Cello’s Cheesesteaks, a new cheesesteak concept from Toronto food influencer Marcello Varacalli, is getting ready to launch a series of pop-ups as the first step toward opening a permanent restaurant in Toronto.
Rather than opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant immediately, Varacalli plans to introduce Cello’s Cheesesteaks through pop-ups, according to BlogTO. While the date and location of the first event have not yet been announced, he says the long-term goal is to open a dedicated cheesesteak restaurant. Better known online as @marcelloeats, Varacalli has built a large following by reviewing restaurants and viral food spots across Southern Ontario and beyond. Customers can expect cheesesteaks inspired by years of research, with a focus on quality.
Varacalli has nearly 140,000 followers on Instagram and more than 115,000 followers on TikTok, where he has built an audience by highlighting restaurants and food trends across Southern Ontario and beyond. According to BlogTO, opening a restaurant has been a longtime dream, but he chose to wait until he felt ready for the challenges that come with running a food business. He has spent nearly a decade searching for standout cheesesteaks throughout the Greater Toronto Area and even traveled to Philadelphia to learn more about the sandwich.
Beginning with pop-ups will allow Varacalli to introduce the concept and refine the business before opening a permanent location. Through Cello’s Cheesesteaks’ Instagram page, he is currently looking for breweries, commercial kitchens, cafés, bars, event spaces, and other venues interested in hosting future events. The approach also allows customers to try the concept before a brick-and-mortar restaurant opens.
The menu will focus on cheesesteaks developed from Varacalli’s years of tasting and researching the sandwich. While additional menu details have not yet been released, he says each sandwich will reflect what he has learned from trying cheesesteaks throughout the GTA and Philadelphia, with quality serving as the main priority.
“Instead of opening a permanent location right away, we want to launch through pop-ups, and we’re looking for unique spaces to make it happen,” Varacalli said in a recent Instagram post. “Know a brewery, commercial kitchen, café, bar, event space, or any other cool venue that would be a perfect fit? Shoot us a DM! We’d love to connect and bring Cello’s to your space. Let’s build this together.”
