Sbarro
Encyclopedia
Sbarro is a bankrupt chain of pizza
restaurants that specializes in traditional Italian cuisine
, including its most popular menu item "pizza by the slice." Its headquarters is located in Melville
, Huntington
, New York
.
, Italy
, in 1956 with help from the Padovani family, who took them in. They gave Gennaro employment in their deli. The same year, the Sbarro family opened their first Salumeria (an Italian grocery store) at 1701 65th Street and 17th Avenue in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York, which became popular for its fresh food and genuine Italian
fare. Their Sbarro Italian Delicatessen in Brooklyn was well received by the local community and was the first of a successful chain.
The success of the Sbarro Salumeria led to the opening of additional locations throughout the New York City
area. In 1970, Sbarro opened its first mall
-based restaurant in Brooklyn's Kings Plaza Shopping Center, marking the beginning of the modern Sbarro concept: Italian food in an open kitchen that allowed for fast self-service. One of their busiest outlets was located in the World Trade Center
mall.
Since 1970, the Kings Plaza business model has expanded throughout the U.S. and over 44 countries around the world. In early 2007, Sbarro was acquired by MidOcean Partners
, a private equity
firm with offices in New York and London.
In 2008, Sbarro was rated the #1 Quick Service Restaurant in the Italian segment by Entrepreneur magazine. It has held this title multiple times over the years.
On August 9, 2001, the Sbarro pizza restaurant in downtown Jerusalem, Israel
, suffered a Palestinian
suicide attack that killed 15 people and wounded 130.
Sbarro restaurants are located in department store
s, shopping mall
s, airport
s, service areas, cinemas
and college campuses. Sbarro has over 1,000 locations in 44 countries.
The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 4, 2011, listing assets of $471 million and debt of $486.6 million. At the time it was ranked by Pizza Today as the country's fifth largest pizza chain. It was the third large pizza chain to declare bankruptcy in less than a year. Earlier Round Table Pizza
(ranked #10) and Uno Chicago Grill
(ranked #11) through its parent Uno Restaurant Holdings filed bankruptcy. Uno has reemerged.
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"...
restaurants that specializes in traditional Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...
, including its most popular menu item "pizza by the slice." Its headquarters is located in Melville
Melville, New York
Melville is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Huntington in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, 14,533 people resided there.-Location:...
, Huntington
Huntington, New York
The Town of Huntington is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, USA. Founded in 1653, it is located on the north shore of Long Island in northwestern Suffolk County, with Long Island Sound to its north and Nassau County adjacent to the west. Huntington is part of the New York metropolitan...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
History
Sbarro was founded by Gennaro and Carmela Sbarro. The couple and their three sons, Joseph, Mario, and Anthony immigrated to America from NaplesNaples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, in 1956 with help from the Padovani family, who took them in. They gave Gennaro employment in their deli. The same year, the Sbarro family opened their first Salumeria (an Italian grocery store) at 1701 65th Street and 17th Avenue in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York, which became popular for its fresh food and genuine Italian
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...
fare. Their Sbarro Italian Delicatessen in Brooklyn was well received by the local community and was the first of a successful chain.
The success of the Sbarro Salumeria led to the opening of additional locations throughout the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
area. In 1970, Sbarro opened its first mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
-based restaurant in Brooklyn's Kings Plaza Shopping Center, marking the beginning of the modern Sbarro concept: Italian food in an open kitchen that allowed for fast self-service. One of their busiest outlets was located in the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
mall.
Since 1970, the Kings Plaza business model has expanded throughout the U.S. and over 44 countries around the world. In early 2007, Sbarro was acquired by MidOcean Partners
MidOcean Partners
MidOcean Partners is a private equity firm specializing in leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and growth capital investments in middle-market companies...
, a private equity
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
firm with offices in New York and London.
In 2008, Sbarro was rated the #1 Quick Service Restaurant in the Italian segment by Entrepreneur magazine. It has held this title multiple times over the years.
On August 9, 2001, the Sbarro pizza restaurant in downtown Jerusalem, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, suffered a Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
suicide attack that killed 15 people and wounded 130.
Sbarro restaurants are located in department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
s, shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
s, airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s, service areas, cinemas
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
and college campuses. Sbarro has over 1,000 locations in 44 countries.
The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 4, 2011, listing assets of $471 million and debt of $486.6 million. At the time it was ranked by Pizza Today as the country's fifth largest pizza chain. It was the third large pizza chain to declare bankruptcy in less than a year. Earlier Round Table Pizza
Round Table Pizza
Round Table Pizza is a large chain of pizza parlors in the western United States. The company's headquarters are located in Concord, California.The company slogan for many years has been "The Last Honest Pizza".- History :...
(ranked #10) and Uno Chicago Grill
Uno Chicago Grill
Uno Chicago Grill, or more informally as Unos, is the title for a franchised pizzeria restaurant chain under the parent company Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation...
(ranked #11) through its parent Uno Restaurant Holdings filed bankruptcy. Uno has reemerged.