Inside the Warehouse

Make it a Mother’s Day to Remember at Spaghetti Warehouse

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:21:08 -0400

Moms are great. No wonder they deserve a day all their own.

For most of us, whether we’re 5 or 45, moms always seem to be there to take care of us. And, that’s why it was so important for our family to be together to celebrate Mother’s Day and really take care of our mom, Laura.

We needed a place big enough for our family (…including my 9 cousins and all of their kids) and somewhere we could go and enjoy the two things Moms like most about Mother’s Day - someone else is there to do the cooking and prepare a great meal and, second, provide great service and take care of the dishes.

That’s why this year; our family is heading to Spaghetti Warehouse. In the past, we’ve always had a good time being there to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. We checked out their website (www.40meatballs.com), made our plans and we discovered Spaghetti Warehouse is having a “Mama Mia” Mother’s Day contest that gives us a chance to share a story about why our mom is so special.

While visiting the website, we uploaded a photo of ‘Mom’ and just like that, we received a coupon for a free appetizer that we’ll be able use on another day and our Mom is now entered for a chance to win a free spa treatment! I can’t wait to see if we win!!

For the adults, there’s always a great selection of different entrees to choose from and if you’ve got kids, you’ll love it. The kid’s menu always includes a lunch or dinner item along with your choice of soup, salad or applesauce, a drink, sourdough bread and dessert.

We can’t wait…and, hey, what better way to follow up breakfast in bed for Mom (hint, hint…) than to come together at Spaghetti Warehouse. See you there!!

Planning a big graduation party? No problem at Spaghetti Warehouse

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:45:08 -0400

Looking for a great place to host a graduation party where you can have your spaghetti…and eat it too?

Come to Spaghetti Warehouse! That’s what we’re doing. We’ve got two graduation parties to plan; our oldest son, Mike, is finishing up high school while his brother, Kyle, is graduating from elementary school.

For us, we needed a place big enough to host our family and lots and lots of friends. And, we wanted to go somewhere that was fun and we could enjoy a nice dinner with great tasting food.

After talking with the manager, we discovered that Spaghetti Warehouse offers a great selection of meals for the adults – everything from spaghetti, lasagne and pasta to seafood and steak. Every entrée includes your choice of soup or salad and freshly-baked sourdough bread. Best of all, when the check comes, it adds up to a great value…the food at Spaghetti Warehouse is very affordable and perfect for families on a budget.

If you’re like us, you’ve got kids. No problem…Spaghetti Warehouse offers a fantastic kid’s menu and every kid’s meal comes with their choice of soup, salad or applesauce, a drink, sourdough bread and dessert – all for less than $5 a kid. Talk about a good deal!

Most of all, even though Spaghetti Warehouse is so big that it can handle all kinds of parties at the same time, we’ll be together around a table just as if we were at Grandma Alma’s house. We’ll have the chance to visit with one another, catch up and enjoy a special day that I’m sure we’ll never forget.

But, hey, we’ve got our party put together and graduation is just around the corner. Hard to believe they all grow up so fast! Check out Spaghetti Warehouse’s website at www.40meatballs.com and find the Warehouse closest to your house and you’ll love it!

Spaghetti Warehouse Puts the ‘Fun’ in Fundraising

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:01:52 -0400

Spaghetti Warehouse is an ideal gathering place for almost any type of fundraiser. Pictured: American Cancer Society event in Oklahoma City.

If you’re looking to be “cool at school” and you need a great place to do a fundraiser, Spaghetti Warehouse is where you want to go.

Our school recently had a blast hosting a fundraising event to help build a new playground. When we were thinking about different ideas, someone suggested hosting a spaghetti dinner. As we were talking, Pam, one of the parents in our group, said she had been to Spaghetti Warehouse for an event to help their church and that they had fun and raised a lot of money for one of their mission trips.

With that in mind, we went to the Spaghetti Warehouse website – www.40meatballs.com and found the restaurant and met with the general manager. When it came time to put everything together, he had lots of ideas for us and gave us all of the information we needed to print up a flyer to hand out to our students and their families. We even put a copy of the flier in our school’s newsletter.

On the day of our event, you had to bring in the flier for it to count toward our fundraising, but when we did we received 15 percent of all the sales generated by our group.

And, thanks to the general manager, we were able to have our principal be a guest server. The kids absolutely loved it! Mr. Devin greeted everyone as they came into the restaurant, he waited on some of us and I think, later on, I saw him helping clear some of the tables! It was awesome…and Mr. Devin was a great sport and does so much for us. All in all, it made for a nice evening out for everyone who came and our school raised a lot of money for our playground.

It worked for us and we discovered that a lot of people really like spaghetti and meatballs and lasagne. What’s more, everyone at Spaghetti Warehouse made us – and our school – feel special.

I’m pretty sure I’ll be thinking about that when I’m out there having fun with my friends at recess!

Easter Bunny Says Hop Over to Spaghetti Warehouse – Kids Eat Free on Easter

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:48:00 -0400

Hey there, it’s your friend, the Easter Bunny…yes, yes, I’ve gone viral. What’s a rabbit to do? What can I say? Being on the Internet helps me hop around to a lot of places.

Anyway, the good people at Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurants wanted me to share with you the details about a great Easter deal for you and your family.

On Sunday, March 31^st – Easter Sunday – kids 10 and under eat free! Here’s how it works – go to www.40meatballs.com and download the “Free Kid’s Menu Meal” coupon. For each adult entrée you purchase, you’ll receive up to two kids’ menu meals – FREE!

At Spaghetti Warehouse, the kid’s menu meal is an unbelievable deal, including an entrée, your choice of soup, salad (my favorite…) or applesauce along with sourdough bread, beverage and dessert. What could be better?

Easter is always a great time for families to be together, hunt for eggs and maybe along the way, find some candy and treats. And, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to head to Spaghetti Warehouse…lots of food (and did I say salad?), fun and family. Got to get hopping…lots of Easter eggs to get out there.

But, take my advice; Spaghetti Warehouse is the place to go for Easter. Visit their very cool website (…and get the coupon) at www.40meatballs.com for the nearest ‘Warehouse’ to your house and Happy Easter!

2 for $25 3 Course Meal: Great family value, perfect for growing boys' appetite.

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:27:00 -0400

When you have two growing boys, going out for dinner is – often times – an adventure. You want to enjoy great food prepared in a way that’s unique and tastes as if it were homemade. And, when the check comes, you want a great value that stays true to the family budget.

This was the case recently when my family and I ventured to Spaghetti Warehouse and experienced their 2 for $25 3-course meal. My younger son, Daniel, had finished playing a basketball tournament and we were all hungry after a long day and just wanted to relax.

My wife, Sharon, had read about the 3-course meal for two offers on Facebook. We couldn’t believe the selection! Since there were four of us, we decided to double up and order two 2 for $25 meals, allowing us to each pair up and select an appetizer (for two of us) to share along with enjoying a Caesar Salad for two. And, for the main course, we could choose a total of four entrees. What’s more, each 2 for $25 meal featured two full portions of what they called their signature dishes or we could choose one of their two new entrees. Talk about a lot of food!

Daniel and I teamed up and selected a Mozzarella Fritta appetizer, while my wife and our other son, Blake, tried the Toasted Ravioli appetizer. It was amazing and all of us enjoyed our Caesar salads and the seemingly endless baked sourdough bread.

For dinner, I went for the Cajun Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Pasta while Daniel quickly decided on the Grilled Chicken Alfredo. Blake always goes big, and tonight was no exception as he chose to try the Incredible 15-Layer Lasagne while my wife selected the Chicken Parmigiana. With such a selection, we had the opportunity to try a little something from the entire menu!

Hungry as we were, we each took leftovers home to enjoy the next day. We couldn’t get over how great everything tasted and what an outstanding value we enjoyed while being together.

We noticed that the 2 for $25 3-course meal is a limited time offer. So, we’re planning to try it again soon and tell our friends about our experience at Spaghetti Warehouse. Just incredible…

Ringing in the New Year at the Warehouse

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:34:33 -0500

For my family, New Year’s Eve is always a good time. A chance to start over with new resolutions and, of course, lots of promises. It’s also a time to look back and remember. And, this year, as in the past, we’ve got a fun night planned that will start at Spaghetti Warehouse.

There’s something about being downtown. There are lots of people out celebrating the holidays together. For us, having a large family with all of my sisters and brothers and our cousins and grandparents, we’ve always liked coming to Spaghetti Warehouse. Always lots of room; a huge dinner table for everyone to gather around and enjoy each other’s company.

When we arrive, we’re always treated like family. In our house, everyone looks forward to a nice dinner. There are always a few appetizers that get passed around to enjoy. And, whether you like a warm cup of soup or a fresh salad, there is never enough sourdough bread. But, it just keeps coming, and just when you think you can’t eat anything else, it’s time for lasagne, spaghetti or some other great tasting linguini or pasta to enjoy. It’s all followed by a great selection of sweet desserts to round out the evening.

Throughout the evening, we’ll share stories – as we sample each other’s food. Through it all, it seems Spaghetti Warehouse is our special place for holiday celebrations and being together. What better way than that to start the New Year!

Marching Band, Magic Tricks Makes for Great 40th Anniversary Party

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:20:18 -0500

What a great 40th anniversary party in the original and first Spaghetti Warehouse at the Dallas Westend location on Saturday, November 3rd.

I could see how excited everyone was…my own family seemed to sense that this wasn’t going to be our typical meal at the Warehouse. Especially when we all came into the restaurant and walked through this huge arch of balloons in the colors of, I think, the Italian flag. I asked Julie my 12-year-old and she was the expert on this one. Smart kid.

The magician who came over to our table had Harrison, our 9-month old absolutely captivated by his tricks. I kept asking how he did them, but I got none of his secrets. There were fortune tellers and people making balloon animals. And, then, a full high school band marched throughout the restaurant and even up to the folks who were eating on the second floor. Can you believe that?

My family was absolutely blown away. And then everybody in the restaurant sang “Happy 40th Birthday” to Spaghetti Warehouse and then two huge birthday cakes were rolled out on each floor and everyone got a piece of birthday cake. Wow! My whole family will never forget this meal. Thank you and Happy 40^th, Spaghetti Warehouse.

Warehouse Wednesday..."Too good to be True"

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:22:36 -0400

I heard about Warehouse Wednesday at Spaghetti Warehouse from a couple of people at my office. So I decided to give it a try and convinced a few of my office buddies to go along because it sounded like one of those “too good to be true” events. My buds at the office said I could get a Spaghetti meal with any sauce I wanted with a salad and sourdough bread for five bucks. I went on Wednesday and it turned out better than one of those “too good to be true” deals because it really was true and it was really good!

The young lady, who waited on me, was great; she even told me about a special Wednesday-only dish called Baked Spaghetti Pepperoni, but I opted for the Spaghetti and meat sauce. The young lady then asked me if I wanted salad or soup and I said how much is that and she said it comes with the $5 meal. I ordered the salad with balsamic vinaigrette and, wow, was I impressed. She brought us warm sourdough bread and this absolutely great salad. And, then she served up my Spaghetti meal and my compadres from the office went for the Baked Pepperoni Spaghetti.

The check was just $5 for me and a little extra for tax and a tip to the young lady for her great service. It was “too good”…and it was true. Would I go back? Uh, I’ll see you every Wednesday.

Why the American Cancer Society?

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 07:59:10 -0400

Well, when we were just beginning to brainstorm about our 40th anniversary celebration, we wanted to find a way to give back to the many communities who have been our customers for these many years. Heck…how many restaurants do you know that have lasted 40 years. We had many charity choices…there is so much need out there. But we wanted a charity that served families and had an excellent reputation. So it came to us…the American Cancer Society…the most recognized charity brand in the United States. And their mission to raise early awareness of cancer and to help find a cure for a disease that can affect any member of a family. It fit our mission, which is to serve families and friends in a nostalgic atmosphere with a delicious affordable menu. Our relationship with ACS has been absolutely great. We have had fundraisers at our restaurants, been involved with their Relay for Life events and had fundraising days at our celebration trolley which is traveling all over the country to the many cities where our restaurants are located.

You can find out more about the American Cancer Society by clicking here. And more about our fundraising efforts for ACS, including a $10,000 challenge grant we are awarding to one of their community units by going to www.40years.meatballs.com.

Check out our online photo album

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 18:31:42 -0400

Hey… have you checked out our online photo album yet? Just visit 40years.meatballs.com. Click the photo album and you’ll see photos from all over Spaghetti Warehouseland. Some of the photos are really funny and lots of them are families, friends, cute little babies all having a good time at the Warehouse. Take your significant other or your whole family or even some friends and head on down to the Warehouse. Order some great tasting food and click off a few pictures of your happy group. You can even use your iPhone or as they say any “mobile device”. Just email your picture to pic@40meatballs.com and be sure to register ‘cause you get a free appetizer and a chance to win $10,000 in cash and prizes. And the more pictures you upload the more chances you have to win. We’ve even got weekly prizes you can win. So smile and say Spaghetti Warehouse!

Lunch or Dinner, It's "On the House" for Dad on Father's Day at Spaghetti Warehouse

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 14:09:16 -0400

Dads are cool. They give us advice. They fix stuff (…most of the time) and mow the grass. And, for that, they deserve our “thanks” at least one day a year and we’ve got a gift idea that’s better than any golf shirt or coffee mug.

So, whether the man of the house is your ‘father’, ‘dad’, or maybe just ‘pop’, we invite you to bring him to a participating Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurant on Father’s Day on Sunday, June 17^th and we’ll honor him as our guest with a free entrée and he’ll get his choice of one of our 12 Original Spaghetti entrees or our ‘Incredible’ 15-layer Lasagne.

In celebration of Spaghetti Warehouse’s 40^th anniversary, we’ve come up with what you might call a nostalgic twist. In honor of ‘our’ birth date, we decided to have some fun… and for all Dads who were born in 1972, we are giving them a free Brownie Sundae Supreme.

While you’re here, be sure to bring along your camera and snap a few photos of your time together. We’re putting together a 40^th anniversary photo album and you’re welcome to upload your photo and register for your chance to win $10,000 in cash and prizes. Just visit our website at 40years.meatballs.com for all the details.

Spending time together is what it’s all about and it’s what makes special occasions, such as Father’s Day, a great time for bringing everybody to Spaghetti Warehouse.

But, remember, it’s a Sunday and Dad will want to lay down on the couch or sit back in his recliner to “watch” (code word for taking a nap…) some golf, a NASCAR race or a ballgame. Around his schedule, bring him into a participating Spaghetti Warehouse and we’ll treat him right.

I guarantee you, after he gets a chance to enjoy a great tasting lunch or dinner, along with some soup or salad and some of our delicious sourdough bread topped with garlic butter, he’ll be ready to kick back and promise to fix something…tomorrow.

40th Anniversary Celebration – Our Way of Saying "Thanks" for Sharing Your Memories With Us

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:17:39 -0400

When we think of “anniversaries”, we often think of the times we’ve spent together. And, whether it’s your 1^st or 50^th, an anniversary always seems to bring a smile to our face as we celebrate the memories we’ve created with one another.

Beginning this week, we’re doing just that, as Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurants celebrates its 40^th anniversary. For us, this is a special milestone. For four decades, we have been fortunate to have you, your family and your friends as our special guests…sharing the company of one another…together.

To show our appreciation, we are going to throw the biggest celebration – yet – in our history. How big? First, we’re going to “blast off” with a huge party on June 5^th at every Spaghetti Warehouse and, from there, we are going to go really big! How big, you say? Big enough to drive a trolley through it!

But, first, be sure and “save the date” – Tuesday, June 5^th. That day – all day and into the evening – we’re featuring a special 40 percent off promotion for the two entrees that “started it all”—Spaghetti & Meatballs and our ‘Incredible’ 15-Layer Lasagne. We’re also offering a third choice; one of our new entrées – Spaghetti Pesto Basilica.

That same day, check out our all-new 40^th anniversary menu featuring our most popular favorites along with 11 new items. You won’t believe all of the fresh new tastes we’ve come up with, including five new entrees, new appetizers and much more!

From there, we’re going to hit the road! To steal a line from a popular country music tune, we’re going to be “coming to your city” with the start of our 40^th anniversary Trolley Tour. Beginning with our first Spaghetti Warehouse, our dine-in trolley car has been the centerpiece of our restaurants. From June 20^th through the end of September, we’re going to bring our trolley to our restaurants and to a host of special events in the cities where we have locations.

Along the way, there will be even more fun and excitement…

We’ve created a 40^th anniversary online photo album and a chance to win your share of $10,000 in cash and weekly prizes.
We’ll be inviting you to upload photos to our photo album from the “good times” you’ve experienced in the past, present and future visits to Spaghetti Warehouse.
We’ll be picking photos at random for weekly prizes and some really grand prizes at the end of the contest. To sweeten the deal – we’ll give you a free appetizer when you register.
We’re also joining together with the American Cancer Society as a way of helping others to make a difference in the communities served by our restaurants.

By now, you’ve probably figured out this is no “limited time offer”. We’re going to celebrate our anniversary for the rest of 2012!

And, because no party is complete without a little music and some cameras rolling, we’ve created a song and a video just for this occasion. Remember what it was like to sit back and enjoy home movies? We’ve put together a video capturing how you – our guests – feel about Spaghetti Warehouse and what it’s meant when you and your family and friends have come together to spend some time with us.

To hear and see more of what we’re talking about, we invite you to visit a special website – www.40years.meatballs.com. There’s just SO MUCH to our celebration, we want you to check it out so you don’t miss any of the fun. See you soon!!

Experienced new chef takes over at Spaghetti Warehouse

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:43:02 -0400

Whether you’re in Dayton or Dallas, Pittsburgh or Tampa, Spaghetti Warehouse is always full of food, friendship and fun. And, now we’re going to invite you ‘inside’ and share with you even more about what’s going on at all 16 of our Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurants.

My name is Azam Malik and I am president and chief operating officer of Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurants. Beginning this month, we’ll serve up everything from updates on the freshest, new entrees to exciting promotions and other specials you won’t want to miss. Along the way, we’ll mix in some surprises that will leave you coming back for more of the great American Italian entrees, appetizers and desserts you’ll only find inside the Warehouse.

As everyone knows, the origin of any great tasting food starts with a unique recipe and, from there, the ability to blend it all together rests with the chef. Culinary talent, together with the experience for selecting the right ingredients, is the key to providing a memorable dining experience for every one of our guests.

In carrying on a tradition that began nearly 40 years ago, we welcome Larry Bellah as our new Corporate Executive Chef. Remarkably talented and widely respected, Larry provides a skill and creativity that we’re confident you’ll find enticing, whether you’re one of our loyal guests or you’re coming inside the warehouse for the first time.

Throughout his career, Larry has earned numerous industry awards, including an honor related to successfully creating his own restaurant concept and he has appeared on dozens of TV shows, including an appearance on the Food Network’s “TV Diner”.

We welcome Larry to Spaghetti Warehouse and we hope you’ll keep coming back to inside the warehouse, both here on our blog, and to our restaurants. Bring your friends—and your family—and we’ll be ready with the food and the fun!