Mario's Pizzeria
Encyclopedia
Mario's Pizzeria is a leading pizza
restaurant chain in Trinidad and Tobago
. Mario's started operations in June 1972 at the Valpark Shopping Plaza and has grown to nineteen restaurants nationwide, plus a new store in Georgetown, Guyana
and another in Kingstown, St. Vincent
. The chain is owned and operated by Richard Harford, one of the founding partners. The pizza is unique in that it uses a cheddar cheese
from New Zealand
rather than the traditional mozzarella
, this was decided upon because of the sharper more flavourful taste. Trinidadians, usually prefer more spicy, bold and hot flavours, this is why Mario's secret pizza sauce is made with 8 specially chosen herbs and spices. The choice of cheese, the spices in their sauce and the variety of toppings have made them a leading pizza restaurant in the regions in which they operate. The restaurants also sell other food, such as french fries, hamburgers, chicken, ice cream and they have recently expanded their menu to include Oven Baked Artisan Sandwiches, served on ciabatta bread. The company advertises widely through television, radio, newspapers and have recently entered the digital realm, with a very active Facebook, Twitter and You Tube presence.
Mario's has made a decision to franchise and expand its brand troughout the Caribbean
and eventually other regions. Mario's hopes that one day it will be a regional and even a global brand that will rivial the likes of the pizza giants coming out of North America.
Mario's has also engaged in purchasing the franchise rights for a submarine sandwich chain from the US called Blimpie
, which opened its doors in Trinidad 2002. Following the decision to close Blimpie in 2007, and not wanting to exit the Sub Sandwich sector of the QSR market, Mario's Pizzeria launched its own brand of sub style sandwiches called Boomers Tasty Subs & Salads.
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
restaurant chain in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. Mario's started operations in June 1972 at the Valpark Shopping Plaza and has grown to nineteen restaurants nationwide, plus a new store in Georgetown, Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
and another in Kingstown, St. Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
. The chain is owned and operated by Richard Harford, one of the founding partners. The pizza is unique in that it uses a cheddar cheese
Cheddar cheese
Cheddar cheese is a relatively hard, yellow to off-white, and sometimes sharp-tasting cheese, produced in several countries around the world. It has its origins in the English village of Cheddar in Somerset....
from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rather than the traditional mozzarella
Mozzarella
Mozzarella is an Italian Traditional Speciality Guaranteed food product. The term is used for several kinds of Italian cheeses that are made using spinning and then cutting :...
, this was decided upon because of the sharper more flavourful taste. Trinidadians, usually prefer more spicy, bold and hot flavours, this is why Mario's secret pizza sauce is made with 8 specially chosen herbs and spices. The choice of cheese, the spices in their sauce and the variety of toppings have made them a leading pizza restaurant in the regions in which they operate. The restaurants also sell other food, such as french fries, hamburgers, chicken, ice cream and they have recently expanded their menu to include Oven Baked Artisan Sandwiches, served on ciabatta bread. The company advertises widely through television, radio, newspapers and have recently entered the digital realm, with a very active Facebook, Twitter and You Tube presence.
Mario's has made a decision to franchise and expand its brand troughout the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and eventually other regions. Mario's hopes that one day it will be a regional and even a global brand that will rivial the likes of the pizza giants coming out of North America.
Mario's has also engaged in purchasing the franchise rights for a submarine sandwich chain from the US called Blimpie
Blimpie
Blimpie is a submarine sandwich chain in the United States. The company is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.The first Blimpie store was opened in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1964. . By mid-2002, there were about 2,000 Blimpie outlets in operation, located in 47 U.S...
, which opened its doors in Trinidad 2002. Following the decision to close Blimpie in 2007, and not wanting to exit the Sub Sandwich sector of the QSR market, Mario's Pizzeria launched its own brand of sub style sandwiches called Boomers Tasty Subs & Salads.