A former cast member of the MTV reality show “Jersey Shore” is getting in on the virtual restaurant concept action.
Pauly D’s Italian Subs, featuring the show’s Paul DelVecchio, is the latest product of Robert Earl’s prolific Virtual Dining Concepts. It joins the company’s lineup of other celebrity-backed virtual brands including Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen, MrBeast Burger and Tyga Bites.
Like those brands, Pauly D’s exists solely online, with its menu produced out of existing restaurants. It is available only for delivery via an exclusive partnership with Grubhub.
The idea of Pauly D’s and other virtual brands is to help restaurants maximize kitchen capacity and generate additional revenue from the growing delivery market. The celebrity factor provides a built-in marketing engine that could help Pauly D’s stand out from other sandwich concepts on third-party marketplaces.
That strategy has brought success for some restaurants using MrBeast Burger, which is based on a megapopular YouTuber, though restaurants RB has spoken to reported less luck with other Virtual Dining Concepts brands. And questions remain about the long-term viability of virtual concepts in general.
Pauly D’s Italian Subs offers a menu of seven subs including Italian, Turkey Pesto and Club with a variety of customizable toppings. Also on the menu are four salads, sides and cannoli.
“Jersey Shore” aired from 2009 to 2012 and portrayed the lives of a group of roommates in a beachside vacation home. It became a pop culture phenomenon and led to a handful of spinoffs.
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