Eataly’s long-awaited King of Prussia location will open next month
And it’s not the only major destination coming soon to King of Prussia.
Eataly, the Italian marketplace concept that combines dining, shopping, and education, has set the opening date for its location at King of Prussia Mall.
The company has told The Inquirer that doors will open at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2, capping a two-year wait. Created in partnership with Simon Property Group, this will be Eataly’s 17th North American store; there are more than 60 worldwide. North America is a growth market for Eataly, according to the industry trade press.
Eataly’s one-level space — the former Rite Aid and Forever 21 sites on the mall’s King of Prussia Plaza side — will include a sit-down restaurant, several quick-service counters (including one where salumi and formaggi will be cut to order), a retail market, and a wine shop.
The restaurant, La Pizza & La Pasta, will seat more than 200 people indoors, plus 90 on a covered patio, and serve Neapolitan-style pizza, artisanal pasta, and other regional Italian dishes alongside cocktails and a 450-label wine list.
The marketplace will feature imported goods as well as house-made items, breads, meats, cheeses, and prepared foods. Quick-service counters will include coffee (Lavazza), Roman-style pizza by the slice as well as panini and farcita (Pizza alla Pala), pastries (La Pasticceria), and gelato.
Following opening day, the Eataly store will host 10 days of activities, including tastings and demos.
Entrepreneur Oscar Farinetti founded Eataly in an old vermouth factory in Turin in 2007 with the idea to create one place where people could shop for quality Italian ingredients, learn about food, and eat prepared foods. The original location has since closed.
Eataly opened its first U.S. location in New York City in 2010, in partnership with chefs Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, and Lidia Bastianich. (Eataly cut ties with Batali in 2019 after allegations of sexual misconduct against him came to light.)
At 21,000 square feet, the King of Prussia store is about a third of the size of Chicago’s, and roughly the same size as the one in New York’s SoHo neighborhood.
“It’s going to take King of Prussia to the next level,” said Rachel Ammon, director of marketing and communications for the King of Prussia District.
Asked if Eataly’s draw could come at the expense of other local businesses, Ammon said, “That’s the interesting thing about King of Prussia. We keep adding new restaurants, retailers, and businesses. It doesn’t seem to take away. It just seems to bring more people to the area.”
King of Prussia has been on an upswing. On Nov. 12, the immersive entertainment experience Netflix House will open in the mall’s former Lord & Taylor store.
The business district counts eight other openings since the spring:
Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar, in the mall’s connector
Wonder, the food hall/delivery/takeout restaurant, in the Courtside Square Shopping Center
The Kibitz Room, a Jewish-style deli in Valley Forge Shopping Center
Valley Forge Casino Resort Food Hall, featuring four concepts
Peter Chang King of Prussia, a Chinese restaurant at Henderson Square Shopping Center
First Watch King of Prussia, a breakfast/lunch restaurant at 127 S. Gulph Rd., next to the new Residence Inn by Marriott and the Prussia Hotel
610 Social Bar & Lounge, inside Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar at King of Prussia Town Center, with late-night DJs, upgraded sound, and expanded hours
Cava, a Mediterranean fast-casual eatery next to First Watch
Besides Netflix House, two other major destinations are on the way to King of Prussia:
Tommy’s Tavern & Tap, a North Jersey bar-pizzeria chain, is penciled in for October on Mall Boulevard, where J. Alexander’s was.
Dave & Buster’s, the fun house, is aiming for a 2026 opening next to the Regal UA King of Prussia at the Overlook, on Goddard Boulevard across from the mall.