Mamma Mia! Huge Eataly World to Open in Italy Next Year

This blog post was updated on August 3, 2021.

Love Italian food? No, we mean really LOVE Italian food. We’re talking about wanting to drown yourself in cheese and carbs, and swim in saucy, herby goodness. Basically, would you like to visit a Charlie and the Chocolate factory … but with Italian food?

Yes? Sweet. We’ve got just the place for you.

You might have seen the news today that Italian food champions Eataly are to open a 20-acre complex in Bologna, Italy, in September 2017, and it’s going to be MASSIVE!

Here’s everything you need to know about it:

What Will It Have?

There’ll be 10,000 square meters of orchards, farms, and pastures; 40 workshops where you can watch pasta and cheeses being made; and 25 different restaurants and food stalls. There’ll also be three bars, with one focused solely on cocktails. The complex will also house 44,000 solar panels, the single most on a European property.

What Will I See?

Going with Eataly’s “farm-to-fork” mantra, you can amble through the farmlands growing olives and tomatoes, and even see animals like cows, pigs, goats, sheep, and rabbit, to name just a few. There’ll also be workshops where visitors can experience how cheese is made, from the very start of being milked from an animal to the end product. You’ll also see how certain meats are cured, how pasta is made (from start to finish), and even how wine and beer are made, plus much much more.

What’s Cool About It?

Six virtual reality “rides” – mainly with kids in focus. These immersive and interactive experiences will have themes like “Man & Fire” and “Man & the Future.” We believe they’ll be informative, fun, as well as educational.

Will There Be a Nutella Bar Like in Some Stateside Locations?

Unfortunately, no. BUT, we’re told there’ll be tons of the good gooey stuff available on all kinds of yummy items.

How Do I Get Around Such a Huge complex? In a Ferrari?

Err no – no Ferraris. There’s something even cooler and more eco-friendly to get around. Bicycle maker Bianchi has created some very cool looking tricycles with shopping baskets in the front that serve the purpose. Perfetto!

What’s Next?

The company also plans to build a hotel within the Eataly World complex, which should have 200 rooms and come into operation in 2018.

I Want to Go NOW!

Hold your horses – you’ll have to wait till next year. But if you still want to get your Eataly fix, you can check out their locations in New York City (Flatiron and Downtown) and Chicago. Good news is there are plans for stores in Boston and LA as well!