Today we’d like to introduce you to John Tarallo.
Hi John, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is John Tarallo and I’m the owner of Steel City Salt Company! We began in 2014, but my interest in food and salt goes back much further!
I grew up in a large Italian and Polish family where food was always the center of everything. Some of my favorite memories are having dinner with my Sicilian grandfather at least once a week. While most dinner tables at the time had the classic salt shaker, he always had Sicilian sea salt on his. As a kid I thought that was the coolest thing! It was my first intro to the idea that salt could be something more than just regular table salt.
As I got older, I spent many years working in the food industry, primarily in restaurants and specialty stores. Along the way, I met a salt & spice broker who introduced me to the world of imported and specialty salts. I was blown away by the variety of salts being produced around the world and began bringing these cool salts to my friends in restaurants and bars.
Eventually I realized these salts shouldn’t be limited to chefs and food professionals. Everyone should be able to enjoy them in their own kitchens!
In early summer of 2014 I took a chance and set up a folding table on the corner of 21st & Penn in the Pittsburgh’s Strip District. Starting with just a handful of imported salts, we spent our weeks and weekends introducing folks to salts and flavors they’ve never seen before!
What started with that small folding table selling just a few imported salts has grown into a brick and mortar store, a large online business, and our products carried in over 300 stores nationwide! Today, we offer hundreds of different salts, spices, rubs, infusions, sugars, seasonings, and blends.
One of the most rewarding parts of this journey has been the relationships we’ve built along the way! We’ve had customers shop with us for more than a decade, and we’ve watched people go from buying a jar for themselves to bringing back their spouses, families, friends, and kids. Hearing how our products have become part of family dinners, holiday traditions, used as wedding favors, backyard cookouts, and everyday meals means the absolute world to us!
Also, we’ve been extremely fortunate to travel and experience food cultures from around the world. Whether it’s discovering a unique salt, learning about a traditional spice blend, or finding inspiration in a local market, those experiences continue to influence many of the blends we create today!
More than a decade later, one thing hasn’t changed…we’re still set up on that same corner in the Strip District just about every weekend, now with 3 full tables! It’s a reminder of where we started and of the customers who helped us grow into the business we are today.
Looking back, I am incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received over the years. What started with a simple idea as ‘salt’ and a small table on a streetcorner growing into something far bigger than we’ve ever imagined. Through it all, our goal remains the same: Have great conversations with our customers, talk about food, and make everyday cooking a little more exciting!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not! Like most small businesses, there have definitely been plenty of challenges along the way!
One of the biggest challenges early on was simply getting people to stop and try something new. Today, most people are familiar with gourmet salts, seasonings, spice blends, and specialty food products, but back when we started, many customers had never seen anything beyond regular table salt! We spent countless weekends introducing people to different salts, sampling them, explaining where they came from, how they were made, and why they tasted different. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart lol
Building a business outdoors in the Strip District brought its own set of challenges as well, still to this day! We spent years braving the cold, summer heat, rain, wind, snow, and everything else Western PA could throw at us! There were plenty of days when the weather was far from ideal, but showing up consistently week after week helped us build relationships with customers and grow the business one conversation at a time.
Another challenge was simply learning HOW to run a business! I knew food, sales, restaurants, and salt…but there isn’t exactly a handbook for owning a salt company lol Every stage of growth brought new things to learn, whether is was sourcing products, managing inventory, building a website, hiring employees, working with wholesale accounts, figuring out marketing and accounting…or just learning to fix the label printer! A lot was trial and error, learning from mistakes, and constantly adapting as business grew.
A big challenge that isn’t brought up much, but that definitely is experienced by us and most small businesses, is that our schedule rarely matches everyone else’s. Some of our busiest days are weekends, Holidays, and special events, which means there have been plenty of times where we’ve missed family gatherings, parties, weddings, and other events because we are working. It’s one of the sacrifices that comes with owning a small business, especially one that’s built around markets, festivals, and retail.
Like many businesses, we faced a lot of challenges during COVID. Supply chains became unpredictable, for example, lead times on empty jars was 8 months! Same with many salts and spices, all while price volatility was going through the roof. The silver lining was, we had an online presence already, so switching to mainly online during that time helped us continue to grow. Also, our customers came out in full force to order and support us!
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that there’s no finish line. Every time you solve a problem, another appears. That’s simply part of being a small business owner. The key is staying flexible, continuing to learn, and not being afraid to adapt when things aren’t going as planned (they never do)!
Looking back, all of those challenges helped shape who we are today! They taught us resilience, patience, and the importance of continuing to build strong relationships with our customers. While the road hasn’t been smooth, I wouldn’t change the journey for anything!
As you know, we’re big fans of Steel City Salt Company. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Steel City Salt Company specializes in handcrafted salts, spices, rubs, sugars, infusions, and seasoning blends, all made by hand right here in Pittsburgh! What started with a few imported salts has grown into hundreds of products inspired by flavors from around the world and the city we call home!
What sets us apart is that we focus on creating products people actually use. We aren’t trying to make cooking more complicated. Whether it’s a weeknight dinner, a backyard cookout, tailgate party, holiday meals, a cocktail with friends, or even bringing your favorite salt to a restaurant to sprinkle on your fries (YES, folks really do that, myself included!), our goal is to make everyday cooking and eating more flavorful and fun.
Being born and raised in PIttsburgh, it’s only natural that the city would find its way into many of our products! Some of our most popular blends include Pierogi Salt, which is based off my Grandma Flo’s recipe, and was also featured on the Today Show! Also Pgh themed: Black & Gold Blend, Yinzer Dust, Dill Pickle Salt, Steeltown Garlic & Herb, Pittsburgh’s Little Italy Blend, ZEKE’S Coffee Rub, and our 21st & Penn Honey BBQ Blend, named after the streetcorner where our business began in the Strip District!
We also offer a wide variety of smoked salts, spicy salts, infusions such as Truffle Salt and Rosemary salt, cocktail rims, sugars, BBQ Rubs, imported salts, sourced spices, and internationally inspired blends such as our Peruvian Inca Blend and Flavors of Jordan.
One of the things I’m most proud of is the connection we’ve built with our customers over the years! We’ve had the privilege of watching families grow up alongside our business. We’ve seen parents bring their kids to our table and storefront, only to watch those same kids graduate high school, head off to college, and come back later as customers themselves!
We’ve had longtime regulars move across the country and abroad, continuing to order online because we remind them of home.
Today, our Millvale Salt Shop serves as the heart of our business, where customers can check out hundreds of our salts, spices, rubs, & blends! You’ll also find us in the Strip District many weekends, talking food, sharing samples, reconnecting with longtime customers, and helping people discover something new. Seeing customers share our products with their friends, families, and loved ones is what it’s all about!
How do you think about happiness?
I love spending time with my wife, family, friends, and our dogs! I also enjoy gardening, cooking, and discovering new foods and flavors. Some of my favorite days are spent working in the garden, trying a new restaurant, checking out a local market, or sitting around a table having a great meal and conversation!
Professionally, I’m incredibly fortunate to have an amazing staff! Watching people grow, learn new skills, and become part of the business and family has been one of the most rewarding parts of our journey. I also LOVE talking food with customers! Whether discussing a family recipe, helping someone find the perfect salt or seasoning blend, or hearing how they used one of our products, those conversations never get old.
I think happiness comes from building meaningful relationships, continuing to learn, and appreciating the little things in life…like playing in the yard with our three dogs!
Good food, good conversations, a garden full of veggies, and spending time with those you care about goes a long way!
Pricing:
- Pinch jars starting at $5.95
- Refill pouches starting at $6.95
- Large shaker jars starting at $9.95
- Custom wedding favors, corporate gifts, and event favors available
- Wholesale available for retailers and specialty food stores
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Steelcitysalt.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/steelcitysaltco
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/steelcitysalt
