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The owners of Joey Garlic's in Newington and Farmington are putting a spin on the already-popular chain with a new venture – Joey's Pizza Pie, a sister restaurant that believes big things come in small packages.

Anthony Sullo, Nick Romano and Gary Gello, the three co-owners, were looking at locations in West Hartford when the former Barb's Pizza building became available.

"We were looking for something bigger," Sullo said. But from Bishops Corner to the Center, they couldn't find a building that matched what they wanted in size. When the landlord for 353 Park Road contacted them to look at the site, their plans shifted.

With a smaller place, the trio decided to change things up a bit, starting with an "abbreviated menu," according to Romano, who is also head cook.

"As a chain, we try to make the menus at all of our restaurants the same, and that's what patrons expect," he said. But with Joey's Pizza Pie, though the sections will remain the same and some items will carry-over, the selections will differ from those of Joey Garlic's.

Specifically, Romano said they've chosen their top 10 customer favorites to continue serving, as well as several customer requests and new food items.

Pizza, the restaurant's namesake, will be one of their top items, according to Gello, who learned the art of pizza-making in New Haven. "It's similar to New Haven-style pizza, with thin, crispy crust," he said. Their pizzas will offer both traditional and fresh mozzarella; the latter, Gello said, is "New York style."

But "it's a lot more than pizza," Sullo said. Though it will be a main focus, Romano and the others said they expect their expanded grinder menu and new sandwich selections to be popular choices as well. The new menu will offer six or seven grinders, also called "subs" or "heroes," and sandwiches that will range from fresh roast sirloin, slow-roasted turkey (like a sandwich made from Thanksgiving leftovers) and roast pork to pork belly Ruebens and a few vegetarian selections.

The menu will also offer a number of appetizers, particularly a Joey Garlic's signature dish, the eggplant fries. At the request of their patrons, this appetizer will now be offered in two sizes: "large and larger," Romano said with a smile. Other food items will include healthy salads, freshly-ground burgers (ground on-site – Joey Garlic's was the first restaurant to do so in the state back in 2002), pasta dishes and desserts. Eight draft beers will be available on tap and seven in bottles, as well as options for red and white wines.

"Geographically, it made sense," Sullo, a West Hartford resident, said of bringing the chain to town. "This is a family town, and we've always been a family restaurant."

"A lot of our regular patrons live in the area already," Romano added. "But this is basically the leading culinary town in the state. A lot of towns look to West Hartford and follow them."

The restaurant offers 52 seats for patrons who prefer to dine in, but the smaller space allows the owners to widen their scope to also include take-out-inspired service.

Joey's Pizza Pie is set to open in early July.