With cases filled with Italian specialties, choosing a favorite might seem difficult. Not for Sergio Sciancalepore.
“Mozzarella,” he said without hesitation. “By far.”
Inside Sergio & Co. Italian Specialties, there is plenty of it to go around. Fresh mozzarella sits in containers of salty water, waiting to be sliced, pulled apart or layered into one of the many Italian specialties served from behind the counter. And there’s no shortage of it—the cheese is made fresh daily.
The mozzarella is just one of the specialties that has kept customers coming through the doors for decades. Sergio & Co. has been a Denville staple since opening on Oct. 14, 1999. Located at 28 Broadway, the shop sits in the heart of downtown, sandwiched—pun intended—between longtime favorites like Denville Dairy and Sweet Expressions.
Step inside today and the cases tell their own story, showcasing an ever-changing selection of Italian favorites, with items like rice balls, stuffed artichoke hearts, chicken cutlets, prepared dishes, and seasonal specialties. Fresh breads, cured meats, cheeses and other specialty items add to the selection, giving customers something new to discover alongside the classics they’ve come to know and love.
For longtime customers, a visit is about more than checking items off a shopping list. There’s a familiarity to stepping inside, whether they’re picking up a favorite sandwich, planning a family meal, or simply seeing what looks good behind the counter that day. It’s the kind of neighborhood experience Sciancalepore envisioned when he first chose downtown Denville.
But Sciancalepore’s story in the business began long before Sergio & Co. His father and uncle opened M&R Salumeria in Jersey City in the late ’60s, selling salamis, cured meats and many of the same Italian specialties that would eventually fill the cases at his own shop.
In the late ’70s, his father went on to open Michael’s Salumeria in Lyndhurst, an Italian specialty shop now approaching its 50th anniversary. Sciancalepore started working there around age 12, spending weekends helping wherever he could.
“I was able to learn in an environment that I felt very comfortable in,” Sciancalepore said. “I could just kick around in the back, and some days I’d fool around with the dough. We used to make our own pasta back then. I could teach myself. It also taught me how to work hard.”
That early education continued into adulthood, as Sciancalepore spent years working in wholesale Italian provisions, expanding his knowledge of the products and the business.
In 1998, Sciancalepore and his wife, Allyson, moved to Morris County. Soon after, the opportunity arose to purchase George’s Deli in downtown Denville, and Sciancalepore knew he had found what he was looking for. He loved the location, the neighboring businesses and, most importantly, the sense of community surrounding them.
“I really wanted to be part of the community,” he said. “I just felt like it was exactly what I was looking for—small, front and rear entrance. It just felt right.”
“I always wanted to be part of a town, not, like, on a highway somewhere. You get a lot of transients, which isn’t a problem, but I’m all about connecting with people.”
His presence in Denville has only grown since then. In 2018, Sciancalepore and longtime friend Tommy Pollio opened The Pasta Shop, an intimate restaurant centered around homemade pastas and creative dishes.
Over the years, Sciancalepore learned that working hard meant knowing when to step back. His decision to close Sergio & Co. on Sundays—traditionally a busy day for Italian specialty shops—wasn’t popular with everyone, but it’s one he doesn’t regret.
“It was hard to get people to work on Sundays because my staff was already giving me 40, 45-hour weeks. They were tired,” he said. “So I decided to close on Sundays. A lot of people didn’t like me for it, but it was the best thing I ever did. It gave me longevity.”
And with that longevity has come something even more meaningful: lasting relationships. Sergio & Co. has become a family affair, too, with all three of Sergio and Allyson’s children spending time behind the counter over the years. After nearly three decades in downtown Denville, generations of customers have walked through those same doors.
The food may bring them in, but for Sciancalepore, the connections built across the counter are what matter most. It’s a lesson rooted in watching his father—and one that ultimately shaped the kind of business owner he wanted to become.
“I felt like I accomplished what I was setting out to do—to create that store that people know, and it’s part of their lives,” Sciancalepore added. “It’s part of their families. It’s part of their traditions.
“I didn’t want to be just some guy on the side of a highway who doesn’t know anybody and they don’t know me. That’s easy, because if you screw up or something, you walk down the street and no one knows who you are. It doesn’t really matter. Me? They kept me accountable. I want to walk down the street with my head up high. I want people to know I deliver on my promise of quality, value, and personal service."
Nearly 27 years later, the shop has become exactly what Sciancalepore envisioned: a place where good food brings people through the door, but community keeps them coming back.
Sergio & Co. Italian Specialties is located at 28 Broadway in Denville.