Revitalization plans for Sbarro, the world’s largest mall-focused Italian restaurant chain, have officially kicked into high gear.
Out of 1,013 Sbarro units worldwide, the iconic fast-casual chain has chosen 10 locations throughout the United States to unveil all new recipes prepared on new open-flame ovens, as well as made-to-order pasta stations, complete with either sauté pans and induction cooktops or fast boilers.
Over the course of eight days, Sbarro will host grand roll-out celebration events that will completely transform each of the selected mall food courts into a scene reminiscent of the streets of Italy. The locations include:
- June 7: Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, N.C. and The Mall at Tuttle Crossing in Columbus, Ohio
- June 8: Providence Place Mall in Providence, R.I. and The Mall at Wellington Green in West Palm Beach, Fla.
- June 11: Westfield Chicago Ridge Mall in Chicago, Ill.
- June 12: Clackamas Town Center in Happy Valley, Ore.
- June 13: Westfield Plaza Bonita Mall in National City, Calif.
- June 14: Arrowhead Towne Center in Phoenix, Ariz.
- June 15: Exton Square Mall in Exton, Pa. and Willowbrook Mall in Houston, Texas
“These select locations are the public’s first taste of the future of Sbarro,” said CEO James Greco, who added that a new prototype model will be unveiled later this year. “We are making significant strides with our product, culture, and positioning. The accomplishment of these initiatives is a large step toward realizing our vision of being the preeminent fast-casual Italian brand worldwide.”
At the events, the mall food court seating areas will be dressed with red and white checkered tablecloths and soft glowing candlelight, accompanied by professional violinists to serenade guests with classic Italian music as guests experience the new tastes and flavors of Sbarro’s Italian heritage.
Adding to the festivities, at each location Sbarro will raffle off a Vespa Scooter and 100 guests will receive a Sbarro gift card for a free NY or Pan Pizza Slice, or Pasta Dish every week for two months. Additionally, each of the Sbarro locations will donate their entire day’s proceeds to a local food bank to aid the fight against hunger. All proceeds from the raffle will also be donated to the local food banks.
Based in Melville, New York, Sbarro is the world’s largest Italian mall-focused restaurant franchise. Sbarro has more than 1,000 restaurants in more than 40 countries and features a menu of popular Italian food including pizza, a selection of pasta dishes and other hot and cold Italian entrees, salads, sandwiches, drinks and desserts. Additional information is available at www.sbarro.com.
