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Piada Italian Street Food is a fast casual, authentic Italian eatery serving high-quality, fresh Italian cuisine modeled after the street fare popular along the east coast of Italy. The restaurant concept revolves around the namesake “piada,” a thin crust dough handmade with natural flours and olive oil, freshly baked on a stone grill, filled with a selection of Italian inspired ingredients and hand rolled. Piada Italian Street Food also offers Chopped Salads, Pasta Bowls, and at select locations, Tascas.

Concept
Chris Doody, owner of the company, is a co-founder of the Bravo Brio Restaurant Group chain. Doody has always been passionate about Italian food and has studied and refined it over the years at Bravo and Brio. He sold his stake in the Bravo Brio Restaurant Group to investors in 2006 and launched the Piada concept around the Italian "wrap-like sandwich" known as a Piada or Piadina, a street food he sampled in northern Italy.

While traveling Italy he discovered true Italian street food in Rimini, along the eastern coast, that was delicious, inexpensive and easy to eat on the go. “As I traveled, I noticed that people wanted good food, convenience and value,” said Doody. “We are all busy and we all share a common desire to eat better.” The restaurant’s made-to-order concept offers guests an array of healthy and indulgent options from a selection of more than 30 choices. The ordering process at Piada takes around 90 seconds and the average guest check is less than $10. Guests also have the option to enjoy Italian teas and sodas, as well as soft drinks and San Pelligrino or Aqua Panna.

Menu


The restaurant’s three main entrees, hand-rolled Piadas, Pasta Bowls and Chopped Salads, are made to order with a wide range of fresh ingredients, including meats, vegetables, cheeses, house-made sauces and dressings.

Also on the menu are soups, calamari and two different breadsticks – Parmigiano-Reggiano and pepperoni – served with a creamy parmesan dipping sauce.

Select locations serve gelato, peach bellinis, wine, seasonal sides and Tascas. Tascas are a little Italian sandwich made out of Piada dough.

Recipes are inspired by traditional, simple Italian cooking techniques and highlight flavors like basil, rosemary and San Marzano tomatoes.

Locations


As of August 2015, the fast casual Italian restaurant has 22 locations in three states. There are 18 locations in Ohio, two in Indiana and two in Michigan.

In 2013 Piada received an investment from Catterton Partners who has a history of partnering with fast growing brands like PF Changs, Noodles & Company and retailers such as Restoration Hardware.

Piada will be adding six more locations in Texas (Houston and Dallas) and Minnesota (Mall of America and Chanhassen) in 2015 and has an eye toward opening 15 new locations in 2016.

Piada is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio where their first restaurant opened in 2010.

Other
All Piada restaurants are company-owned in order to control the experience and ensure that all the details of what makes Piada special are consistently met.

In 2013, Nation’s Restaurant News recognized Piada as a forward-thinking restaurant company in its annual “Hot Concepts” awards and in 2015 Piada won the “2015 Most Buzzed About Brand” from the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executives Group and Restaurant Business magazine.