Uncle Giuseppe's opens North Babylon store in former King Kullen 

Goodbye, King Kullen; hello, Uncle Giuseppe's. The specialty grocer, based in Farmingdale, recently opened a North Babylon store in a space occupied for decades by King Kullen.

The 39,241-square-foot store, at 1170 Deer Park Ave. in Sunset Plaza, was first set to open next spring or summer but opened Dec. 15 to take advantage of the Christmas season, spokeswoman Jillian Gundy said Tuesday.

The chain wanted customers to have access to its premium meats, deli platters and baked goods in time for the holidays, she said, adding feedback from the community has "all been very positive."

The King Kullen store had been in North Babylon since 1979.

The new Uncle Giuseppe's, which Gundy said was fully renovated, is the chain's seventh on the Island.

The family-owned company also has a store in Westchester County and one in Ramsey, New Jersey. A second New Jersey store, in Morris Plains, is planned for mid-to-late 2021, Gundy said.

The Uncle Guiseppe's Marketplace in North Babylon includes a full-service deli, specialty butcher, seafood counter, sushi station, bakery and viewing rooms "where customers can see pasta and mozzarella being made fresh every day," the grocer said.

The chain of full-service grocery stores specializing in Italian food, has expanded slowly since its founding in 1998. It opened its last store in a former Waldbaum’s in Melville in 2017.

Uncle Giuseppe's is looking to "move into new areas of Long Island," and North Babylon was one of those areas, Gundy said.

The new store will host a grand opening Jan. 8, toasting the store's debut with live music, raffles and "lots of items on sale," she said.