Serafina, one of New York’s most beloved restaurant groups serving quality Italian fare for decades, announces the forthcoming debut of Serafina Express, a new, elevated Italian fast-casual restaurant concept to meet the needs of busy New Yorkers, in a self-service configuration with a strong emphasis on value, quality, Italian ingredients, speed and easy-to-use mobile technology. Serving the same contemporary Italian cuisine that has garnered legions of fans, Serafina Express offers a charming setting designed for convenience in a casual and smaller footprint, which allows the restaurant to serve Serafina favorites in new neighborhoods for the first time ever.
The first three Serafina Express’ will open in Manhattan at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street in Greenwich Village, on the corner of 22nd Street and Park Avenue South in Flatiron, and 30 Broad Street on the corner of the New York Stock Exchange.
All locations will transport guests to Italy the moment they arrive through the signature yellow awnings. Ranging in size from 1,500 to 3,000 square feet, each Serafina Express offers a beautiful traditional Italian wood and marble counter, reminiscent of a Florentine pharmacy. Each Serafina Express is anchored by a center island that features a cascade of antique colorful hand-painted ceramic dishes dangling from the ceiling and a featured art wall, framed by their typical velvet yellow banquette seating. In addition, each new Serafina Express location will feature its own eclectic design touches inspired by the neighborhood it serves.
As with all concepts in the Serafina brand, the new Serafina Express serves authentic Italian cuisine with the highest quality ingredients from Italy. Serafina devotees will find their favorite dishes including homemade pastas like Ravioli Pomodoro, a variety of thin crust pizzas including the signature Alla Burrata, alla Mozzarella di Bufala as well their Tartufo Nero Pizza, Italian paninis, seasonal salads, and delectable desserts such as Serafina’s renowned Tiramisu. The new concept also serves Kimbo premium coffee, teas and assorted bottled beverages, fresh juices, and a curated list of Italian beer and great wines. Traditionally like in Italy, Serafina Express is a transitional restaurant where guests can start their morning and end their day. Open daily from 9am-9pm, Serafina Express is available for pickup, delivery, and catering.
Over the past two years, our fans expressed that they wanted easier access to their favorite Serafina locations as they navigated work and lifestyle changes. We’re very excited to now introduce Serafina Express and bring the brand to several new neighborhoods. The Serafina name has always stood for bringing people together in a welcoming Italian sophisticated simplicity, now in this post pandemic rebound we feel Serafina should adapt and we are honored to introduce our new Express closer to our guests that will bring high quality Italian food in a more casual convenient way without compromising our exclusive simple elegance,” says Vittorio Assaf, co-founder of Serafina Restaurant Group.
For this new expansion, Serafina Express also partnered with Dallas-based restaurant technology innovator OneDine to provide technology that greatly enhances the guests’ dining experience. Guests have the option to place their order on a kiosk or quickly and easily order from their smartphone right at the table. The OneDine technology allows guests to fully customize their order, pay, and even earn points with Serafina Express’s generous loyalty reward program.
“We are excited to offer our guests the quality of real Italian food they have come to know and love in a new casual Serafina Express setting that prioritizes speed and cutting-edge technology,” says Fabio Granato, co-founder of Serafina Restaurant Group.
Additional locations of Serafina Express to open in the coming months will be located at the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Queens Boulevard; One Gateway Center at Penn Station in Newark; the intersection of University Place and 12th Street; at 84th and Third Avenue; and 777 Third Avenue at 48th St.
