Mr Gatti's Pizza — Restaurant in Sanford

We recently traveled from the state of Connecticut to the state of North Carolina to visit some friends. While down there we were surprised to find that our favorite pizza restaurant opened a spot in Sanford, NC. We used to frequent the Mr. Gatti's that was located in Thomasville, NC when we used to live in the area years ago. Since then we all made plans to meet on road trips that had us meet up close to a Mr Gatti's a couple times in the last 12 years. Elizabethtown, KY / Portsmouth, OH / Maryville, TN and now Sanford, NC.

I know that this location is a recent open, but I have to say that you all nailed. Everything was outstanding. Fresh crisp cold delicious salad and fixings. as well as a well-stocked always rotated fresh pizza bar. We had our favorite style of pizza from cheesy bread to cinnamon sticks, buffalo chicken and double pepperoni, just to name a few, all were delicious. Pasta bar was okay; I would suggest smaller hotel pans to be able to rotate to sauces forward.

The staff was absolutely amazing and very impressive. So friendly, kind and attentive. The restaurant was spotless, and all the customers appeared to be quite pleased and happy with their choice to dine here. The shift leader of the crew was Dylan and he had such a good flow during our visit. He was non-stop moving, checking on things, cleaning the kitchen area, filling the bar areas and order pizzas for the bar. His crew was completely working independently and cohesively. I was nice to see a crew doing such a beautiful job. The crew that was on that day were Dylan, Char, Megan, Sariah, Caleb, Stephanie and Tyrone . Great job...

Not at all impressed! Long line holding your drink in hand, first set of plates are past the pasta bar so by the time you can get to the plates it's too late to get the pasta because of the line behind you, drink machines were out of a lot of the drinks, couldn't even get tea because they were empty as well. Then you have to get your salad, any pizza or dessert on one small plate while holding your drink in your other hand. Why not provide trays so you are able to get what you want the first time because after standing in line for 15/20 minutes if you don't get everything you want and you want more you have to go stand in line all over again and if you leave your drink on the table when you go back for more they clear the table off, because it appears you have left....so someone has to remain at the table! Not very good for a family to sit and eat together! Would be so much easier to provide a tray so you can carry drinks and plates instead of trying to carry everything! If you are a parent and have children you will have to make several trips to take care of everyone and each time you will have to stand back at the end of the line and start all over! Didn't get to try pasta because the plates are at the end of the line, salad was good and fresh, pizza was ok, but they had multiples of two or three different pizza, not a variety...Too much of an inconvenience, unorganized...

In my honest opinion, the experience did not justify the $60 spent for two adults and two young children. My kids, both under 7, barely ate any of the pizza, and the game room was limited to just four machines. For that price, I would have preferred to travel out of town to a more well-rounded venue like Dave & Buster’s.

While I will say the facility and restrooms were clean, there were several things that detracted from the overall experience. The large TVs in one room were on but had no sound, there was no background music, and multiple employees seemed to be monitoring the space in a way that felt more like supervision than service.

The pizza itself was slightly overcooked, with a burnt crust, and the ranch dressing lacked any real flavor. Additionally, hearing employees discuss work matters in front of customers near the drink station felt unprofessional.

Overall, the atmosphere was a bit uncomfortable and didn’t match the value or expectations for a...