“Eataly has an opinion.” This is one of the elements that differentiate the Italian food and beverage mecca, according to executive chairman Andrea Guerra. “This brand speaks of the revolution in food. People talk about experience in fashion, but what about food? In the past, it was even worse; it was all about the shopping list and functional corridors,” observed Guerra during an interview at the Eataly offices above the brand’s unit here located in a former theater, the Smeraldo — a three-story sensory feast of market stalls brimming with fresh produce, restaurants and endless rows of the best wines and groceries.

“When you think that the most precious thing you put in your body is food and how it was purchased before the arrival of Eataly, it’s quite incredible. It was all about price, price and price again and promotions — buy four at the cost of two — without offering the possibility to try and taste the products. And the important pivot in this is the education, testing food, learning and having fun, but there is always a cultural element that helps in this journey, making us more aware of what we do.”