Pizza News

Crafty crusty new pizza restaurant will serve up slices to Frisco

New pizza coming to Frisco.

Photo courtesy of Rotolo's

Rotolo's, a pizza chain from Baton Rouge, is opening a new concept in Frisco. Called Rotolo's Craft and Crust, it's a pizzeria that'll open at 9250 Dallas Pkwy., in front of Toyota Stadium, in the space previously occupied by the now-closed Ace's Ice House & Chop Shop.

Rotolo's has a presence in North Texas, with three locations of the original Rotolo's in Lewisville, Tyler, and Longview.

Mitch Rotolo opened the first Rotolo's Pizzeria in 1996 near Louisiana State University. The chain now has 22 locations in Louisiana, along with stores in Texas, Alabama, and Florida.

Barian McGuire, who opened the Rotolo's in Lewisville in 2014, describes the old-school Rotolo's as an Italian-inspired comfort food restaurant with a family-friendly sports-bar atmosphere. The menu has pizza, pasta, salads, calzones, wraps, and sandwiches. Unlike many pizzerias, Rotolo's also has a full bar with daily drink specials and 40 beers on tap.

He's also opening the new Craft and Crust in Frisco. It's is a simpler, pared-down concept with open patio, revamped menu, and full bar with 36 brews, two wines, and two signature cocktails.

McGuire says that Craft and Crust was created in 2016 as a way to recapture some of the chain's original grit and honest charm. It's a scratch menu with salads, hot and cold sandwiches, Italian entrées, and signature calzones.

Frisco will be the fourth branch in the new chain, and will open in early fall 2018.

McGuire, who lives in Frisco, would drive by the Ace's location and knew it had promise.

"I could see that Ace's wasn't doing well, so I called the landlord and told him I wanted to be his first call," McGuire says. "They were familiar with Rotolo's, and wanted a family restaurant. It's definitely what the area needs."

"We've always said we're not your average pizzeria," he says. "With Craft and Crust, we've taken the best of what was on the Rotolo's menu and made it better."

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Fried Chicken News

Chicago restaurant debuts its fried chicken and boba tea in Frisco

Chi Tea

Chi Tea burgers and chicken sandwiches.

A new restaurant serving boba tea and fried chicken just opened in Frisco: Called Chi Tea, it's a chain from Chicago that opened its first location in Texas at 4760 Preston Rd. #228, in a former Bonchon Korean in Frisco Village.

According to a release, It opened November 1.

The concept was founded in Chicago in 2020 by brothers Zak Ayyubi, Aman Siddiqui, and friend Abdurahman Sharif, with an unusual goal to pair fried chicken sandwiches, fries, and bubble tea drinks. They've since opened two more locations in Illinois; Frisco is the fourth and the first outside the state.

The name is a little misleading, as it implies it's a beverage place, but there's equal emphasis on the sandwiches and fries. They also tout their welcoming vibe, encouraging customers to eat, drink, and linger.

Their menu features three sandwiches — Nashville hot fried chicken sandwich, a grilled chicken, and a burger with grilled onions, jalapenos, pickles, cheese, and Chi-sauce — which can also be ordered in a smaller slider size.

There are also fries, loaded fries, popcorn chicken, chicken tenders, and mac & cheese, which can be customized with bacon, beef, fries, and other toppings.

Prices typically range from $5 for a single Chi Tea Classic slider to $13 for four-piece chicken tenders.

Boba drinks are entirely customizable, starting with choice of blended smoothie or over ice, with choice of flavor ranging from pineapple to brown sugar milk tea to horchata; and toppings, like popping pearls or cream cheese foam. A regular starts at $5 and a large starts at $6.

Notably, Chi Tea was among the restaurants selected in the recent Spongebob Krabby Patty promotion during October that took place in 12 cities across North America, included a dozen restaurants in Dallas.

"We are very excited to finally bring a taste of Chicago to the Greater Dallas area," says Ayyubi in a release. "This move has been very promising and we cannot wait for the community to welcome us and for us to serve this beautiful city."

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