Spinato's named Arizona Cardinals official pizza

Spinato's Pizzeria, the local chain with six restaurants around Phoenix and the East Valley, is making moves to the West. The pizzeria was named the "official pizza of the Arizona Cardinals" and will make its first West Valley appearance this football season inside State Farm Stadium.

The new collaboration coincides with Spinato's 50th anniversary.

“Over the past five decades, we’ve worked hard to deliver what we call ‘the Spinato’s experience,’ to our guests. From the moment you walk in, we want you to feel like part of a big family," CEO Anthony Spinato said in a news release. "This partnership marks our first entry into the West Valley, and we could not be more excited to do it with such a beloved sports team."

Starting in September, Spinato's will serve stadium guests with three types of pizza, an Italian beef sandwich, Caesar salad, cheesy garlic bread bites and brownie bite desserts. The new menu will be available at Arizona Cardinals football games and other stadium events.

Along with Italian classics, Spinato's will also serve a unique snack for its stadium customers. Thanks to a collaboration with local company Cactus Corn, football fans will be able to try a pizza-flavored popcorn with "spinach spice and sweet tomato flavor."

The new Spinato's concession stands will be located in stadium sections 113, 132, 416 and 440. The pizzeria locations join other new food options opening at the stadium this fall, including Amelia’s by EAT, Bario Queen, Kaizen and Scoopwell’s Dough Bar.

Those who prefer to catch the game outside of the stadium can still get a taste of the new collaboration at Spinato's restaurants. They will open at 11 a.m. on Sundays starting on Sept. 8 when the Cardinals take on the Buffalo Bills.

The restaurant and Cardinals teams have collaborated to create "The Red Zone," a new pizza flavor with Canadian bacon, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini and mozzarella.

“The Canadian bacon and roasted red bell peppers bring a red element to the pizza, while the pepperoncini bring a little spice for our Arizona heat,” Spinato said in the release.

The new flavor will be available in small, medium or large sizes at the restaurants and in personal, 8-inch versions at the stadium.

Along with the new pizza, Spinato's has also hired new staff to help with the stadium location. They anticipate that it will sell double the amount of pizza as the company's location within the Footprint Center. But according to Spinato, they're up for the challenge.

“The Arizona Cardinals have been so welcoming, and we’re thrilled about this partnership,” Spinato said, hinting at even more upcoming locations. “Over the years, we have received many requests to expand into the West Valley, and now that we’ve taken this step, we’ll be exploring our options to open a seventh restaurant at some point soon.”

Spinato's Pizza at State Farm Stadium

1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale