family. It’s so rooted in who we are.’
— Sisters Nicole DeFranza and Kristen Sickler, co-owners of Carmella’s and SAP restaurants

Yet another amazing bakery creation from SAP. Contributed photos.

Although the sisters feel the two restaurants function well together, they confess that having a second one only multiplies the challenges they already faced with just one establishment. The staff has mushroomed to 130 employees.

“One of our biggest hurdles continues to be fi nding and keeping talented staff,” said DeFranza, “although the core staff and family we’ve cultivated at both restaurants is why we are who we are. They have Kristen’s and my philosophy and run with it. We would not be able to do what we do without them. We’re happy and want our staff to be happy.”

To possibly ease staffing concerns and better serve the public, the sisters decided to change closed day from the same each week to a different ones. SAP is now closed on Mondays and Carmella’s on Sunday.

SAP offers a departure from its older sibling (Carmella’s) in terms of being a more cutting-edge eatery with all its nuances from a coffee bar, convertible indoor/outdoor seating and an upbeat tempo.

DeFranza feels the bakery was born right out of the brunch concept. “Kristen and I have done some traveling in Europe and were blown away by the beauty of the bakery cases there,” she explained. “Ultimately, though, the deciding factor was having the commitment from an amazing pastry chef, Kari Mueller. Without her it would not have been an option.” SAP’s menu offers the traditional breakfast items like “2 eggs any way,” BYO omelets with an expansive list of options, and “SAP pancakes” (which would seem a particular favorite of Owen).

The family history at the restaurants extends to Anthony DeFranza, Carmella’s grandson and Nicole
and Kristen’s cousin, shown here inside SAP. Photo by David Oliver

But there are some exotic offerings, like lemon ricotta pancakes, locally-sourced organic duck eggs served a la carte and brioche French toast. Pastina (grandma’s classic chicken soup) can be found on the lunch side that contains an assortment of sammies (sandwiches) and salads.

While the sisters take pride in the food sourcing at both restaurants, the assortment of local purveyors fi lls an ample box on the menu.

“It’s important to talk about our local farms, and I feel we’ve created a great relationship with farmers,” said Sickler. “We were one of the fi rst restaurants in Appleton to promote farm-to-table, and I think we opened the door for others.”

With the opening of SAP, the sisters feel they expanded their mission of providing another family dining option.

“SAP is great for family dining,” said DeFranza. “It’s a healthy alternative with local product.”

Some might maintain that another challenge is partnering with a sibling, and while the sisters admit there are times of disagreement, love seems to conquer all.

“”We can’t leave each other,” said Sickler with a smile. “We’re in this together and we have to forget it,” she adds, referring to any arguments.

All they really have to do is look at the montage of family photos on the wall and the legacy they are maintaining.

“I focus on things she hates,” says DeFranza and both laugh.

“She’s the classic big sister,” said Sickler, who at age 44 is two years younger than Nicole. “The important thing is we’re grounded in the same philosophy.”

That philosophy has been handed down just like the recipes.

“Consistency is huge and we have to work very hard at that,” said Sickler.

Hard work is something nobody seems to shy away from at SAP or Carmella’s. The constant attention to service by the entire staff is something you recognize immediately. Carmella and Larry wouldn’t have it any other way.