Barilla, the Italian-American pasta company, whose CEO made headlines last fall for saying he would never feature a gay family in his advertisements, has just opened their first restaurant, called Academia Barilla, in Midtown Manhattan.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Barilla has been making pasta for 138 years, but this is the company's first venture into the restaurant business. Academia Barilla opened up shop on 52nd Street and 6th Avenue and is reportedly aiming to be an "Italian version of Chipotle."
Restaurant's CEO Stefano Albano stated that the company sees an opening for "a fast-casual Italian that provided high quality." Food is delivered to tables with on melamine plates with silverware.
Academia Barilla focuses on Italian staples and fast service. Along with the usual salads, pastas and paninis, the restaurant sells products such as dried pasta, sauces and olive oil. Everything is, of course, made from Barilla products.
"After nearly 140 years of delivering quality pasta meals to family tables all over the world, Barilla wanted to bring its Italian culinary expertise to its first restaurant," said Luca Uva, president of Barilla. "The Academia Barilla Restaurant offers all on-the-go New Yorkers the delicious taste and texture they have come to trust from Barilla, whether it is for a quick bite in a comfortable contemporary Italian setting or an easy take-out meal."
Though the restaurant has been open for about three months, the news of its existence has recently begun stirring up the Internet. It has three stars and 23 reviews on Yelp. Restaurant officials are reportedly eyeing expansion locations in Bryant Park and Herald Square.
Harry Balzer, an analyst who studies eating habits at market research firm NPD Group, said restaurants can make it if they challenge New Yorkers' palates.
"One of the top five foods we consume at dinner time is Italian food. The only question is who is going to give me something new," Balzer said. While he said spaghetti remains among the top Italian foods, "that's not the growing food."
In September, the company tangled with gay rights activists after the Barilla Group chairman, Guido Barilla, made homophobic comments during an interview on Italian radio.
"I would not do a commercial with a homosexual family, not for lack of respect toward homosexuals, who have the right to do whatever they want without disturbing others, but because I don't agree with them and I think we want to talk to traditional families," Barilla said. "For us the concept of the sacred family remains one of the fundamental values of the company."
Barilla eventually apologized after receiving backlash from gay rights activists groups, calling customers to boycott the brand.
"Within one week of his remarks this past September, the Barilla chairman, Guido Barilla, made a public apology and met privately with several LGBT leaders and organizations in Italy and the U.S. to personally apologize and to listen and learn about the evolution of the family," a Barilla spokesperson told the Huffington Post. "Since then, the company continues to make strong progress towards enhancing this commitment including supporting the Tyler Clementi Foundation and appointing the company's first Chief Diversity Officer."
