Eataly Boston Sets an Opening Date

BACK BAY, MA — It's official: Eataly Boston will open by Christmas.

"We are wicked excited for our grand opening on November 29," Eataly posted to its Boston Facebook page.

The grande-sized emporium of all things Italian is slated to open in the Prudential Center, where Eater reports it will occupy 45,000 square feet, its smallest footprint in the U.S. so far. But "small" is relative, of course, and Eataly will nonetheless feel huge in the Pru, where it will span three levels.

Eataly bills itself as "the largest Italian marketplace in the world, committed to promoting high-quality yet affordable regional Italian food with a local twist."

In the United States, Boston will be its fourth location, after two in New York and one in Chicago. They began in Turin, Italy, founded by Oscar Farinetti in 2007. In the United States, they're built in partnership with celebrity chef Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich and Lidia Bastianich.

Part-store, part-eatery, Eatalys elsewhere feature: smaller casual restaurants, fine dining restaurants, retail counters for meat, seafood, fresh pasta, pastry and chocolate, cheese and cured meats; coffee bars; a bakery; a mozzarella lab; a gelateria; grocery departments including sweets, spreads and jams; more than 100 olive oils, dry pastas and condiments; a housewares section; a book store; a cooking school; and various private event spaces.

We'll see what Boston has in store on Nov. 29.

Photo by brunifia from Eataly Roma, via Flickr/Creative Commons

This article has been updated to reflect requested clarifications.