Keller’s Acquario Italian Restaurant, known for handmade pasta and coastal seafood, is spinning off a more casual sibling: Acquario Pizza, Pasta & Bar, set to open in Keller early next year. The new spot is taking over the former Maple Street Biscuit Company space and is promising wood‑fired pizzas plus pasta made on an exposed machine that guests can actually watch. The idea is a trattoria‑style hangout with a fuller bar and quicker, every‑night service compared to the group’s flagship dining room.
What to expect
Diners can expect front‑row views of wood‑fired pies bubbling away in an exposed oven, along with handmade pasta rolled out daily on a visible pasta‑making machine, according to a City of Keller social post cited in local coverage. The new restaurant is slated to open in early 2026 at 967 Keller Parkway, with a launch website listed for the concept, as reported by Community Impact.
Chef and the menu
Acquario Pizza, Pasta & Bar is a sister concept to Acquario Italian Restaurant, whose executive chef and co‑owner Ferdinand Plaku is listed on the restaurant site as being born in Venice and trained in Sicily. The original Acquario leans into daily‑made pasta, seafood and private‑dining service, details that suggest the faster, casual offshoot will borrow the flagship’s pasta program while layering in wood‑fired pizzas and an expanded bar, according to Acquario Italian Restaurant.
Space and local context
The 967 Keller Parkway storefront opened up after Maple Street’s Keller location closed in September as part of a broader pullback by the chain, leaving a turnkey spot for a new tenant. The region’s shake‑up has not been small: The Dallas Morning News documented dozens of recent closures across Dallas‑Fort Worth this fall and included Maple Street among the brands that shut down local locations.
When to expect it
Local chatter is not entirely in sync on timing. A Fort Worth food roundup has pegged a mid‑January opening, while Community Impact uses the broader “early 2026” window. For the official word on opening day, menus and reservations, keep an eye on Fort Worth Digital Diary and the restaurant’s own site at Acquario Italian Restaurant.
