Sbarro was founded in 1956 by Gennaro and Carmela Sbarro.
The couple had immigrated from Naples, Italy, and opened a salumeria—an Italian grocery store specializing in foods such as cured meats, cheeses, and prepared dishes—in Brooklyn, New York. That family business became the foundation for the Sbarro restaurant brand.
Sbarro’s first location was in Bensonhurst, at 1701 65th Street and 17th Avenue. The family’s fresh Italian food proved popular, leading to additional stores in the New York metropolitan area. In 1970, Sbarro opened its first mall-based restaurant at Brooklyn’s Kings Plaza Shopping Center, helping establish its familiar food-court model.
The chain is best known for New York-style pizza sold by the slice, but its menu also includes pasta, salads, and other Italian-American foods. It later expanded internationally and has operated in shopping malls, airports, college campuses, service areas, and military facilities. The name is sometimes mistaken for a pizza style, but Sbarro is a restaurant company named after its founding family.