There are no more than ten seats inside Spaghetto on Miami Beach, but that's about to change. The owners, Italian investors, have a trio of new stores planned and a cadre of companies designed to spread the sauce around South Florida, and who knows where else.
The fast-casual pasta joint opened on the corner of Fifth Street and Washington Avenue on Miami Beach in early spring. Ordering is done much in the way they do it at Chipotle. Pick your pasta, pick your sauce, pick your toppings and dig in.
Work is already underway on a 55-seat downtown Miami location in the former Puntino space on the corner of South Miami Avenue and Southwest First Street. Spaghetto's website also shows plans for stores at 725 71st Street on Miami Beach, 11500 Biscayne Blvd. in North Miami as well as floor plans for a 1,000-square-foot fast food space that seats 30 and could serve up to 1,500 bowls of pasta a day.
We reached out to Matteo Villarini, who said he was part owner of the company on a visit to their Miami Beach location, but received no response. The plan also shows a variety of companies surrounding Spaghetto that look to be the framework for a national pasta empire. Dramatic? Not really.
Prices range from $4.98 for a bowl of spaghetti or fusilli; $6.98 for 'premium pasta,' which includes fiochetto beef and gnocchi; and $9.98 for gourmet ravioli, with filling options including porcini mushroom and lobster. A handful of sauces, like tomato and basil, arrabiata and pink sauce come gratuit. Options such as Bolognese, matriciana - a tomato sauce with onion and Italian ham, and carbonara can be had for an additional dollar or two.
Chicken on top? $2. Shrimp or meatballs? $3.
Verde Food Inc., the parent company for the eatery, "is a venture capital company investing in food business and is looking to diversify commercial real estate," reads an investor business plan. "The object is to develop and manage a national fast food company model in USA, and to invest in the real estate market."
Verde, according to the plan, licenses brand and products to Spaghetto Inc. through Domo Food Inc. and Tortellini & Co. Tortellini is based in Davie, a quick shoot up 95, and is where all the pasta is made, frozen and shipped out to both Spaghetto, retailers, or restaurants. Newco Real Estate LLC rents space to Spaghetto, Domo Food and Tortellini & Co.
A search of the state's Division of Corporation records shows Fabio Cragnotti as sole manager for Verde Food. LinkedIn shows Cragnotti as President of Domo Food Inc., a manager for Verde Food Inc. and president of Tortellini & Co. Inc. Capo di tutti capi, in a sense. Prior to Spaghetto, Cragnotti worked in finance and venture capital, primarily in Italy.
Spaghetto's business plan also lays out the franchising system, finances and investment requirements for each new store, and for $187,200 and up, you too can get a piece of the pasta.
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