The Deli by Pepe and Burleigh Gelato Co set to open Italian restaurant Piada Co in Burleigh Heads

The owners of two popular southern Gold Coast eateries have come together to open an Italian restaurant starring a street-food favourite.

The team behind The Deli by Pepe, and Burleigh Gelato Co. have come together to open an Italian restaurant called Piada Co. Picture Glenn Hampson

The owners of two popular southern Gold Coast eateries have come together to open a new Italian restaurant.

Andrea and Alexa Fabrizio from Palm Beach’s The Deli by Pepe, and Bree Edwards and Simon Bird from Burleigh Gelato Co will launch Piada Co in an arcade off James St in Burleigh Heads.

Ms Edwards said the team envisioned “a taste revolution fusing traditional Italian with modern favourites”.

She said the restaurant was inspired by the piadinas from food carts that are “on every street corner in Romagna, Italy”.

“It’s a round flatbread cooked crispy and stuffed with whatever you could possibly conjure up,” Ms Edwards said.

The team behind The Deli by Pepe, and Burleigh Gelato Co. have come together to open an Italian restaurant called Piada Co. Left to right they are Alexa Fabrizio, Leone Fabrizio, Andrea Fabrizio, Simon Bird, and Bree Edwards. Picture Glenn Hampson

Piada Co’s menu will feature piadinas alongside burrata bowls, suppli (“like arancini but better”), fried calamari, cannolis and frappes.

Ms Edwards said they had been working on the idea for many years, but cemented the concept after a trip to Italy last year.

“Since then, we’ve carefully been curating the menu, sourcing the best ingredients, and finding the right location.”

Ms Edwards said, while they understood the venue may be affected by parking and visitation fallout from Light Rail Stage Three construction (it is not directly on the route), they believed diners would continue to support the suburb.

“Burleigh is still Burleigh,” she said.

“It’s still got fabulous restaurants, shopping and it’s still beautiful.”

Ms Edwards said she believed the light rail extension would make the suburb “better than ever” once it was finished.

“It’s part of the reason why we are investing in the area again.”

Piada Co. is scheduled to open early August next to popular cafe Social Brew Burleigh.

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