Eataly Announces Expansion Plans for NYC, DC, Philadelphia, and LA

After telling Eater NY last week that when it came to further expansion "nothing is set in stone," Italian megastore Eataly has revealed plans for two additional locations to open in New York City. Food historian and cookbook author Francine Segan attended an event at Eataly last night and reports via Twitter that founder Oscar Farinetti announced that Eataly will open a downtown Manhattan location near the World Trade Center and and an uptown location. And that's not all.

Per Segan, Farinetti also revealed further expansion plans, naming Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia as next on the list. Rumors surfaced earlier this month that Eataly might be heading to the Capitol Crossing project in DC, and in December Joe Bastianich said Eataly Philly would be "probably a year away, and Los Angeles shortly after that." Eataly rumors in LA have circulated for years.

News of the New York City expansion doesn't come as too much of a surprise. Last week the New York Post reported that Eataly was on board to occupy space in the base of 4 World Trade Center. Eataly reps promptly told Eater NY that this wasn't certain, but it now seems likely that 4 WTC will be home to the downtown Eataly location.

Eater has reached out to Eataly for more details. Stay tuned.

UPDATE 12:15 P.M. An Eataly rep tells Eater NY that things are still up in the air in terms of where, exactly, Eataly will open in NYC: "[W]e are interested in opening a second store in New York — however nothing has been set yet."

· @FrancineSegan [Twitter via Grub Street]
· Eataly Team on WTC Expansion: 'Nothing Is Set in Stone' [Eater NY]
· All Eataly Coverage on Eater [-E-]