Postino has been a fixture in the Valley since 2001, when co-founders Craig and Kris DeMarco opened the first location in the historic Arcadia Post Office.
While traveling through Italy, the DeMarcos found themselves inspired by how the locals dined and built personal connections while snacking or enjoying a late lunch. That inspiration carried through to how they crafted their menu, utilizing the small kitchen in Arcadia to put together shareable boards loaded with bruschettas.
Postino flourished under the philosophy of customers coming together to sip wine and share snacks, eventually expanding to include eight locations in metro Phoenix plus restaurants in Colorado, Texas, Georgia and California.
As the company grew, so did its corporate structure. Lauren Bailey, who started out at Postino Arcadia, later opened Postino Central with Craig DeMarco before the duo co-founded Upward Projects, now Postino's parent company.
While the menu offerings have expanded over the years, the bruschetta still remains the backbone of it all. Seasonal options come and go, but this is the first year that Postino has hosted a Battle of the Bruschetta, offering eight new options that will square off in head-to-head challenges until one bruschetta wins and earns its spot on the official Postino menu.
“The first goal is being able to highlight our menu variety and our iconic bruschetta boards that everyone knows and loves in a new, unique way;” says Danelle Sarvas, Chief Marketing Officer of Upward Projects. “The second goal is to further connect with our guests on a deeper level by involving them in the new menu item selection process.”
Over 30 submissions came in from executive chefs across the Postino footprint, which includes locations across five states, before being narrowed down to the eight flavors that will be served over the summer. Working with ingredients that are already being utilized on the current menu, the chefs came up with two sweet and six savory options. Now it's time for Postino's customers to decide.
Choices diners will be able to vote on include Mexican Street Corn, Deviled Egg, and Spicy Brussels Sprouts and votes will automatically enter guests into a chance to win a $50 gift card. The Battle runs from June 1 through Labor Day weekend and the winner will be announced on September 7.
Battle of the Bruschetta Schedule:
- Battle #1: June 1 - June 14, Mexican Street Corn vs. Italiano
- Battle #2: June 15 - June 28, The Devilest Egg vs. The Mediterranean
- Battle #3: June 29 - July 12, Chicken Curry vs. Spicy Brussels Sprouts
- Battle #4: July 13 - July 26, Strawberry Cheesecake vs. Sweet Potato Pie
- Battle #5: July 27 - August 9, Battle #1 winner vs. Battle #2 winner
- Battle #6: August 10 - August 23, Battle #3 winner vs. Battle #4 winner
- Battle #7: August 24 - September 6, Championship Round
