Piada Italian Street Food is a fast-casual version of traditional Italian cuisine, making its grand entry into East Dallas this summer.
Piada Italian Street Food was inspired when the founders visited Italy. They saw family-owned food carts and corner markets in Rimini and experienced fresh basil, meats, and cheeses. They cultivated their expertise with the best Italy had to offer and brought what they learned and experienced to America.
The company’s owner, Chris Doody, is a Bravo Brio Restaurant Group co-founder. In 2006, he sold his stock to investors and developed the Piada concept, based on the Italian “wrap-like sandwich” known as a “Piada” or “Piadina,” which he tried on the streets of northern Italy.
Piada started its initial shop in 2010 and has since expanded across the United States.
Now, the chain is planning to open its first eatery in Dallas. The location decided on is in an East Dallas commercial complex. According to the Lakewood Advocate, Piada Italian Street Food applied for a permit at Mockingbird Commons, 6333 E. Mockingbird Lane, in the old Wild Birds Unlimited site.
For the time being, it’s just an application as the City of Dallas has not made an approval as of yet. According to an email from Piada’s public relations office, the restaurant, which is planned to debut in late summer, will feature a pickup window, setting it apart from the others in the area.
Piada is now on the verge of a broader expansion, aided by infrastructure fit for a much larger brand. QSR Magazine reports it wants to expand by about 40% this year (to about 54 total sites) and expects to open 20 or more restaurants by 2023. Piada Italian Street Food serves cuisine cooked on an assembly line, similar to an Italian version of a Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Piada Italian Street Food provides a selection of pasta, salads, and grain bowls to choose from.
If nothing on the menu appeals to you, Piada gives customers the option of customizing a dish.
Grass-fed meatballs and cheese or sliced salami breadsticks are just a few side dishes. Desserts include cookies and brownies, and a kid’s menu is available.
Piada has also gone a step ahead and contributed to the community through donations. Piada Italian Street Food, in collaboration with the LeBron James Family Foundation, launched Piada Gives, an opt-in donation program that benefits organizations that directly support Piada’s leading causes: cancer research, education, ending food insecurity, and promoting social equality.
Guests who sign up for Piada Gives through the new Piada app have 1% of their purchases automatically donated to a charity or non-profit. Piada Italian Street Food has embraced the latest technology in reaching out to more customers.
