Eataly is Expanding on Both Coasts
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Eataly is Expanding on Both Coasts
Joe Bastianich spills the tea on a Miami Eataly, just as Silicon Valley welcomes a new location
When Eataly opened its first New York location in 2010, people actually waited in lines — sometimes for hours — for a chance to sip prosecco, eat pizza, and shop for cookware and pasta.
Sometimes referred to as Ikea for foodies, Eataly is more experiential. It’s a place where literal hours can pass by as you drink a Peroni here, graze on an artichoke there, and still get the grocery shopping done.
And, even though there are about three dozen Eatalys on the map today (including inside the Park MGM Casino in Las Vegas), there remains an air of authenticity about it, thanks to its Italian roots — before Joe Bastianich and Lidia Bastianich (and Mario Batali for a time) brought Eataly to the U.S., Italian businessman Oscar Farinetti opened the flagship in an old vermouth factory in Torino. Today, there are still more Eatalys in Italy than in the U.S. — and you can’t sell inauthentic Italian products to Italians in Italy.
Yesterday, while on Miami’s Paul Castronovo radio show to promote his culinary competition show, MasterChef, Joe Bastianich said that he would be bringing Eataly to Miami. When asked for details, he replied, “Can’t say yet, but it’s coming.” The news spread across Miami like wildfire, with the Miami New Times reporting that rumors were quashed about Eataly coming to Miami back in 2016.
A spokesperson for Eataly neither confirmed nor denied Bastianich’s announcement, saying, “Eataly is currently expanding across North America. The team loves the Miami area and is actively looking at potential locations there and across South Florida, as well as in other states. However, they are currently focused on the opening of Eataly Silicon Valley.”
Eataly Silicon Valley officially opened today, June 16, offering three levels of food. On the first floor, find coffee, pastries, gelato, and pizza. The second floor is reserved for wine, while the third floor houses the marketplace and Eataly’s various fresh counters. In addition, there are two sit-down restaurants — Terra and La Pizza & La Pasta.