A pizza concept from Australia is shutting down its presence in Dallas: Called 400 Gradi, it's a Neapolitan-style pizzeria that opened two locations in the DFW area — the original in downtown Dallas at 2000 Ross Ave., which is still open but will close in early 2025; and a second location in McKinney, which closed on December 31.

400 Gradi was founded by Johnny Di Francesco, a native of Australia and a regular on Australian TV shows such as MasterChef Australia, The Mentor, and Everyday Gourmet, who opened his first location in his hometown Melbourne in 2008. "400 Gradi" refers to the high temperature at which a thin-crust traditional Neapolitan pizza is cooked in a wood-fired oven.

The concept was brought to DFW by franchisee Igor Stevovic who opened the Dallas location in 2019 in what was then a seemingly up-and-coming building in downtown Dallas at a time when Neapolitan-style pizza was on an upswing.

That building still houses a location of the buzzy California-based sandwich restaurant Mendocino Farms, but it's now open weekdays only. Meanwhile, the building has added casual, low-priced tenants such as Shawarma Press and Firebirds Burrito.

Having a restaurant in downtown Dallas is not easy, and the pandemic has not helped that fact.

400 Gradi adhered to the guidelines of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. They used Neapolitan-style ingredients to make authentic pizzas, with San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil, flour imported from Italy, and a special water from a company called Artisan H2O that replicated the water found in Naples.

They served a traditional menu of Italian dishes, ranging from fried calamari and arancini (fried risotto balls) to pizzas topped with prosciutto and spicy salami. Plus larger entrees such as risotto, char-grilled steaks, and lamb shoulder.

In 2021, Stevovic also opened Zero Gradi, a decadent gelato and dessert shop next to 400 Gradi in downtown Dallas. He opened the second location of 400 Gradi in McKinney in 2023, along with a second location of Zero Gradi.

Stevovic, who has many years of franchising experience, says it was time to part ways.

"I regret to say that we're phasing out 400 Gradi in Dallas," he says. "I think that the corporate strategy versus where we wanted to go were not overlapping."

For now, Zero Gradi will still be open, so you can still get their croissants, supremes, pastries, and gelato. And for those who loved 400 Gradi's food, there's at least a few weeks at the Dallas location to run down there like a maniac and get it before it goes.