News

The Melting Pot owners launching fast causual Italian concept

Provided

January 28, 2020

Dan Bavaro, Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pasteria is getting into the fast casual game by launching Oronzo in Tampa Bay, Florida. The new Italian concept is opening in a few months and is backed by Front Burner Brands, which owns The Melting Pot, a chain of 105 locations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and the fast casual better-burger brand, Burger 21.

"Oronzo is named after my grandfather Oronzo  Bavaro who migrated from Giovinazzo, Italy, to Gravesend, Brooklyn, New York, in the early 1900s," Bavaro said in a company press release. "My grandfather established Oronzo & Sons General Trucking Company which made deliveries to area grocery stores and restaurants."

Bavaro and Front Burner execs said they have developed an Italian concept that will resonate with customers in Tampa Bay and throughout the U.S. bringing from-scratch Italian recipes and ease of technology to its patrons.

"From the first time we met Dan at his downtown Bavaro's location, we knew there was something special about him," Front Burner CEO Bob Johnston said in the release. "He is passionate about everything he gets involved with. Oronzo  has great potential for future growth. We are proud to bring Dan and Oronzo  into our legacy of Melting Pot family of restaurants."

The menu
The menu will spotlight from-scratch recipes with origins dating back to the 1800s in Rimini, Italy, a city on the Adriatic coast in the Emilia-Romagna region. It will focus around Italy's iconic Piadina bread, made with imported Italian flour, sea salt, lardo and water. Similar to a tortilla, Oronzo will use the Piadina bread as a base for a pizza called Piatto — meaning flat in Italian — according to the release.

The Piadina bread will also be used as a wrap for Italian ingredients including the ancient grain and superfood, Farro. Other menu items will include Italian soups and salads, as well as proteins such as baked chicken, steak, grilled chicken, hand-rolled meatballs, Forza (power) bowls, homemade pasta, and gluten-free zucchini noodles and vegan options.

The first location is scheduled to open in late spring at 18027 Highwood Preserve Parkway, just off Bruce B Downs near 75 in The Walk at Highwood Preserve.

Future locations are in the works.