Eataly, the globally-recognized Italian food hall brand, is planning to open a new location in the Aventura Mall, coverage by the Miami New Times reported last month.
“According to the most recent revision of the City of Aventura’s list of developments and applications in process, presented by the Community Development Department’s Planning & Zoning Division, Eatly North America’s building permit request was ‘under review’ as of May 1,” the New Times coverage says.
A source told the New Times that the Eataly location is currently in the permitting process and may open “in a matter of months” (as of July 9). The Aventura Mall location would open at the mall’s address, 19501 Biscayne Blvd, in Unit 3004. It would comprise three stories and 29,000 square feet of space.
“Eataly was originally founded by Oscar Farinetti in Torino, Italy, in 2007, who transformed an old vermouth factory into a marketplace celebrating Italian food culture,” said recent coverage by Eater Miami. “The concept quickly gained popularity, rapidly expanding to over 40 locations worldwide, including New York, Chicago, and Tokyo. Each location is meant to offer an ‘Italian experience’ with various restaurants, food counters, and markets under one roof.”
Eater adds that the brand was caught up in a controversy that emerged when allegations of sexual assault were made against chef Mario Batali, who was instrumental in expanding Eataly around the US. Batali’s minority stake was bought out in 2019.
“Eataly’s success is linked to our philosophy, because people can eat, shop and learn, all about high-quality food, three activities that don’t coexist anywhere else,” says a quote from Oscar Farinetti on the Eataly website. “Moreover, our informal style of communication shows how direct and approachable we are, just the way people like.”
