Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 1/26/2023
WEST WARREN – Mass Appeal Pizza & Bread Co. specializes in handmade Italian thin crust pizza with vegan and gluten-free options. Along with calzones, stromboli, stuffed pizza pies, pasta dinners and other speciality bread dishes. They will be doing some preview weekends and planning a grand opening with full menu and services on Valentine’s Day Feb. 14.
“What we’re hoping to do is bridge the gap between a bakery and an on-demand restaurant,” said Lead Baker Jasper Fortunato. “We really have an emphasis on trying to get people to think of us as much an on-demand restaurant as a take and bake or a heat & eat place to get prepared, high quality food that you can serve family style.”
He continued, “Mass Appeal hopes to have something for everybody. It’s fast casual, so you can come as you are, but you’ll leave with a high end experience. We want the residents of the area and the state of Massachusetts to know that we’re here to add something to the flavors that will one day be a staple.”
For the last 10 years, Mass Appeal Pizza & Bread Co. has done what Fortunato calls in-term residencies in areas throughout New England that have vacation appeal. As the years went by, the cost of them renting and being able to set up these semi temporary operations have been increasingly more expensive. They finally realized that a commissary centrally located between Worcester and Amherst, Springfield was ideal if they could find something that was within reach.
“We looked specifically for pre-existing restaurants or pizzerias that would fit what we do as a concession company.” Fortunato explained. “West Warren is a nice centrally located spot and it suits our needs. We thought if we could be between our operations in New England it would be ideal and we’re really lucky. We’re hopeful that we made the right decision.”
Mass Appeal’s current goal is to establish their name and build their menu. Ultimately, they hope to branch out between Worcester and Amherst, Springfield. They have a big fundraising packaging component they’ve developed over the years that can network with any organizations, youth groups and schools and will host some unique events one Sunday every month starting Jan. 22, with a Vegan Pop-Up event offering a full line of vegan options. Mass Appeal will also be doing a Super Bowl Day promotion. The special includes menu items that coincides with the course of the game such as appetizers and finger foods for the first quarter, instructions for how to have pizza and wings ready at halftime and finalizing with cannolis and cookies at the beginning of the fourth quarter. These packages are likely to be pre-ordered only.
“This could be a game changer for those hosting and sure to be a touchdown with guests,” Fortunato added. “We really want to impress the folks here and let them know they’ll have something to be proud of. When they say Warren I hope people say it’s the home of Mass Appeal Pizza & Bread Co.”
Mass Appeal Pizza & Bread Co. is located on 2162 Main St., Unit 1-L, on the bottom floor to the left. They haven’t determined what their final hours will be come Valentine’s Day, but at this point it will be seven days a week. For the upcoming weekends in January into early February Mass Appeal will do just dinner hours Thursdays through Sundays from 4 p.m.- 9.m. For more information, call 436-8556, email email MyPizzaOnDemand@gmail.com or visit their page on Facebook.