A new Italian-American heavyweight is moving into Crabtree Valley Mall. Maggiano's Little Italy plans to open its first Raleigh restaurant inside the former Brio Italian Grille space, filling a storefront that sat empty after Brio's abrupt closure last year.
The move will make the new restaurant the Triangle's second Maggiano's location, according to WRAL, which said Raleigh Downtown shared the news that week. The chain's only other nearby restaurant sits at the Streets at Southpoint in Durham, giving Raleigh diners a much closer option once the new spot opens. As WhatNow notes, the restaurant would occupy the mall's address at 4325 Glenwood Avenue, the same spot Brio left behind.
No opening date has been set yet, per WRAL's reporting, so Triangle pasta lovers will have to wait a bit longer to find out when they can grab a table. Maggiano's is known for its generous, family-style portions, the station reports, with a menu that leans into familiar Italian-American comfort food and substantial servings meant for sharing among groups.
What Maggiano's Brings to the Table
Maggiano's dining concept centers on gathering with family and friends, according to the chain's official website, with a menu built around appetizers, pasta dishes, entrées and desserts. Signature offerings include lasagna, chicken parmesan, baked pasta, seafood, salads and desserts, and the chain's family-style option lets groups share multiple dishes rather than ordering individual plates. That focus on familiar cooking and big portions has long been part of the brand's identity.
Brio's Long Run and Sudden End
Brio Italian Grille had operated at Crabtree Valley Mall for more than 15 years, going back to its opening in Raleigh in 2009, according to the News & Observer. The restaurant closed its Crabtree location in August 2025, with the newspaper reporting the closure was confirmed through the brand's website and a recorded message on its phone line. The paper also reported that Brio's parent company, Bravo Brio Restaurant, filed for bankruptcy around the same time.
By the time the Raleigh location shut down, the News & Observer noted, Brio had only one restaurant left in North Carolina, at the Harrah's Casino Resort in Cherokee. The paper described a brand that had been shrinking nationally for years, closing locations one after another even as its Crabtree Valley Mall outpost held on for more than a decade and a half.
A Fast Push to Refill the Space
Crabtree Mall's new owner moved quickly to find a replacement tenant after Brio closed, according to the Triangle Business Journal, which reported that ownership was looking to fill the space fast with a new restaurant. That urgency lines up with a broader investment push at the mall: the same outlet has reported that Crabtree Valley Mall's new owner plans a $60 million facelift for the Raleigh shopping center.
The mall has seen a wave of new arrivals as part of that refresh. Pop Mart opened its first North Carolina location there, while Five Guys Burgers & Fries moved into the food court in a space that had been occupied by a McDonald's that closed earlier in the year, the News & Observer reports. BoxLunch is planned for the first level near Belk, and Timberland has opened a specialty store near Belk that stands as the brand's only non-outlet location in the state.
More is reportedly on the way, including Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão and entertainment center Level99, per the same News & Observer account. The former Esthetix space is being prepped for a new retailer, and Hi Level Fashion closed its store while undergoing renovations ahead of a planned move to a new spot in the mall. With Maggiano's now added to that list, Crabtree Valley Mall's dining and retail lineup continues to shift as the property works through its ownership-driven overhaul.
