Sbarro's Using San Marzano Tomatoes

[rcbaughn]

So apparently Sbarro's changed over to using San Marzano tomatoes in their sauce that they make fresh in each store. Hand shredding the cheese as well. I wonder how that is going to help their overall quality really. I have always enjoyed their pizzas when I needed a goto slice while shopping, I thought they were pretty flavorful, especially the stuffed variety.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/business/new-sbarro-pizza-recipe-to-drive-chains-turnaround-plans.html?_r=0

[TXCraig1]

"The goal was to come up with a basic, Neapolitan-style pizza that could stand up to the local pizza wherever there is a Sbarro store. 'Why can’t we do that?'" Mr. Greco asked.

[rcbaughn]

And there goes the Neapolitan word again. LOL, too funny.

[c0mpl3x]

sbarro's sauce is tomato paste   

[rcbaughn]

Maybe it use to be, IDK.

[Giggliato]

I don't know, I've used quite a few cans of imported tomatoes and I must say that the flavor is quite variable. I do like the quote about minimal adjuncts however, the purists might state that a tomato is all you need but I need garlic, salt, oil and oregano.

[La Sera]

I had a slice from a Sbarro franchise in a food court last year. It was my first time to eat at one, and I have to say that I'm not surprised they went Chapter 11. It was pathetic, tasteless stuff that conjured up an image of wet newspaper with ketchup and cardboard vegetables on top.

I'm more amazed that investors and banks write enormous checks to support this business model. Can you imagine bankers sitting in a room easting some of this stuff and saying, "Wow! This is so great! What a fantastic, original business idea and product. Here, please take these millions of dollars!"

[c0mpl3x]

I had a slice from a Sbarro franchise in a food court last year. It was my first time to eat at one, and I have to say that I'm not surprised they went Chapter 11. It was pathetic, tasteless stuff that conjured up an image of wet newspaper with ketchup and cardboard vegetables on top.

I'm more amazed that investors and banks write enormous checks to support this business model. Can you imagine bankers sitting in a room easting some of this stuff and saying, "Wow! This is so great! What a fantastic, original business idea and product. Here, please take these millions of dollars!"

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQCP85FngzE" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQCP85FngzE</a>

[AimlessRyan]

Last time I bothered looking at a Sbarro display, their slice pies had shrunk from 17" to 14", but the prices hadn't changed.

I don't look at Sbarro displays anymore.

[TXCraig1]

He's back! 

[c0mpl3x]

He's back! 

who?

[AimlessRyan]

who?

Some jerk.

[c0mpl3x]

Some jerk.

i find your direction of answer aimless

[TheDude]

Flame away.  San Marzano is over rated. Period. 

It has become nothing more than a buzz word.

I did a taste test....just random friends...bought some dop san marzano (so the label says...but you can't know) vs some domestic stuff.  You know what they liked???  Fricking Stanislaus...8 to 2. 

Bottom line..there is a difference between the Italian born taste bud and the American born.  And guess what..that is a O.K!  Different upbringing...different flavors on the dinner table as kids...the average american did not grow up on san marzano (and do some research there on the marketing campaign that has gone into building that into a brand)...they grew up on stuff like Kraft mac...so something like Staniuslaus..it appeals to their upbringing but takes it up a notch...it blows them away.

my .5 cent..
 

[PizzaEater101]

So apparently Sbarro's changed over to using San Marzano tomatoes in their sauce that they make fresh in each store. Hand shredding the cheese as well. I wonder how that is going to help their overall quality really. I have always enjoyed their pizzas when I needed a goto slice while shopping, I thought they were pretty flavorful, especially the stuffed variety.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/business/new-sbarro-pizza-recipe-to-drive-chains-turnaround-plans.html?_r=0

I actually liked their sauce already, they received cans of it at each store and made their pizzas with it. Now I wonder how it is now that they make it at each store. I am surprised they expect their employees to do this.  Sbarro takes a lot of flack about being lousy but I've been there enough to say it's good stuff and not lousy. I have not been in about four months so I have to go and see how they are now.

[PizzaEater101]

sbarro's sauce is tomato paste   

Wrong. The stuff they used for years was made from peeled ground tomatoes, puree, salt, sugar and other spices. Now they are using the whole peeled tomatoes from scratch.

[PizzaEater101]

I called my local Sbarro and asked if they switched over from the canned sauce and pre-shredded cheese to the new fresh stuff and they said yes they moved to fresh ingredients already.

I was annoyed because I was telling the guy that I read in the NY Times that they are canning the canned stuff (no pun, well okay pun intended) to fresh sauce from tomatoes and all that and he paused and sounded suspicious and asked who I was and I said "James". I knew he was getting at basically why am I asking about this stuff because most customers don't give a rat's butt about this stuff. So he asked more about me and I just said I was a customer and I really liked their canned sauce and used to buy cans from them on occasion.  He said that with the new fresh sauce made on site and the shredded cheese it's much better.  I asked what kind of cheese and he said whole milk mozzarella. Interesting because before they used what was called "pizza cheese blend" which implies a mixture of diff cheeses but now just moz. They are trying to get more street cred I guess as a real NY style pizza. 

I am one of the few who actually love Sbarro here. I found nothing wrong with their pizza and their sauce was excellent.  I now have to try the new Sbarro and see how I like it. I'll let you guys know. I'll try it out in a few days if I have a chance to go to the mall.

Oh if I did not see here at this forum that Sbarro was switching to fresh stuff I'd probably have not have known because I don't go to Sbarro much but now I know so I have to see how it is.

[c0mpl3x]

Wrong. The stuff they used for years was made from peeled ground tomatoes, puree, salt, sugar and other spices. Now they are using the whole peeled tomatoes from scratch.

i ate sbarros a few days before that post and it was most definitely paste

[PizzaEater101]

i ate sbarros a few days before that post and it was most definitely paste

That's odd because if they are doing what they are supposed to now they should be making the sauce from whole tomatoes according to the article. I also called the Sbarro near me and they are doing that.

If they are still using the canned sauce then should not be because I've purchased cans from them before and the ingredients are ground tomatoes, puree and spices. Whatever that Sbarro is doing that you went to is not right. 

Could be the place you went to does not have access to the Sbarro canned sauce any longer due to the switch but they did not switch to sauce from scratch yet so they are in limbo and using some other source like plain old paste until they implement the new sauce from scratch policy. The canned stuff is not available any longer so if they don't make it from scratch then they are out of luck and need some other source for sauce.

I'll try to go to Sbarro in a day or two to find out what is going on because my local on when I called say they are making sauce from tomatoes so I want to see how it taste.

[Chicago Bob]

Jus because they "say" they are doing something don't make it so...Joe!