The long-shuttered Don Pablo’s near Christiana Mall has been seeing visits from contractors.
Now we know why,. A sign is up for CS, short for Churrascarcia Saudades, the locally owned Brazilian steakhouse at the Newark Shopping Center.
Actually, word leaked out about CS last fall but owners have been mum on future plans.
Saudades has gained a following since its opening in 2015 and has emerged as a special occasion destination, thanks to its rodizio meat offerings brought to your table on skewers along with an impressive salad bar.
The location will give CS exposure to a much larger potential market that travels to the sales tax-free mall area.
The Don Pablo’s location has been eyed over the years by restaurant operators but comes with a look and feel that doesn’t fit a lot of restaurant chain formats.
Iron Hill could have been an occupant, but could not get the Legislature to change the head-scratching restriction that limits an operator to three breweries.
Iron Hill has since moved its headquarters from Wilmington to Pennsylvania and added a production brewery that might have been located near the mall.
Capriotti’s explores robotic pizza
Capriotti’s and pizza? It could happen, thanks to robotics.
Piestro, a robotic pizzeria that makes and cooks pies within minutes, announced it is partnering with Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop.
The Piestro Pod will be tested in Capriotti’s flagship Las Vegas location. The sandwich shop was founded in Wilmington and is now based in Sin City.
Capriotti’s intends to purchase up to 100 Piestro Pods within five years following the pilot test.
“Piestro will be a tremendous addition to our shops and give our customers a brand-new menu category for evening and late-night eats that we didn’t have before,” said Ashley Morris, CEO of Capriotti’s. “During these slower blocks of the day, one pod could increase our revenue without needing to find additional team members. We’re optimistic that our initial test will be a success, and foresee Piestro becoming an integral part of our future store layouts.”
“We are extremely excited to partner with a rapidly growing brand like Capriotti’s and cannot wait to serve our pizza to their loyal customers,” said Massimo Noja de Marco, CEO of Piestro. “Once they try our unique recipe for the first time and see our Pod in action, we have no doubt that they will keep coming back for more!”
Piestro is backed by lead investor, Wavemaker Partners, a global Venture Capital fund with $600 million in assets under management and Wavemaker Labs, a food automation focused venture studio.
