The newest Mr. Gatti’s Pizza at 1312 E. Belt Line Road in Richardson will celebrate its Grand Opening on Saturday, August 27, with a backpack drive to benefit local elementary and middle school students.

In addition, the celebration will feature performances by Richardson Berkner High School band members as well as a face painter and balloon artist beginning at noon.

The Richardson location, which opened in late July, is the first new prototype that features a return of many of the elements that made it one of the most popular family restaurant brands of the 1970s and 80s.

Anyone bringing a new, unused backpack to the restaurant between now and  Saturday, August 27th will receive a free $5 game card for the Mr. Gatti’s game room.  In addition, Mr. Gatti’s is delivering free pizzas to teachers in neighborhood schools during the first week of school and will make a cash donation to the Richardson Berkner Band Booster Club.

“Our goal is to collect at least 50 backpacks,” said Mr. Gatti’s Director of Marketing Jennifer Wersal. “The response from the community since we opened has been tremendous and this backpack drive along with the delivery or pizzas to the teachers and the donation to the band is a way for us to give back to the community.”

To help with the celebration, members of the Berkner Band will perform at noon on Saturday. A face painter will be on hand from 12:30 to 2:30 and a balloon artist will entertain guests from 5 to 7 p.m.

“We are very excited to be a part of the Richardson community and we look forward to seeing all our new neighbors on Saturday and creating opportunities for adults to relive the experiences they had growing up and create new memories for their families,” Wersal said.

The new restaurant offers tableside service, outdoor seating and the traditional game room. The menu, much of it prepared in a rotary, copper tiled, fire-deck oven, brings back Mr. Gatti’s original Napoli-style crust, a Sicilian deep dish crust, a sourdough crust and a new gluten-free crust. Guests are able to build their own pizza or pasta creations by choosing from a variety of sauces and toppings, which now include vegan cheese and meat alternatives. Long-time fans of Mr. Gatti’s will recognize many of the entrees, including traditional lasagna, baked ziti and chicken parmesan. Four appetizers, including the addition of Ginormous Meatballs, are available along with three salad options.

Additional Gatti’s locations are scheduled to open this year in Fort Worth, Dallas, Mesquite and North Richland Hills.

More information is available at gattispizza.com or by calling 817-546-3500.