The Pompeii park has announced that it will open up a recently discovered thermopolium, an ancient ‘fast food’ counter, with visits set to begin from Easter 2021.

The news follows the discovery of the L-shaped thermopolium, at the corner of Alley of the Balconies and Alley of the Silver Wedding at the Regio V site, in March 2019. The newly unearthed thermopolium is noted for its well-preserved, colorful frescoes portraying images of geese, a rooster, and a dog.
Archaeologists have discovered an inlaid floor of polychrome marble, earthenware pots and have even clues about what was on the menu, with one paella-type dish including a mixture of “mammals, birds, fish, and snails,” reports ANSA.

They also unearthed the skeletons of two men and a dog, buried along with the rest of Pompeii in volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Over the years archaeologists have excavated more than 80 thermopolia, an ancient version of Italy’s tavole calde, which sold ready-to-eat food and were popular among the working classes and those who could not afford a private kitchen.