For quite some time we’ve heard about Italy’s economic troubles. Government officials have met for countless hours searching for an answer to bolster their economy. Well, the solution may have come from Italian food-emporium chain Eataly.
Eataly and the municipality of Bologna are building Eataly World, a theme-park much like Disneyland that is entirely dedicated to food. Sign me up! It makes sense if you think about it – currently Italy is the fourth most-visited country in the world – mostly because of food. Eataly CEO Oscar Farinatti said, ” We want people from around the world to play with this magical thing, Italian food.” Like I said, you had me at food.
The theme park is scheduled to open on November 1, 2015 with projections of about 10 million visitors per year. The project has been granted over 86,000 square feet courtesy of Bologna’s Centro Agroalimentare. The grounds will be transformed into $55 million worth of food experiences including 125 restaurants, grocery stores, food courts, and learning labs. The minds behind the project are also hoping to create a “world of educational opportunities”. Eataly World will host seminars, offer culinary classes, and provide certified training for all sectors of the food industry.
Eataly World sounds terrific. I’m stuffed just thinking about it. While there’s no doubt that Italian food is some of the finest in the world, it’ll be interesting to see if it’s a success.
Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images
