One morning last week, I poked my head into the construction site for the newest Uncle Louie G’s Italian Ices franchise, just off the Graham Avenue L-stop, where it’s replacing the decades-old Sweets ‘N Things. (Sweets ‘n what Things? I always wondered.) As a lifelong customer of Ralph’s, I was wary of the place, but it only took about four minutes for Louie G’s charming proprietor, Michael LaMarca, to win me over.
LaMarca is a warm personality, who has already ingratiated himself with the businesses on the block and the old-timers in the neighborhood. “Everyone has been so nice and welcoming,” he tells me, before waving to someone arriving for work next door at Loco Burrito. “There’s my man!” he shouts, before telling me, “He makes me the best salads.”
But there’s one neighbor who might not be so happy to see him – his competitor with the blue awning, just a few doors down. So, how does LaMarca about going head-to-head with Ralph’s? “This is a great neighborhood. Tons of pedestrian foot traffic. There’s enough for all of us,” he tells me.
LaMarca insists Rosemary and John Ippolito, who ran Sweets N’ Things for 28 years, will be hanging around the shop. “Everybody loves them,” he says. “Rosemary even used to own a dress shop across the street. They’ve been in the neighborhood forever.”
LaMarca’s relatives own about eight Louis G’s, but this is his first franchise. He was raised in the West Village but now lives in Howard Beach, and he hired local tradespeople to renovate the space. “We want to keep the money in the neighborhood and support local trade,” said LaMarca.
As for what’s really important – the ices – LaMarca brings with him the original Uncle Louis G’s recipe. The frozen concoctions are all natural (and kosher!), and are made in New Jersey under the care of Dino Russo, who owns the franchise on 7th Ave in Park Slope. When I asked LaMarca what THE flavor to try would be, he didn’t hesitate. “Cannoli. You won’t even believe they’re ices. We use real chips. Real cone. You’ll think it’s ice cream.”
Renovations to Uncle Louis’ storefront are still underway, but the shop is slated to open this week. LaMarca is looking to hire hip, neighborhood ice cream scoopers, so if you’ve got a sense of style and a strong scooping arm, call Michael at 718-354-5777.
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