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Chef Marc Vetri joins the Wells Fargo Center dining lineup with MVP pizza

The pizza style at MVP will be a cross between Roman and Neapolitan, says Marc Vetri, who is joining Stephen Starr and Jose Garces at the arena.

The pizza at MVP at the Wells Fargo Center will be a cross between Roman and Neapolitan styles, chef Marc Vetri said.
The pizza at MVP at the Wells Fargo Center will be a cross between Roman and Neapolitan styles, chef Marc Vetri said.Read moreCOURTESY COMCAST SPECTACOR

Chef Marc Vetri will join the new food lineup on the Wells Fargo Center’s club level, completing the roster of celebrity restaurateurs announced as part of a $350 million renovation of the South Philadelphia arena that will be unveiled in October, at the launch of the Sixers’ and Flyers’ seasons.

Vetri’s game will be pizza, familiar territory. Vetri and business partner Jeff Benjamin founded the Pizzeria Vetri brand in 2013, selling it two years later to Urban Outfitters, which continues to operate it.

With Vetri’s name no longer his, Vetri’s chief of staff, Carolyn Satlow, coined the name, MVP — which could be a pun on the initials for “Marc Vetri Pizza” and the venue’s sports theme. (No confirmation on that theory.) MVP will replace The Bistro, a stand on the 11th Street side.

Vetri said the MVP pizza will be different from Pizzeria Vetri’s. “I like to call it a cross between Rome and Naples,” Vetri said. There will be a 10-inch personal size, plus a 16-incher for the suites. Calzones and desserts will round out the menu.

As previously announced, Stephen Starr’s name is attached to Adrian, a 300-seat American tavern replacing The Grille at Wells Fargo Center and named after Talia Shire’s character in Rocky. On the level’s Broad Street side, chef Jose Garces will front Garces Eats, serving dishes inspired by the Garces restaurants Village Whiskey, The Olde Bar, and Distrito. The club level also is getting a premium seating entrance and lobby, new seating options, and themed whiskey and tequila bars.

Adrian, MVP, and Garces Eats will be operated by Aramark, the center’s food and beverage partner.

Garces Eats and MVP will be accessible by those with club and suite tickets. Adrian will be accessible by all in the club and suite levels, as well as in Liberty Lofts and Revolutionary Row on the balcony level. Season ticket members with seats elsewhere will have the option for an add-on to their membership, an Aramark spokesperson said.