Sbarro Logo

Sbarro Logo PNG

The Sbarro logo is like a piece of Italy transferred to America. The logo celebrates the homeland of the brand’s founders and the recipes that made the pizzeria so popular. The sign invites everyone who wants to feel the sunny Naples for a while.

Meaning and History

When Sbarro first appeared, it used a plain text logo consisting of its name. The black-and-white lettering adorned the facade of the debut restaurant. In the 1970s, the logo became more complex and recognizable. It was supplemented with an image of the Italian flag, set within a rectangle with rounded corners. This figure served as a background for the black word “Sbarro.”

In the 1990s, the designers changed the shape of the tricolor, presenting it as three wavy stripes. And after a few years, the brand name was set against a triangular shape resembling a slice of pizza. Only the color scheme preserved a hint of the Italian flag. In general, in the history of logos, you can trace the evolution from a simple verbal sign to multi-component emblems with national symbols.

What is Sbarro?

A chain of privately owned pizzerias opened by the Sbarro family. It franchises outlets in Europe, Asia, Australia, Russia, and Canada. The restaurants feature Italian menus and fast service.

1956 – 1970s

The first Salumeria was designed for workers. Going from or to a shift, they could buy a quick snack without being delayed. It took no more than 3 minutes to prepare.

Therefore, the company’s first logo is simple and uncomplicated: the name is in thin lowercase black letters.

However, a slight slant of the inscription showed the special pretensions of the young restaurant, the desire to raise its level. Only fresh products were used, the food was prepared carefully, and the service was high-quality. Therefore, even a customer of low social status felt he came into a worthy establishment where he was treated with special attention.

The distances between the letters hinted at comfort and the availability of tasty meals throughout the day.

1970s – 1997

In 1970, Sbarro began to expand and opened additional outlets. The second of them, like the first one, was located in the most populous district of New York, Brooklyn.

The place served very tasty dishes for Americans: cheeses, salami, and homemade sausages, as well as special pizza slices, which could be rolled up and eaten as a sandwich. Everything was prepared according to homemade recipes and attracted customers. Those who wanted to eat out deliberately sought eateries with Italian menus.

To ensure customers were not confused and reached their destination, the logo emphasized Italy by using the country’s flag in the image. It is placed on a rectangle with rounded corners, demonstrating loyalty and adjustment of Italian recipes to the preferences of American residents.

The large, italicized inscription in the center was well remembered and reflected a desire for development.

Overall, the logo epitomized the following:

• Italian food.
• The owners’ Italian roots.
• Love for the Motherland.

The sale of stock on the stock exchange facilitated the additional expansion.

1997 – 2015

Business for the pizzeria is going great. And the Sbarro family intends to buy the business back into full private ownership, as it was in 1999.

The logo of that time even more glorified Italy and its national cuisine through the company’s restaurants. A real flag was developing on the emblem. However, the name came first in this version, becoming larger and getting a white border. This demonstrated the scale of the business. About 800 restaurants were opened. The company was considered one of the largest employers in the country. This made the Sbarro name significant in the restaurant industry, as the logo showed.

2015 – today

After two bankruptcies, the company went through a major reorganization. Some locations closed, and the headquarters moved to Ohio. A new director, David Karam, set about revitalizing and rebooting the pizzerias. The first step was a major rebranding.

The logo finally featured that famous pizza slice that is universally loved. The pie has been sold in slices since its inception, indicated by the inscription “from New York since 1956” in the middle of the slice. So the choice of image is very iconic.

The love of Italy has been preserved in the new emblem as an image border in green and red tones. The white stripe of the flag is the white coloring inside the slice. The lack of ingredients indicates that customers customize their pizzas by choosing their favorite toppings.

The company name appears in large print in the center of the pie slice. The capital letters convey that the franchise intends to regain its position in the market and will not give up; the firm plans to build on Sbarro’s past fame and popularity.

By 2022, the company had partially regained its position. Mostly by placing outlets in convenience stores, which continued to be visited even during the pandemic.

Font and Colors

The logo’s main colors are red, green, white, and black. In interpreting the country’s flag, they conveyed love, hope, and faith. In the emblem, their meaning does not change. The Sbarro family pinned all their hopes on the success of their business. In addition, the colors carry additional meaning.

• Red is passion, typical of the Italians. They approach the business, putting all their energy into it. Love for delicious food. Speed of service. Cooking pizza in a hot oven.
• Green the naturalness of the products. Simple ingredients fuse to create a dance of flavor. Green is also the development and growth of an enterprise.
• White is perfect for purity and transparency in cooking. Pizzerias have open kitchens, so everyone can watch their order being cooked. Symbolizes the color and dough with which the chef works.
• Black growth and confident position in the market.

The font of the inscription is Bahnschrift.