AHWATUKEE, AZ — What could make spaghetti night more fun? Perhaps serving it in movie theatre popcorn tubs.
By the Bucket, a casual restaurant that serves -- you guessed it -- spaghetti and meatballs, in buckets, recently opened within the Ahwatukee Foothills neighborhood, near Chandler Blvd. and Desert Foothills Parkway.
The menu is simple and straightforward depending on the amount of spaghetti and meatballs you want. There are three portions:
- Bambino (serves one): Half-pound of spaghetti, marinara sauce, and three pieces of Garlic bread.
- Mezzano (serves two): Pound of spaghetti, marinara sauce, and one-fourth loaf of Garlic bread.
- Famiglia (serves five): One-and-a-half pounds of spaghetti, marinara sauce, and a half-loaf of Garlic bread.
Buckets range from $7 - $15. Two-ounce meatballs, made of pork, beef, Ricotta cheese, and Romano cheese, are al la carte and $1.50 each. Garlic bread can be added for $4.
It is the first licensed location in the Phoenix area.
Founder Bret daCosta opened the eatery in 2018 in Payson as a way to help support him and his son, he told ABC15 earlier this year. He opened a second location in Pinetop-Lakeside.
"I built my concept on the words I once said to my son, Sam, as a single father, 'If we could sell our leftover spaghetti we could make buckets of money,'. Literally, that's when my idea came to fruition," he told ABC15.
He told ABC15 that he wants to eventually franchise the concept nationally but does not have the funds to do that yet. For now, he has sold licenses for others to open their own locations under the "By the Bucket" branding.
In March, he told ABC15 that locations were expected to open in Apache Junction, Mesa, Queen Creek, Tempe, and Tucson. When those locations are expected to open is unclear right now.
IF YOU GO:
By the Bucket - Ahwatukee
1420 E Chandler Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85048
www.bythebucket.com
