Uncle Giuseppe’s Set to Grow in 2021

Independent grocer Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace will open a more than 42,000-square-foot store within the Briarcliff Commons shopping center in Morris Plains, New Jersey, next year, marking the upscale food retailer’s second store in the Garden State. The new store comes in the wake of the success of its first New Jersey store, in Ramsey, which opened in 2016.

Expected to open by the fall of 2021, the new store will feature the grocer’s signature gourmet offerings, among them a full-service deli, specialty butcher and scratch-made bakery, as well as its well-known viewing rooms where pasta and mozzarella are made fresh daily, and also include a full grocery, dairy and frozen food selection in what Uncle Giuseppe’s called “a convenient location with ample parking.”

For added convenience, the store will offer home delivery and curbside pickup for everyday grocery essentials.

“We are thrilled to be opening our second New Jersey location in prestigious Briarcliff Commons,” said Philip DelPrete, co-founder and president of Uncle Giuseppe’s. “This property puts us at a premier location in Morris Plains, where we will be able to introduce the community to our unique gourmet offerings and shopping experience.”

The shopping center is currently home to First Watch, Chick-fil-A and Skechers, with Chopt Creative Salad Co. expected to join the tenant list in the summer of 2021.

“Briarcliff Commons is already the most visited shopping center in its market for every day needs, and we expect the addition of Uncle Giuseppe’s will increase visits further while introducing a one-of-a-kind, specialty grocery experience unmatched in this market,” noted Chris Weilminster, EVP and COO of developer Urban Edge Properties, which has offices in New York and Paramus, New Jersey. “We are very pleased that our recent investment to renovate and redevelop this property, including the new retail lineup, has enhanced the offering for the community. It’s a win-win, and we look forward to welcoming Uncle Giuseppe’s.”

The grocer also plans to open a North Babylon, New York, store in the spring or summer of 2021.

Farmingdale, New York-based Uncle Giuseppe’s now operates eight stores, seven in New York and one in New Jersey. The grocer was named an Outstanding Independent by Progressive Grocer in the produce category in 2020 and in the meat/seafood category in 2019.