Nutella Bars Wannabes are popping up all over the place. Since Eataly Chicago and then Eataly New York opened the first Nutella Bars in the world, many Nutella fans and enthusiasts have been quite entrepreneurial themselves and have decided to simply open up their own version of the popular bar.
A new joint in Park Slope, for instance, announced the opening of their Nutelleria less than a month ago, sporting a menu that includes: a Nutella laced breakfast pizza, fruity Nutella filled “burritos,” and Nutella-bacon-banana waffle sandwiches.
Right after, it was reported that entrepreneur Ralph Khalil plans to open two Eatellas in Montreal, one in time for Christmas 2014 and another sometime next year. Obviously, the name plays on the two brand names Eataly and Nutella combine.
And, just to be clear, both of the cases above have no association with Eataly or the Nutella company for that matter.
Is a big lawsuit pending for both entrepreneurs? Or will Nutella see this as a “the more the merrier” type of competition? Either way, the love for the chocolate-hazelnut spread is definitely…spreading.
However, let’s not forget that Nutella has been a staple in every Italian household for the past 50 years and used on bread and toasts, very parsimoniously, for breakfast or as a mid-afternoon snack. That’s the essence of Italian cuisine: simplicity and just about the right quantity of high quality ingredients. Nutella-burrito and Nutella-bacon-banana waffles don’t really see to fall in this category – so maybe these Nutella-obsessed new restaurant owners do need some sort of (at least friendly) intervention.