An acclaimed pizza from California is sliding into north Dallas: Pizzana, the small pizza chain from the founders of Sprinkles Cupcakes, will open a shop at Dallas' Preston Forest Shopping Center, at 11700 Preston Rd #732, taking over a storefront previously occupied by Haystack Burgers, which closed in September 2024.

According to a Pizzana representative, the restaurant will open in fall 2025.

It'll be the second location in the Dallas area, following a first that opened at 3219 Knox St. in November 2022 — the first outside of California at the time it opened. They've since expanded to Houston, opening a location there in March 2024.

Pizzana debuted in Los Angeles in 2017, and stars the expertise of pizzaiolo Daniele Uditi, who has appeared on Hulu's "Best in Dough" pizza competition series.

Described as neo-Neopolitan, Pizzana’s dough is fermented for 48 hours and cooked in a wood-burning oven. It has a more crispy crust than traditional Neapolitan, which can sometimes be a little damp for the American palate. Their goal is to create a light, easy-to-digest crust still sturdy enough to pick up with one hand.

Toppings range from traditional such as to Pizzana originals such as Uditi's signature cacio e pepe pizza, making him a trendsetter on that very buzzy pasta and spawning copycat pizzas far and wide.

There's a regular Margherita with San Marzano tomato, fior de latte, and fresh basil leaves, but also Neo-Margherita that's like a Margherita but with an extra "basic crumb" — like a toasty basil grit.

The menu also features antipasti, salads, and desserts. There are two vegan pizzas, and they also offer a gluten-free crust. They have beer, wine, and cocktails with Italian flair including their Sorrento Spritz, Negroni di Napoli, and Limoncello Martini.

The Knox location can be a tight squeeze, especially for their signature "pizza towers" — little swing-out platforms for hot pies to be presented and stacked above the surface of the table — but the new location promises a little more breathing room.

When they made their Dallas debut, Candace Nelson called Dallas "a very special city" that had already been so welcoming to her Sprinkles Cupcakes venture, before righteously boasting that "Pizzana’s menu will satisfy any carb craving and everything on the menu is worth the indulgence.”