Serafina Restaurant Group, an operator of several dozen Italian restaurants in and around New York City, is branching into the fast casual market.
The multiconcept group intends to open at least eight Serafina Express units in and around the metropolitan market, starting with branches in three highly trafficked Manhattan locations.
Each will measure between 1,500 and 3,000 square feet and will sport a design that reflects its host neighborhood, according to the company. Common features will include a counter of Italian granite and wood that resembles a Florentine pharmacy. Similar elements can be found in the group’s signature Serafina restaurants, which feature Italian fare in an upscale casual setting.
The emphasis is on convenience. Customers will have the option of ordering via kiosks or at a table from their smartphones. The technology is provided by OneDine.
“Over the past two years, our fans expressed that they wanted easier access to their favorite Serafina locations as they navigated work and lifestyle changes,” Vittorio Assaf, co-founder of Serafina Restaurant Group, said in a statement.
“In this post pandemic rebound, we feel Serafina should adapt,” his longtime business partner, Vittorio Assaf, said in the same statement.
The food will be consistent with the menus featured within the group’s Serafina brand, the statement indicated.
The first three Express branches will be located at 8th St. and Sixth Ave., in Greenwich Village; 30 Broad St., in the Financial District; and at Park Ave. South and 22nd St., just below midtown.
Serafina Restaurant Group operates 46 restaurants worldwide, most under the Serafina brand name.
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