Somerset County Local Opens Italian Deli, Market Rooted In Family Traditions

RARITAN, NJ — A new Italian deli and market is set to open in downtown Raritan this weekend.

Owner Mike Falgiano is planning a grand opening Saturday at Zio's Market Italian Deli, 27 W. Somerset St., from noon to 3 p.m.

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Falgiano, who said he is from Somerset and grew up in the area, described the venture as a solo business rooted in family traditions around Italian food.

He said his family has held the traditional Sunday dinners every Sunday, which started with his great-grandmother.

"That was a tradition in our whole household, like many other Italian American households," said Falgiano. "My parents are originally from the Bronx. All of my siblings and I were born in the Bronx... so we would travel every Sunday back to the Bronx to my great-grandmother's house for Sunday dinner, and then it just kind of generationally just kept on going. We still do it to this day."

Falgiano credits not only his heritage but his family's strive for success.

"I grew up in a very entrepreneurial-heavy family. My dad owns his own business, Falgiano's Garbage Company since the '70s. My older brother owns his own company. I originally, with my father, had an Italian bakery in the mid 2000s," said Falgiano. "So Italian food and Italian culture were always something that we were passionate about, and we stayed with it."

He said the shop will offer a simple rustic menu of cold and hot sandwiches, including sausage and peppers, meatball parm, chicken parm, chicken cutlet and eggplant parm, along with salads and vegetarian items.

What he said sets the business apart is the market component.

Falgiano said Zio's Market partnered with nearly nine local vendors that will sell products inside the store, including cheese, cookies, bottled spring water, homemade ravioli and meats.

Partners include Main Street Cheese Company in Somerville, Cookies Galore in Staten Island, Stillwater in New Jersey, L&D Sapore bringing "homemade raviolis which are to die for," and Pat's American Butcher in Scotch Plains.

"It's kind of like that one-stop shopping where you can come in and enjoy a sandwich, but you can also pick up dinner. You can pick up some cheese and some meats for charcuterie. So it's something that I thought the town needed," said Falgiano.

The name of the business, Zio's, comes from the Italian word for uncle, he said.

Falgiano said he is one of five siblings and that his niece and nephew have four uncles, which inspired the name Zio's.

Falgiano also said catering will be a major part of the business. He said the deli already has close to a dozen catering orders booked, and that his food truck business last year helped lay the foundation for opening a brick-and-mortar location.

Raritan stood out while Falgiano was looking for locations and credited the town for helping move the project along.

"The town has been phenomenal to work with, like everybody from the mayor, Mr. Tozzi, to Lou Gara, who's the building superintendent, inspectors," Falgiano said. "They've been phenomenal, and they really want and try to drive small business to come to Raritan."

Falgiano said the deli will feature fresh bread brought in daily from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx.

He also said an artist, Chad Fandel, is creating a mural inside the shop depicting a 1950s-style Italian deli with John Basilone at the center.

Saturday's opening will be a smaller friends-and-family event with food samples and market items for sale. After that, he said, Zio's Market will be open seven days a week.

For more information, call 908-210-9007.

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