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What if we could help Sbarro come back from the brink of extinction?
With a new product line that helps Sbarro own its mobility and taps into a new culture.
RESEARCH, BRAND INNOVATION, STRATEGY, VISUAL DESIGN, UX/UI, PRODUCT DESIGN/INNOVATION
PROJECT OVERVIEW
This team project was completed in my 3rd semester of grad school to bring back a dying brand. Our solution was inspired by my team's diverse backgrounds and experiences with food. We were driven by our passion for food/cooking and creating new innovations in products.
MY ROLE
I helped my team conduct research, strategize, and concept/ideate. I develop recipes, designed and rendered 3D models for our new product line. I helped develop a narrative that brought our concept to life—showcasing how this new pizza would exist in the world.
Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Since 1956, Sbarro has pioneered quick-service Italian food in high-traffic areas.
Sbarro was the first chain to establish a presence in malls, a growing part of American life in the late 20th century. From 1970 to 1990, the number of shopping centers in the U.S. grew from roughly 10,000 to over 37,000.
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Sbarro became the largest shopping mall-focused restaurant in the world.
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Shopping at malls became a leisure-time activity and mall developers incorporated food courts into their plans to keep customers within the mall. Sbarro capitalized on this opportunity to make their brand quick service “grab-and-go” pizza.
PROBLEM
In 2021, shopping malls are rapidly becoming a relic of the past.
This is due to a massive shift to e-commerce; Coresight Research forecasts that 25% of malls will close in the next three to five years. However, the pandemic has only exacerbated circumstances and new forecasts estimate 50% of U.S. shopping centers will not reopen.
REALIZATION
Sbarro still has its competitive advantage—the same mobility that allowed Sbarro to attract shoppers in malls can be repositioned for a new target audience, because…
Society has become a place for movers; yet, being “on-the-go" shouldn’t mean running on empty. People in the 21st century lead busier lives than ever before. Leisureliness was once a badge of honor among the well-off of the 19th and 20th centuries. Now, busyness—and the stressful feeling of time scarcity—has become the new badge.
Truckers help fuel America. Sbarro can be their fuel.
Opportunity
OPPORTUNITY
Sbarro has the opportunity to tap into cultures that are on the move—like truckers.
More than 3.5 million people work as truck drivers. Truckers generate about $650 billion dollars a year, or about 5%, of the American GDP. In 2017, trucks carried approximately 10.8 billion tons of goods across the United States.
SOLUTION
A new line of pizzas and product packaging for THE OPEN ROAD that celebrates the trucker culture and the art of eating on the go.
Solution
PRODUCT INNOVATON
Mobile food for cultures on the move. Pizza that can be eaten while you're driving, walking, or even running.
PRODUCT PACKAGING
The rectangular shape of the box was chosen to fit the personal size pizzas. The removable inner paper lining can be used to easily pick up the pizza with one hand—keeping the other hand clean. The cup slides into the underside of the box for ease of eating while the user is on the move.
Product Packaging
RECIPE DEVELOPMENT
Recipe Development
We kept the pizzas' ingredients and flavor profiles Italian-esque to pay homage to Sbarro’s roots in Italian cooking. Also, we made sure to choose ingredients that would appeal to younger consumers from Gen Z and Millennial generations, because they drive interest in pizza delivery innovation. The majority of Gen Z and Millennials like to try unique pizza toppings when dining out.
Breakfast Toppings:
Scrambled eggs
Pancetta
Mozzarella
Pecorino Romano
Chives
Dinner Toppings:
Calabrese Salami
Diablo Red Sauce
Smoked Mozzarella
Black Olives
Calabrian Chilis
Lunch Toppings:
Prosciutto Cotto
Caramelize Onions
Béchamel
Fontina Cheese
Rosemary
This trio of hardy pizzas was inspired by the long hours that truck drivers work. There is a pizza for every meal of the day. The pizzas would be available 24 hrs a day because sometimes you just want to have breakfast for dinner. When you're a trucker starting your day at 8 pm, you might just want to start your shift with breakfast.
THE SIGNATURE SBARRO FOLD
The size and shape of the pizza were very important while creating these pizzas. They need to be large enough to constitute a full meal and small enough to be folded with one hand.
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
Marketing
We chose to market on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok because younger consumers (Gen Z and Millennials) are driving the growth of fast food and fast-casual dining. These two target demographics spend a lot of time on these platforms.
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