Sbarro, the iconic New York pizza-by-the-slice brand, reported “exceptional growth” for 2024 in a new report, stating it marked “another milestone year” in the company’s expansion strategy.
According to the report, Sbarro opened a total of 114 new restaurants worldwide last year, including 34 in the U.S. and 80 internationally. Moreover, the chain has opened 313 new stores since 2022.
Franchisees played a key role in that success, with 16 domestic franchisees opening new restaurants, six of which were first-time operator openings. Internationally, 14 franchisees opened new stores, including landmark expansions into Scotland, Belize and Chile, and three of those were new franchisees joining the network.
In total, 52% of Sbarro’s restaurants are now outside the United States, up from 48% at the end of 2023.
Last year also saw notable changes in the company’s store formats. While 60% of stores remain in malls worldwide—down from 65% at the end of 2023—the company’s presence in convenience stores (C-stores) has grown significantly, now making up 15% of its global store count. “This shift reflects the growing demand for the brand in non-traditional restaurants, further broadening its reach and appeal,” the report stated. “With a menu to support five dayparts—breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and late-night—Sbarro’s menu is a perfect fit in C-stores, travel centers, colleges and universities, airports, malls, entertainment venues, military bases and more.”
Some Sbarro restaurants also continue to witness record sales growth with more than 25% of total sales being driven through digital ordering channels, the report said. This success comes on the heels of an increased focus on digital channels.
Legacy menu items, such as pepperoni, cheese and supreme pizza slices and stromboli, have carried the brand through the decades. But revisiting recipes in 2024 was a focus for the team. Results included increasing the amount of toppings within strombolis, like whole-milk mozzarella, meats and fresh spinach, as well as a focus on the party size (24”) stromboli.
As consumers’ demands for new flavors rise, Sbarro stayed on-trend with the introduction of menu items like the Italian Beef Stromboli and nodded to regional taste preferences by expanding the offering of local favorites such as the Pepperoni and Pineapple Pizza, the Pepperoni and Jalapeño Pizza and Stromboli.
The past year also saw the onboarding of two key leaders to the team: Mario Bojorquez, who joined in April as President, North America, and CJ Wolford Ramirez, who came on board in August as Chief Marketing Officer.
Finally, Sbarro was certified as a “Great Place to Work” for the third consecutive year and recognized for the second straight year as a QSR Best Brand to Work For. Furthermore, the company achieved record-low crew turnover of under 100%, while, the report said, “an industry-leading general manager tenure of nearly eight years for company stores speaks to the strength and stability of its leadership team.”
Looking ahead to 2025, the company said it’s on track to exceed 800 restaurants by early 2025 and expects to exceed 900 restaurants by the year’s end, marking another significant achievement in its global expansion efforts.