Sarina’s Italian Kitchen is developing a brick-and-mortar restaurant at Salem Center in downtown Salem, an expansion Ryan Sarina said builds on the brand’s delivery-focused “ghost kitchen” model and growing presence in the region.
Sarina’s has operated since 2021 as a ghost kitchen, Sarina said, describing the concept as one that serves customers primarily through delivery and takeout rather than a traditional dine-in dining room. He said the Salem community’s response helped prompt the move to a permanent restaurant.
“We have had Sarina’s Italian kitchen since twenty twenty one as a ghost kitchen and the Salem Community has been very supportive and we decided in partnering with the owners of the Salem Center Mall we decided to develop a brick and mortar location with a new updated menu and feel,” Sarina said.
The planned Salem Center restaurant is expected to include a full bar, indoor and outdoor seating, and both indoor and outdoor entrances designed to allow guests to access the restaurant even after the enclosed mall has closed for the day. Salem Center is located at 401 Center St. NE.
Sarina said the project is currently in the demolition stage as the team prepares for the next phase of the buildout. He did not provide a specific opening date or month and did not share operating hours, reservations information or pricing for the new location.
The brick-and-mortar restaurant would be the brand’s fourth active market presence, following its current to-go operations in Salem, Vancouver and Lincoln City. The restaurant’s ordering page lists pickup for Salem and Vancouver inside McGrath’s Fish House and pickup for Lincoln City inside Pier 101.
At present, Sarina’s directs Salem customers to order online and pick up food inside McGrath’s Fish House at 3805 Center St. NE, according to the company’s ordering information. Third-party delivery listings also describe Sarina’s as a “virtual restaurant” at that address.
Sarina said the Salem Center location is intended to deliver a different experience than the current delivery-and-takeout model. “So it is going to be. authentic Italian food homemade with family recipes,” he said, adding that the concept will include cocktails and wine and both indoor and outdoor seating.
Menu changes are a central part of the shift, Sarina said. He described the Salem Center location as “a completely different menu,” while noting that a small number of items — including lasagna and meatballs — are expected to remain. He said the restaurant plans an extensive wine list and is working with a local designer on the look and feel of the dining space, with the goal of creating a more Italian homestyle atmosphere than the delivery-only setup.
Sarina said the Salem Center restaurant is expected to create about 20 jobs, including full- and part-time positions. “We hope to create about twenty full and part time employees. We are just hoping that the community will support us and that we can grow and be a place for people to come and have a great meal,” he said. Hiring is expected to begin in mid-January, he added.
Sarina said the best place for the public to track official opening updates is the restaurant’s website and social channels.
