Eataly Is Reinvention At Its Best.

Wow, a 50,000 square foot restaurant? Or is it a market? Or a place to learn? Eataly is all of the above plus an amazing adventure. I went there recently and there were lines down the sidewalk of people just waiting to get in. You can imagine how many people were jammed into the 50,000 sq. foot facility. Zillions. All eating, purchasing and having a great time.

So what is so attractive about this place? Everything!

1. The theme is the cuisine of Italy. Everything Italian. The point is to demonstrate and offer every aspect of Italian dining, both prepared and as raw ingredients. It is broken up into sections: cheese, meat, fish, wine, pasta, coffee and espresso, gelato, and even produce (admittedly, not specifically Italian, but necessary ingredients for any recipe nonetheless). Imagine the largest, most stocked shop for each concept, bigger and better than anything you have ever seen anywhere and it’s all about the Italian dining experience. There are many unique brands, foods you cannot find elsewhere and a huge selection of everything, not just a few varieties. It is inspiring and unforgettable.

2. There are multiple distinct restaurants, or rather, open eating venues in the midst of the markets, providing excellent selections in every price range, from low cost to high cost. These are also all Italian, of course.

3. There are tasting areas where waiters take orders for free tastes, which is terrific. Everything offered is available to taste in one form or another. Amazing!

We bought a few things–how could we resist–and went home happy to have had a wonderful experience.

Eataly is the best and the most focused of niche markets; no one could compete. Entertaining, educational, vertically integrated from product to cooked foods, and offering seminars, books… there is nothing missing at all and you do not even need a passport because it is in midtown Manhattan.

Yes, there is a recession, but these entrepreneurs did not hide out, they invested a ton of money and their project is so well done that it is a sure shot to success. Thank you for showing us the way, being very daring and exploring options, exploding the myth that no one will buy. On our visit, everyone was buying. There was no recession there, only massive spending, and a very profitable business, I am certain. This is reinvention and a good example of doing it successfully in today’s down turned market.

Could this work elsewhere? Probably not, but the lessons learned here can be duplicated anywhere. All business is entertainment, theater and marketing. Do it well and you will win.

They did it very well indeed.