Restaurant To Take Alessi Family Name
Published: Sep 25, 2005
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TAMPA - The Alessi name has been a pre-eminent brand in West Florida's bakery scene for generations. Now, one member of the Alessi family is trying to extend that brand into the restaurant industry as well.
By October's end, Phil Alessi Jr., the son of Alessi Bakery & Deli owner Phil Alessi Sr., plans to open Alessi Woodstone Oven.
The restaurant, at 11115 N. Dale Mabry Highway, will be a cross between fast-casual (akin to Panera Bread, where food is made-to-order) and cafeteria-style with ready-to-serve prepared foods.
Alessi Woodstone's brick pizza oven will be its focal point, and the restaurant will offer eight varieties of pizza.
The restaurant also will feature food stations offering entrees.
Among them will be a hot deli station, with dishes such as rotisserie chicken and pork and rice, and stations for baked goods, specialty coffees and lattes, salads, and pasta.
Alessi Woodstone will be similar to Alessi Bakery & Deli on West Cypress Street. That historic bakery is adding several hot, prepared food stations to its operation.
However, Alessi Woodstone will have 160 seats, so it will be much more of a dine-in operation than Alessi Bakery & Deli, Alessi Jr. said.
The average meal at Alessi Woodstone will run $12, he said.
Already, he is considering additional locations.
"We're definitely going to grow this concept," said Alessi Jr., who is opening Alessi Woodstone independent of his father.
If he succeeds, Alessi will join other prominent food service families to launch chain restaurants.
The Gonzmart family, owners of Ybor City's Columbia Restaurant, has opened six more Columbia Restaurants across Florida.
Meanwhile, Louis Pappas, whose family formerly owned the landmark Pappas Riverside Restaurant in Tarpon Springs, has launched a chain of Greek fast-casual restaurants called Louis Pappas Market Cafe.
