Eataly: First Italy, Then the World

Eataly is a combination Italian market and restaurant enclave, all in one cavernous space. Although the only Eataly I'm familiar with is in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, the business began in (where else?) Italy, first with a marketplace location in Torino and then one in Milano.

Eataly in Manhattan, open nearly 3 years, is an artisanal food phenomenon, with projected annual revenues of $85 million. Customers can buy gourmet meals or top-quality ingredients to take home, or sit down to a meal or snack in one of the seven bustling eateries on the premises. Just stepping inside Eataly, shoppers are treated to a cornucopia of delicious aromas and mouth-watering displays--an ambiance that few foodies can resist. And Eataly NY is a social media marketer, with 34,000 Facebook likes, 19,000 Twitter followers, a Pinterest account.

A new Eataly in the heart of Rome is the largest yet, with 170,000 square feet of fabulous food. More Eataly marketplaces are planned for Chicago and beyond, bringing the brand's combination of quality and experience to shoppers many thousands of miles from Italy.

Eataly's smart marketing strategy is to build long-term relationships with customers, as it says in the "manifesto" on its website: Our goal is to have you as our customer for a lifetime. The easiest means to that end is offering the best food and drink as well as the best environment in which to discover and expand your tastes.