In a new partnership, the six-location Spinato’s Pizzeria & Family Kitchen has been named the Official Pizza of the Arizona Cardinals.

 Celebrating 50 years in 2024, the brand is already a pro at pairing with sports teams, partnering with the Phoenix Suns and Mercury. But the new NFL relationship marks its first entry into Phoenix’s West Valley, with the Cardinals’ stadium located in Glendale and Spinato’s based in Tempe, Arizona, an East Valley city.

Spinato’s and the Cardinals football team have also collaborated on a new pizza, The Red Zone, that will be available at all six restaurants starting on September 8 and in the team’s concession stands, along with other menu items. The Red Zone is made with Spinato’s signature sauce, Canadian bacon, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini, mozzarella and spinach spice.

“The Canadian bacon and roasted red bell peppers bring a red element to the pizza, while the pepperoncini bring a little spice for our Arizona heat,” CEO Anthony Spinato said.

Spinato believes the partnership with the Cardinals marks a special turning point for the family-owned business during its 50^th anniversary year. “Over the past five decades, we’ve worked hard to deliver what we call ‘the Spinato’s experience’ to our guests,” he said. “From the moment you walk in, we want you to feel like part of a big family. We’ve grown to six locations in Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Gilbert and Phoenix. For our first entry into the West Valley, we could not be more excited to do it with such a beloved sports team.”

In September, Spinato’s will begin serving three types of fresh pizzas, plus a hearty Italian Beef Sandwich, a Caesar salad (with or without chicken), cheesy garlic bread with marinara, and decadent brownie bite desserts, at four concession stands during Cardinals’ home games and at other stadium events. Spinato’s has also collaborated with Phoenix-based Cactus Corn to offer a unique “Mamma’s Signature” pizza-flavored popcorn that features a spinach spice and sweet tomato flavor. Two additional flavors of Cactus Corn will be introduced soon.

In Spinato’s restaurants, the cost of “The Red Zone” pizza will range from $17.75 for a small pizza, $23.75 for a medium pizza and $29.75 for a large pizza. At State Farm Stadium, the price of an 8” The Red Zone will be $15.50.Fans can also purchase an 8” cheese pizza for $13.50 or an 8” pepperoni pizza for $14.50.

Spinato notes that his team rolls out fresh dough every morning for all restaurants and concessions. The new partnership has created nearly 50 new jobs, both at the Spinato’s family kitchen and in the stadium concession stands. “We estimate that we’ll serve double the amount of pizza at State Farm Stadium than we serve at Footprint Center,” Spinato said. “Our new team members will help us create more pizza dough and sauce and distribute them to the stadium. We also had to upgrade our family kitchen to ensure we can keep up with the demand.”

To celebrate the new partnership, Spinato’s will introduce additional specials and promotions and have their TVs turned on to football games during the NFL season. The restaurant will also open an hour earlier—11 a.m. on Sundays—beginning on September 8, when the Cardinals take on the Buffalo Bills in New York.

“The Arizona Cardinals have been so welcoming, and we’re thrilled about this partnership,” Spinato says. “In addition, over the years, we have received many requests to expand into the West Valley, and now that we’ve taken this step, we’ll be exploring our options to open a seventh restaurant at some point soon.”

Spinato’s opened its first location in Scottsdale in 1974 with the mission of serving authentic Italian cuisine in a family friendly atmosphere. Best known for its Chicago-style pizza, the family-owned restaurant has expanded its menu to include delicious sandwiches, pastas, calzones, salads, gluten-free options and homemade Italian desserts.