A new Italian restaurant promising an endless parade of wood-fired pizza, handcrafted pasta and fresh salads has opened its doors in Downtown Red Oak. Presto Continuous Italian Dining held its official ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday, marking the formal launch of a concept built around gathering family and friends around the table for what the restaurant calls a continuous Italian dining experience.
The grand opening was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Red Oak Area Chamber, according to the City of Red Oak, Texas Municipal Government. Presto is located at 205 S. Main St., Suite 10-07, inside Red Oak Village, a 59,734-square-foot commercial center built in 2008 that sits directly across from Red Oak High School, according to a LoopNet property listing.
Presto is operated by Ellis County Hospitality Group, the same corporate entity behind the long-running Tuscan Slice in Waxahachie, according to a listing from the Red Oak Area Chamber of Commerce. Tuscan Slice traces back to April 2010, when brothers Jonathan and Joshua Evola and their wives Aimee and Corin founded it after relocating from New York City, per the restaurant's own history. The founders reportedly built Tuscan Slice's primary wood-fired oven themselves using stones imported directly from Italy, a detail highlighted in a 2013 review from KETR that speaks to the team's hands-on approach to wood-fired cooking.
A Soft Launch Before the Ribbon Cutting
Before Friday's official ceremony, Presto quietly welcomed local diners for soft-opening preview meals in late July, giving the community an early taste of the concept ahead of the chamber event. One diner posted on Facebook, giving the new spot a strong early review and encouraging others to visit with friends.
The continuous dining format Presto is introducing centers on pizza, pasta and salads served in a steady rhythm meant to keep the table full rather than built around a single ordered course. It's a departure from the standard casual-dining menu structure that has typically dominated Red Oak's restaurant scene.
Riding Red Oak's Growth Wave
Presto's arrival lands in a city that has changed dramatically in just a few years. Red Oak's population reached an estimated 21,632 residents in 2026, a jump of nearly 50% since the 2020 census counted 14,445 people, according to data from World Population Review. That growth has been paired with rising household wealth: U.S. Census Bureau figures cited by Point2Homes show Red Oak's median household income hit $104,561 in 2024, alongside a 75.5% homeownership rate.
The broader region has seen similar surges. Ellis County ranked among the top 10 fastest-growing counties in the nation between 2022 and 2023, expanding 4.9% in a single year, according to The Texas Tribune. The county's total population climbed from 192,455 in 2020 to an estimated 240,900 in 2025, with domestic migration from other U.S. counties driving much of that increase, per USAFacts.
Part of a Wider Downtown Push
Presto's opening also coincides with a municipal effort to reshape Red Oak's Main Street corridor. The City of Red Oak began a downtown assessment with state economic development officials in late 2025 to shape revitalization strategies for the area, according to the city's own government page on Facebook. A locally owned restaurant setting up shop in Red Oak Village, just steps from the high school, fits squarely into that push to bring more foot traffic and dining options into the downtown core.
The expansion also reflects how Ellis County restaurateurs are branching out beyond their original home bases. Having built a following in Waxahachie for 16 years, the team behind Tuscan Slice is now betting that Red Oak's booming, higher-income population can support a second, distinctly different concept just up the road.
