Farmingdale's Jocy's Pizza Owner: 'I Try To Have The Best Quality'

FARMINGDALE, NY — Alex Mercado finally has a pizzeria he can call his own.

Mercado, 37, opened Jocy's Pizza — named after his daughter — at 533 Fulton St., Farmingdale, replacing Pizzeria Lucero's Corp.

"It’s my baby," Mercado, who has been making pizza for roughly 17 years, told Patch.

Mercado began working part-time at a pizzeria out of high school, opting to not go to college. He started as a delivery driver before working his way up to a pizzaman.

"Money was great," he said. "I liked it, and since then, I’ve been making pizza."

Anyone who takes a drive around Farmingdale and its bordering towns will count around 20 pizzerias. So what will set Jocy's apart?

“First of all, quality," he said. "I try to have the best quality. The best cheese. The best everything. I’m trying to. It’s pretty hard because everything is so expensive. But that’s me. If I have the best quality at a decent price; nothing crazy.”

Mercado is also trying to offer an interesting selection of specialty slices, from his "Upside Down Pizza," which sees fresh mozzarella placed underneath red sauce and on an olive oil Sicilian crust, to the "The Honey Pep Pizza," which consists of pepperoni, Mike's hot honey drizzle & basil on a Sicilian crust.

The pizzaiola hinted there may be more fun specialty slices coming sooner rather than later.

Mercado is very excited to have opened in Farmingdale.

"The neighborhood is great. I love the neighborhood. I just want to get better and sell a lot of pizza.”

More Photos