Barilla plans to put its name on a new chain of Italian restaurants in the United States as part of a plan to boost pasta consumption on this side of the pond, according to the CEO of the food company.
Guido Barilla told The Wall Street Journal that the concept would be launched next year. He did not reveal the exact name or type of service the venture would sport.
“Most Americans eat pasta, but not very often,” Barilla, the 54-year-old great-grandson of Barilla’s founder, told the Journal. A restaurant touting Barilla’s brand could land the company a larger share of stomach and spur additional consumption, he suggested.
Barilla would join the growing list of foodservice suppliers that are branching into the operation of restaurants.
Smithfield Foods, a meat supplier, recently opened restaurant called Taste of Smithfield in its hometown of Smithfield, Va.
Dannon Co. also recently took the plunge with the opening of The Yogurt Culture Co. in midtown New York.
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