As if the thought of traveling to Italy doesn’t make you hungry enough, here’s something to increase your appetite just a bit. Slated to open during the second half of 2017 will be the new FICO Eataly World, a culinary destination to feature the best of Italian food, wine and agricultural traditions, set on 20 acres in Bologna.
FICO Eataly World will operate as a fully functioning community, designed to display the biodiversity of Italian cuisine from field to fork. Visitors will be able to learn about and experience the production processes behind traditional Italian food and drinks. As the seasons change, FICO Eataly World will harvest typical Italian crops from on-site farms and pastures before processing the raw ingredients among 40 different shops – each of which represent top Italian producers. Products will then be sold in the destination’s market area.
In addition to FICO Eataly World’s 40 shops, the 20 acre property will also offer 25 restaurants on-site in addition to more than 2,000 participating companies and 3,000 employees. Using the same ingredients and products created nearby, the property’s 25 themed restaurants, ranging from star chefs to traditional osteries (local taverns serving simple food and wine) and street food carts will offer a variety of regional Italian recipes.
FICO Eataly World will house four acres of pastures, fields and farms each dedicated to growing the essential regional crops of Italy – olives, grape varieties, truffles – and raising indigenous animal breeds – the Piemontese and Chianina cow, Sardinian sheep, Ciociara goat. Using the ingredients produced nearby, the shops will create Italy’s finest artisanal products, including fresh and dry pasta, fresh mozzarella, aged cheeses, cured meats, gelato, candies, cakes, olive oil and craft beer, among other local specialties.
Good to know: Don’t worry about how to get around the rather large property – FICO Eataly World will have custom-made, three-wheeled shopping bikes designed by Bianchi so visitors can hop from stall to stall.
Ten classrooms on site among two miles of educational paths and six multimedia areas will be available to guests to teach about FICO Eataly World’s main products and findings of the agribusiness world, exemplifying the Eataly philosophy towards food and creating its signature “eat, shop and learn” experiences.
The experience plans to offer around 30 daily activities, equaling up to 500 events throughout the year. New details on the property and any upcoming events will be available on the FICO Eataly World website as the community’s opening day draws nearer.