Paolo Fontana

Paolo Fontana, Sub-Ology

After 20 years of working in corporate America as an Independent Trader, Paolo Fontana realized he was ready to embark on an entrepreneurial journey. Although Paolo wasn’t sure what to expect, he knew he wanted to be in a service business surrounded by community.

He looked for restaurants and pizzerias and eventually came across Sub-Ology, an established sandwich shop located in the heart of downtown Cranford. Paolo immediately fell in love. He purchased Sub-Ology in August 2015 and inherited the dedicated team that had grown with the business as well as a small customer base.

When asked about the transition from working on Wall Street to entrepreneurship, Paolo quickly exclaimed, “I love it,” adding that the flexibility he now has allowed him to spend meaningful time with his family.

Upon facing small business obstacles, Paolo looked to Downtown Cranford for resources. They referred him to UCEDC, where he began attending training workshops and networking events. Eventually, he met Mary Adelman, a UCEDC Business Counselor who he says "is always very helpful" and was pivotal in helping Sub-Ology retain a necessary certificate needed to reconstruct Sub-Ology's website.

After months of aggravation trying to obtain a much-needed tax certificate, Paolo says that Mary's unwavering support shone through. She spent hours on hold at Sub-Ology trying to get Paolo the answers he needed and even continued the effort while driving to her next appointment. Paolo marvels, saying, "She genuinely cares. No one else would do that." Mary's tenacity in navigating his entrepreneurial challenges and finding a solution made a lasting impact.

Now nine years into entrepreneurship and with many lessons learned, Paolo credits a significant part of his success to his community. He recognizes his team, whom he could not run the business without, Downtown Cranford for caring deeply about the success of local business owners, and UCEDC for being a tremendous resource that is always a phone call away.

Paolo was highlighed in UCEDC's 2023 Annual Highlights, to read more inspiring stories like this and see how UCEDC is making an impact, click here!