Jay Jarrier confirmed today that he's signed a lease on the space next door to his Deep Ellum pizza restaurant, Cane Rosso. The 1500 square-foot space will be turned into a mixed-use area, filled with private dining space and tables for overflow when the main room gets crowded. And that main room is about to get even more crowded.
The move is in part a preparation for the surge of customers expected after an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives airs about the restaurant next year. The Food Network taped at the location last week.
"We're had an incredibly lucky year," Jerrier says. Business has already received a modest spike since news of the taping flooded social media outlets and blogs around Dallas.
Jerrier's plans for growth doesn't end with the expansion of his first restaurant, however.
"I didn't open Cane Rosso to have one really cool restaurant," he says. "We've been planning for growth for a long time."
That's why he brought Dino Santonicola in from D.C.. In addition to revamping Cane Rosso's pies, the pizzaiolo frees Jerrier up to look at subsequent locations. He also hired Megan Dennison, who previously worked at Central 214 and Park with expansion in mind. She's tasked with day-to-day management of the Deep Ellum location.
When will a second location open? Jerrier's still evaluating spaces, but the Food Network attention has turned up the heat on his expansion plans.
"Certainly in 2012," Jerrier says. "Probably the 2nd or 3rd quarter."
