After filing for bankruptcy twice in the past five years, Sbarro is staking a comeback on becoming a more traditional pizza chain — complete with stand-alone locations and delivery guys — putting it in closer competition with Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Papa John’s, Bloomberg Business reported yesterday. Long known for selling pizza by the slice in cafeteria-style eateries, Sbarro is now focusing on “off-mall locations,” the first four of which will open next month around Columbus, Ohio. These new restaurants will be out in the open, beckoning to customers with an updated logo. Gone from the menu are a host of pasta dishes and other Italian entrees that weren’t selling well. The company is betting that a tighter focus on its sometimes-maligned pizza will drive a turnaround after nearly a decade of declining guest traffic.
