North Italia will open its seventh Arizona restaurant in Chandler on November 11, bringing an 8,397-square-foot dining room, a patio fireplace and a mural painted by one of its own former servers to The Shoppes at Casa Paloma. The new location at 7221 W. Ray Road will seat 203 guests indoors and 44 more on a covered patio, rounding out a restaurant footprint that already spans Gilbert, Peoria, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe and Tucson.
According to In Business Phoenix, the Chandler dining room will seat 203 guests inside with an additional 44 on the fully covered patio, and the space will include North Italia's signature open kitchen, where diners can watch chefs toss pizzas and roll fresh pasta from scratch daily. In Business reported the restaurant will seat 247 guests overall, a figure that combines the indoor and patio counts. The patio will also feature an outdoor fireplace, while the dining room will showcase a custom mural created by Price Goodman, a local artist and former North Italia server, the outlet reported.
A Seventh Arizona Location for the Homegrown Chain
The Chandler restaurant will mark North Italia's seventh in Arizona, following six existing locations in the state, according to WhatNow. The Chandler spot is taking over the former Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill location, per the same report. The company's most recent Arizona debut came in Tempe, where a 9,787-square-foot restaurant at 697 S. Novus Place opened as the chain's sixth Arizona location, seating 157 guests inside and 141 more on a covered patio with an indoor/outdoor bar.
That Tempe opening followed the debut of North Italia's Peoria restaurant the previous October. Leadership for the Tempe location included Regional Manager Antonia Wagner, Regional Chef Chris Barch, Executive Chef Luis Arellano and General Manager Matthew Shaloo. In Chandler, the team will be led by Chef Chris Curtiss, North Italia's Senior Director of Culinary Operations and R&D, alongside Executive Chef Adrian Gamez and General Manager Matthew Shaloo, according to In Business.
Menu, Hours and Happy-Hour Deals
North Italia Chandler will be open for lunch, brunch, dinner and happy hour, plus takeout and delivery through DoorDash, the outlet reported. Daily prix fixe offerings will run $25 per person for lunch and $45 per person for dinner. Guests seated at the bar during happy hour can order plates starting at $10 paired with drinks starting at $8.
The restaurant's craft cocktail and zero-proof lineup will include drinks called the Meet Me in Capri, the Diavolo and the Jam Session, per the same report. Beyond the signature pastas and pizzas, North Italia's broader menu includes hand-tossed pizzas, homemade pastas made daily, appetizers and seasonal entrees, according to North Italia's website, which also describes a beverage program built around craft cocktails, wine and beer.
Hiring Ahead of the November Debut
Ahead of the grand opening, North Italia has begun hiring for all front-of-house and back-of-house positions, with open interviews running from Monday, October 12, through October 25, the restaurant's opening announcement states. The hiring push comes as the chain continues expanding under parent company The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated, which purchased North Italia in October 2019, per WhatNow's report. The station notes the brand has grown to more than 50 company-owned locations across the country, with Texas and California home to the most restaurants.
