Sbarro Inc. pizza chain closing 155 locations, mostly in mall food courts

[Redfairen]

Source: Associated Press

Sbarro Inc. says it's closing 155 of its locations, mostly in mall food courts where traffic has declined.

The Melville, N.Y.-based pizza chain said Wednesday the closures affect 1,400 workers. The move comes as the company is trying to improve its financial performance under its new leadership team that took over in 2013.

Jonathan Dedmon, a representative for Sbarro, says the targeted locations will close Thursday.

"The last day of business is today," he wrote in an email.



Read more: http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/02/sbarro_inc_pizza_chain_closing.html#incart_river_default

[Timez Squarez]

1. Is there a list of places affected?

There are a couple of Sbarro's around here...

[marble falls]

2. Always seemed pretty good as far as Mall Food goes.

[JI7]

3. their pizza does not taste good at all, it almost has no taste to it

not sure how to describe it. i have gotten it about 3 years all spread out over years to see if i just had a bad slice or it was a bad location. but each time was not good.

and i'm saying this even compared to other chains including papa johns where it's not great but i could still eat it.

sbarro has always been bad.

[wilt the stilt]

7. wow you have bad taste in pizza

papa John' s is basically Dominoes.

[JI7]

9. dominoes is better than papa johns and papa johns is better than sbarro, but they all suck

[Kelvin Mace]

16. And Dominoes is basically

soggy cardboard with watery ketchup and white Play-dough.

[benh57]

21. Nah

The new dominoes is quite tasty. Have you had it since the re-make? The sauce actually has a little kick.

So many 'haters'.

Now, i am with you on the uncooked dough though. Somtimes they bring it to me pretty un-done (i think they figure it'll cook a little more on its way in the delivery car, but it never quite does.. gotta ask them for 'well done')

[wordpix]

18. I had it as airport food once and agree it's tasteless

both the salad and the spinach calzone. Tried to eat as healthy as possible but it was horrible.

[brush]

24. I've had it and it's not great pizza . . .

you'd think that Sbarro, being a New York-based company, would know how to make tasty pizza.

Any corner pizza shop in any of the NYC boroughs puts out better pizza (I mean the thin crust, fresh from the oven, foldable to get a good mouthful, greasy, dripping with hot cheese and sold-by the slice variety) than Sbarro and any of the big national chains.

They don't even get close.

Sbarro somehow missed all of that. But Melville where they're based is on Long Island and miles from the city line. Maybe that explains it.

[RBInMaine]

35. Too bad. The one my family and I sometimes go to in Maine is fine. And it always seems pretty busy.

[JackRiddler]

44. Hard to believe what people outside New York...

believe is "pizza." Very sorry for all of you. Also, for me, to have to witness a subthread comparing the relative merits of Dominoes to Papa Johns to Sbarro's (we actually have that one here; never been). Need to go gag now. (Coming up next, diphteria vs. cholera!)

[Maeve]

4. I think this might say more about the malls than about the pizza

In many areas, the malls are dying. Shopping is not the great past-time it was and the money isn't there for food court food.

[Brother Buzz]

20. That, and the pizza market is totally saturated

[Renew Deal]

30. True, but not at malls

Traditionally the problem with Sbarros was the price.

[DeSwiss]

5. Sbarfo's is closing 155 stores!?!?

- So why are they leaving the rest of them open???

Sbarfo's: proof that corporations can ruin even pizza. And that alone makes them evil incarnate.....

K&R

[KurtNYC]

32. The margin on pizza is 90%. Cheapest thing you can make

3 super thin slices of pepperoni adds $1.25 or $1.50 to the price of a slice. In other words 10 cents worth of processed pork fat and connective tissue and red food dye gets sold for $1.50.

1 in 8 Americans will eat pizza today, and most of that pizza will be mediocre yet people keep coming back. Pizza is the T-ball of retail food, so easy.

If they can't make a profit selling pizza then they SHOULD quit, but possibly this is all a play to get their rents reduced (or rolled back) and get other concessions from their vendors.

[sendero]

34. Bingo....

... and IMHO this is why they are failing. Yes, their pizza is mediocre, almost all mall food is mediocre. But they want $4 a slice for crap, people can get something better for $4.

[RBInMaine]

36. The one near me in Maine is fine. Actually quite good. May depend on location.

[RBInMaine]

38. The one near me in Maine is fine. Maybe some differences between locations. ???

[HockeyMom]

6. They are the closest to NY Pizza in Florida

no matter what people claim. Sad. Will just have to keep making my own, when the temps are under 90 here,

[brush]

25. Read post 24. Sbarro's is not close to typical NYC pizza. nt

[HockeyMom]

42. Born, raised, and spent 28 years in NYC

Yes there are NONE in SW Florida. Personally, I prefer MOM AND POP Pizza in NY than what most people consider "NY Pizza", anywhere else in the US or NYC, While in Florida, I will make MY OWN. Thank you, very much. I am also an Italian American.

[brush]

43. I don't have to tell you

Nothing like good 'ol on-the-corner NYC pizza by the slice. I'm a transplanted New Yorker myself now living in Las Vegas.

And being a New York Italian American I bet you do make a mean pizza.

Can't get good pizza here either. And the bagels — forget about it. They're just bread donuts here.

[Inkfreak]

8. No pizza is bad pizza*

*except for Sbarro

[shenmue]

10. Too bad

There's one in my mall. I thought the food was all right, but the prices were a bit high.

I feel sorry for the people who are losing their jobs.

[Left Coast2020]

11. I was just debating on whether I should try Papa J's new....

Cheese Burger pizza. Saw is advertised during Ed Show.

[TeamPooka]

15. Papa GOP John. I'll pass.

[yeoman6987]

19. I just had Papa John's Cheeseburger Pizza

It was ok….it literally does taste like a cheeseburger. It was good but it can get overwhelming after so many pieces. Worth getting it just to try it.

[TeamPooka]

13. They just closed one in the busiest mall in Century City CA. What's their excuse for that one? nt

[Beacool]

14. I'm sorry to hear that, more jobs lost.

Last edited Thu Feb 20, 2014, 02:55 AM - Edit history (1)

Ironically, just a few weeks ago, Sbarro reopened in the Hoboken Terminal. The terminal was severely damaged after Sandy and only now are the shops starting to reopen. They were even selling the train tickets from a trailer. Now the waiting room is open again and the ticket booths are back in business.

[Warren Stupidity]

17. sbarro v papa john v pizza hut

hard to say which is the worst, although the slight hint of aroma of urine from pizza hut's pizza is unique.

[Renew Deal]

29. Best to worst: 1. Sbarro, 2. Pizza Hut, 3. Papa John

Sharp is traditional pizza. The other two are variations on the original.

[DebJ]

22. They are a franchised business too, so some small business people will be taking a bite. n/t

[JesterCS]

23. their pizza was terrible anyway n/t

[RBInMaine]

37. The one near me in Maine is fine. For some reason there may be differences between locations. ???

[liberal N proud]

26. Mostly in mall food courts?

I thought that and airports was the only place they had outlets.

I don't think I have ever seen a brick and mortar store.

Never eaten at one.

[Renew Deal]

28. There are some on the street in NYC

I think I've also seen them at Atlantic City and rest stops.

[liberal N proud]

31. When in New York, one should eat New York Pizza

from a neighborhood pizzeria.

No chains when visiting New York.

[Renew Deal]

39. I agree

I also forgot that they are in airports

[Renew Deal]

27. That's sad

The pizza isn't that bad. They were always on the expensive side, but the restaurants were big and nice.

[Moliere]

33. This has everything to do with the destruction of the middle class

Been reading about how mid-range malls are suffering huge declines due to the disappearance of the middle class, leaving only dollar stores and high end malls where sbarro can't survive. Expect many more companies who sell to the middle class to face the same fate

[JimDandy]

40. Never heard of them. Sounds like that's a good thing

judging from the comments here. Probably just an East Coast chain.

[mainer]

41. I like their spaghetti and meatballs

If you're at a highway rest stop, it's a healthy alternative to a burger and fries.

[kwassa]

45. I saw one in Moscow in 2002.

I wonder if they closed it.

[Loaded Liberal Dem]

46. No Sharro Pizza for Texas?

Even the "blowed-up" parts?