Uncle Joe’s acquires Miller Place eatery in brand expansion

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Uncle Joe’s Famous Pizzeria will be opening in Miller Place after acquiring Fusilli, according to a company statement. 

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

The Miller Place deal is part of the brand’s expansion plan after Uncle Joe’s was acquired in June 2023 by Hamptons Brands, an investment group led by Hampton Bays residents Tana Gerber, artist and historical curator, and Scott Gerber, CEO of Community.co and BrandNext. 

Uncle Joe’s was founded by Giuseppe “Joe” Sciara, who immigrated to the United States from Sicily in 1958 with his wife, Frances and opened his first restaurant in Bay Shore in 1968. Later, Sciara opened Uncle Joe’s in Hampton Bays and the restaurant has been a popular spot for locals and visitors to the East End for more than half a century. 

When the new owners took over last year, they announced a plan to expand the Uncle Joe’s brand beyond Hampton Bays. The Miller Place restaurant is the first new location in those plans. 

“I want to thank the residents of Miller Place and the surrounding area from the bottom of my heart,” Chad Powell, owner of Fusilli, said in the statement. “It has been a labor of love for my family and I to serve the community for over 13 years. We have made great memories and lifelong friends along the way. We are extremely proud to have served them. It is with great confidence that I leave it to the Uncle Joe’s team to continue our success. Fusilli customers are in great hands with them.” 

The former Fusilli restaurant located at 691 Route 25A will reopen as Uncle Joe’s Pizza & Parlour in March. 

“It is very important to us to uphold Fusilli’s long-standing traditions of culinary excellence, meaningful community engagement and high-quality customer service that locals have come to know and love,” Tana Gerber said in the statement. “We are also excited to introduce the Miller Place community to some of the specialties that have made us a trusted, family-friendly brand for over 50 years.” 

Uncle Joe’s serves original Long Island panko pizzas, New York-style pizzas and other Italian specialties, including wings and its signature Dolci Doughknots. 

The company is seeking to acquire more Long Island pizzerias. 

“It’s our distinctive honor to offer beloved pizzaiolos and pizzeria owners respectable retirements befitting their decades of hard work and service to their communities,” Scott Gerber said in the statement. “Uncle Joe’s will continue to expand by acquiring and preserving more high-quality pizzerias throughout Long Island in the years ahead.”