Uncle Joe’s Well-known Pizzeria rising via acquisitions

Giuseppe “Joe” Sciara, founding father of Uncle Joe’s Well-known Pizzeria, handed via Ellis Island in New York with lower than 10 cents to his title. The yr was once 1958, and Sciara did not talk English. His journey into New York, on the other hand, would make him a legend in Lengthy Island, the place he realized the artwork of pizza making beneath the tutelage of professional pizzaiolos.

In 1968, he introduced his personal pizzeria in Bay Shore, Lengthy Island, turning into an area staple. Over the following 30 years, he’d open extra pizzerias throughout Lengthy Island, shut some places and ultimately constructed a flagship pizzeria within the Hamptons.

These days, that flagship logo nonetheless stands in Hampton Bays, New York, beneath the helm of Scott and Tana Gerber, who stumbled into the eating place in June 2021 throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gerbers purchased the Hamptons location in June 2023.

“Myself and my spouse have all the time been within the trade of having a look at storied manufacturers and issues that we really feel we will amplify into a bigger target audience, a bigger shopper base,” Scott mentioned in a video interview. “Having now been locals of the Hamptons and having noticed the product at Uncle Joe’s and a majority of these issues firsthand, we mentioned ‘wow.’ The arena must find out about this guy, an immigrant from Sicily who constructed the American dream in a bigger manner.”

Tana mentioned she and Scott have 4 youngsters, and Uncle Joe’s was once a kid-friendly eating place the place her children would devour smartly in an off-the-cuff setting. “Uncle Joe” himself greeted the circle of relatives upon their first discuss with.

Scott mentioned he and Tana to begin with identified the possible to develop all through Lengthy Island and most likely past. “Our function is to frankly give that very same enjoy that is been round for over 50 years in a far better manner,” he mentioned, including “and whilst on the similar time now not turning into some soulless company or soulless franchisor, somewhat to have that homestyle, circle of relatives cooked trade that we will amplify.”

The Gerbers have a portfolio of hospitality manufacturers with just about 40 places starting from sushi eating places to espresso institutions, so they’ve an extended historical past of control and operations within the business.

Photograph: Uncle Joe’s Well-known Pizzeria

The growth plan

Now, the pair is increasing their trade by way of obtaining pizzerias across the Hamptons and in New York whose homeowners are retiring or just getting out of the trade.

“Consequently, we’re running with the ones pizzaiolos and homeowners to obtain their devices after which turn into them into Uncle Joe’s within the coming years,” Scott added.

Uncle Joe’s has received Wading River Pizza, Fusilli and Papa Nick’s Pizzeria in the previous few months. There are a handful extra eating places to sign up for the emblem that experience now not but been introduced. Keeping up the circle of relatives really feel of the eating places is paramount however so, too, is aligning the emblem with Uncle Joe’s center of attention on high quality.

“This is our play, in point of fact to take care of the circle of relatives pleasant, circle of relatives taste tradition of pizzerias and the standard of a real nook pizzeria — now not a franchised pizzeria, however a real pizzaiolo-led franchise with the theory of with the ability to achieve people throughout New York within the coming years is how we have a look at our expansion plan,” Scott mentioned. “It isn’t development new venues; it is retaining your native slice store and bringing the Uncle Joe’s logo on your group.”

Although the Gerbers have taken a franchised manner, they’ve no designs to franchise within the subsequent 24 to 36 months. Their backgrounds, on the other hand, take company-owned shops to result in franchising or licensing.

Photograph: Uncle Joe’s Well-known Pizzeria

At the menu

Pizza accounts for fifty% of gross sales at Uncle Joe’s. The highest supplier is the unique Guiseppe Cheese pizza that made Sciara a legend within the Hamptons. Different favorites come with the Hamptons White, which options olive oil and roasted garlic, ricotta cheese, spinach, beaten pink pepper and Pecorino-Romano, and the Scorching Honey Prosciutto.

“It is a New York side road slice meets a Lengthy Island panko,” Scott mentioned. Tana added the crust is crispy.

The emblem sells Italian favorites which can be additionally fashionable, together with a Penne alla Vodka, Hen Parmesan and candy Doughknots. Although they may have got rid of the harder plated dinners just like the Parmesan dishes, “we have a look at this in two typologies,” Scott added. “Breaking down Uncle Joe’s Well-known Pizzeria is 2 manufacturers: logo No. 1 is … your standard slice store, takeout and supply location. The second one is Uncle Joe’s Pizza and Parlour. This is going to be extra of your mixture of takeout and supply plus a sit-down location. The ones places will best be more or less 10 to twenty miles excluding one any other as a result of we consider that there’s nonetheless price within the previous conventional red-sauce joint in New York Town and New York state.”

The whole lot is constructed from scratch at each and every eating place, together with the dough, the use of proprietary recipes from Sciara courting again many years.

“I do not consider in canned anything else, so let’s make the entirety contemporary,” Tana mentioned, “and we are retaining the Guiseppe custom alive.”

Pizzas bake in deck ovens the normal manner. Although they are now not transferring to conveyors, the Gerbers are the use of present era to lend a hand their kitchen efficiencies.

To take care of consistency, the Gerbers are taking into account a commissary at some point with the eating places being 5 to ten miles aside.

So what separates Uncle Joe’s from the contest? First, says Scott, is the guts of the emblem. In these days’s pizza panorama, there are 3 distinct sorts of corporations — franchisors, regional avid gamers and multi-unit independents. Uncle Joe’s will keep firmly within the latter two classes. 2nd, there may be the truth that Uncle Joe’s does not make the most of equipment to make the pizzas however does make the most of best-of-breed era.

“It is a nice tale meets a super operation,” Scott mentioned. “There are only a few other folks which can be development these days off of the unique recipes of people that have come from a ways away to convey their tradition to us.”