The Unique Way Money Was Raised For The First Sbarro

If you've hung out at malls over the last couple of decades, grabbing a slice of pizza from the Sbarro kiosk may have been part of your shopping experience. Sbarro pizza didn't begin as a pizzeria, but as a delicatessen, offering up sliced meats, cheeses, and some hot prepared food (per Sbarro). It would be several years before Sbarro would introduce pizza slices to its menu as a fast and inexpensive lunch option for workers, according to Eater. Soon after, Sbarro became a household name for grabbing a slice of New York-style cheese, pepperoni, vegetarian, or supremo pizza.

Carmela "Mama" Sbarro was the mastermind behind the concept of opening an Italian deli. She was born and raised in Italy and came to the United States with her husband and family when she was 35 years old, per the New York Times. Now, whenever you get a craving for a New York-style slice of pizza, you can find Sbarro kiosks and restaurants in over 28 countries with 630 locations.

Like with any new business, however, you must have some savings or money to be able to get your business off the ground.

When the Sbarros first arrived in the "land of opportunity," they settled in Brooklyn, New York, in the neighborhood of Bensonhurst. According to the New York Times, Mrs. Sbarro found a job where she sewed doll's clothing to make ends meet. She was able to save some money to be able to open her salumeria, or traditional Italian deli.

Meanwhile, her husband and sons worked in other Italian shops to save up enough money and learn how to run a business in the United States. All of their hard work and teamwork as a family paid off — within a year of arriving in New York, they opened the Italian deli, per the New York Times. Sometimes, when you have a dream to open a business, you have to take whatever job comes along to pay bills while saving money to achieve your goal. If all goes well, you'll hopefully be able to reap the rewards of your effort, time, and patience.