I have absolutely no desire to diminish any excitement y'all might have about Mr. Gatti's coming soon to Levelland. When Everything Lubbock broke the news yesterday, the joy was infectious.

https://mrgattispizza.com/
https://mrgattispizza.com/
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It is exciting, and you will soon be able to relive happy memories of Lubbock birthday parties and post-game celebrations with every bite.

However, I do want to manage your expectations- as this Mr. Gatti's will be located inside the Levelland Walmart, meaning it will have a much smaller area to work with than our massive Mr. Gatti's had back in the day.

According to the Dallas Observer, Mr. Gatti's restaurants are making a "comeback of sorts" by opening 92 locations in Walmart stores in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.

But the restaurant will look and feel quite different than the booths and bright carpet we knew on 50th Street.

This location will not be a buffet. Locations inside Walmarts will be counter service, offering pizza, wings, salads, etc. Guests can order on the app to pick up to-go orders on the way out, and local delivery will be available.

According to Nation's Restaurant News, these locations will be quite compact, "The Walmart version of the shop will be smaller than the original floor plan, with sizes ranging from 800 square feet to 1,500 square feet."

For reference, that's about the size of a 1 to 2-bedroom apartment. So I wouldn't expect bumper cars here either.

Mr. Gatti's is a Texas original (it all began in Stephensville), and I'm thrilled to see it make a comeback.

And yes, according to PR Newswire, there are plans to open 10 Family Entertainment Centers in 2025, that is, the Mr. Gatti's we grew up with. In the meantime, we can enjoy the delicious pizza (I'm looking at you, Gatti's Deluxe) just a short drive from Lubbock.

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