Internationally famous pizzeria Cane Rosso has a new location in the works, this time in a northern suburb that's in the early throes of gentrification: Carrollton.
This represents the fifth branch of the Neapolitan-style pizza chain launched in Deep Ellum by pizza impresario and social media maven Jay Jerrier. The branch will open at 1301 South Broadway, in an old bike shop — a relic of which will stay after Cane Rosso opens. "We are keeping the old bike on top of the building," Jerrier says.
Jerrier worked with the landlords and Mayor Matthew Marchant to create what he says will be something neat. "There are still a lot of moving parts, but we are trying to work together to put a cluster of really cool tenants together," Jerrier says.
Carrollton is working to be "arms open" to restaurateurs, Marchant says. "Especially in the downtown area, we're working to focus on a more eclectic offering," he says. "We have a good core there."
Diners may recall that he came this-close to luring Pecan Lodge there before the barbecue joint chose Deep Ellum.
"A lot of it ends up being a personality fit," Marchant says. "When I was talking to Justin and Diane Fourton, we got along, and it was the same thing with Jay. And then there's the fact that the pizza is great and it's a good concept."
He has nice things to say about Carrollton's current pizza lineup but says they all take different pieces of the pie.
"We have several good pizza places, one also near downtown called Amici, but that is more of a sit-down Italian restaurant with pizza," the mayor says. "My favorite is Paparazzi, but that's out at Josey and Keller Springs."
Marchant traced the history of the space where Cane Rosso will go and found that it first opened as a flower shop. "It had been a bicycle exchange place for 20 years," he says. "It's been vacant for about a year. We had conversations with a lot of people who expressed interest in the space. It's not a glamorous building, but it has a neat history."
Carrollton has been climbing on the foodie radar with one of North Texas' best craft beer stores, Lone Star Beverages, as well as its new sibling, Lone Star Caps & Taps, joining ethnic finds such as Furneaux Creek Village Shopping Center on Old Denton Road, home to an H Mart as well as a variety of Korean restaurants and shops.
Jerrier launched Cane Rosso as a mobile concept in North Dallas before opening his first branch in Deep Ellum in 2011. There are outlets at White Rock Lake, Fort Worth and Fairview. For Carrollton, he's aiming for this summer. "By June, hopefully!" he says.
Cane Rosso is expanding to Carrollton.
