Spinato’s Pizzeria & Family Kitchen is the “Official Pizza of the Arizona Cardinals,” after inking a deal with the NFL team to serve its fresh, delicious pizza at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
Spinato’s CEO, Anthony Spinato, said the partnership with the Arizona Cardinals marks a special turning point for the Tempe-based, family-owned business during its 50th anniversary year.
“Over the past five decades, we’ve worked hard to deliver what we call ‘the Spinato’s experience,’ to our guests. From the moment you walk in, we want you to feel like part of a big family. We’ve grown to six locations in Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Gilbert and Phoenix. This partnership marks our first entry into the West Valley, and we could not be more excited to do it with such a beloved sports team,” Spinato said.
“We are thrilled to announce Spinato’s as the Official Pizza of the Arizona Cardinals and to welcome the Spinato’s family as our Proud Partner,” said Wade Martin, Arizona Cardinals senior vice president of corporate partnerships. “Bringing in beloved, local food and beverage companies is important to us, and I couldn’t think of a better representation of that than Spinato’s. We are excited for our fans to enjoy delicious, locally owned pizza on gamedays this season.”
In September, Spinato’s will begin serving three types of fresh pizzas, a hearty Italian Beef Sandwich, a Caesar salad with or without chicken, cheesy garlic bread with marinara, and decadent brownie bite desserts at four concession stands during Cardinals’ home games and at other stadium events. Spinato’s has also collaborated with Phoenix-based Cactus Corn to offer a unique “Mamma’s Signature” pizza-flavored popcorn that features a spinach spice and sweet tomato flavor. Two additional flavors of Cactus Corn will be introduced soon.
“The Red Zone” Pizza Collaboration
Spinato’s and the Cardinals are also collaborating on a new pizza that will launch on Sept. 8 at all six Spinato’s locations. “The Red Zone” pizza is made with Spinato’s signature sauce, Canadian bacon, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini, mozzarella and spinach spice.
“The Canadian bacon and roasted red bell peppers bring a red element to the pizza, while the pepperoncini bring a little spice for our Arizona heat,” Spinato said.
In Spinato’s restaurants, the cost of “The Red Zone” pizza will range from $17.75 for a small pizza, $23.75 for a medium pizza and $29.75 for a large pizza.
At State Farm Stadium, the price of an eight-inch “The Red Zone” pizza will be $15.50. Fans can also purchase an eight-inch cheese pizza for $13.50 or an eight-inch pepperoni pizza for $14.50.
Fresh Pizza – Never Frozen
Spinato said his team rolls out fresh dough every morning for all restaurants and concessions. The new partnership has created nearly 50 new jobs, both at Spinato’s family kitchen and in the stadium concession stands.
“We estimate that we’ll serve double the amount of pizza at State Farm Stadium than we serve at Footprint Center,” he said. “Our new team members will help us create more pizza dough and sauce and distribute them to the stadium. We also had to upgrade our family kitchen to ensure we can keep up with the demand.”
New Promotions to Be Announced Soon
To celebrate their new partnership, Spinato’s will also introduce new specials and promotions and have their TVs turned on to football games during the NFL season. The restaurant will also open an hour earlier at 11 a.m. on Sundays beginning Sept. 8, when the Cardinals take on the Buffalo Bills in New York.
Spinato’s is best known for serving classic Chicago-style pizza with a signature sweet sauce. The family-friendly restaurant offers a diverse menu, with everything from Chicago-style pizza and sandwiches, robust pastas and spaghetti-stuffed calzones to gluten-free options, fresh signature salads and Spinato’s famous home-made Italian desserts.
“The Arizona Cardinals have been so welcoming, and we’re thrilled about this partnership,” Spinato said. “In addition, over the years, we have received many requests to expand into the West Valley, and now that we’ve taken this step, we’ll be exploring our options to open a seventh restaurant at some point soon.”
