Pizza Maestro Chris Bianco Is Opening a New Phoenix Restaurant

Chris Bianco has his hands full. Earlier this month, the nationally acclaimed pizza maker announced plans to bring Pizzeria Bianco to LA, and now he’s teaming up with Phoenix restaurateurs Nadia Holguin and Armando Hernandez to open a restaurant inside of Phoenix’s century-old Roland’s Market, AZ Central reports.

Holguin and Hernandez, who own the buzzworthy Tacos Chiwas in Phoenix, reached out to Bianco to ask advice on what to do with the space: They were approached with the idea of turning it into a office building with a small taqueria. Bianco instead agreed to go in on a full-service restaurant with the husband-and-wife team.

The trio plans to open the restaurant, called Roland’s, later this year, but the cuisine and concept are still in development. “It will be something from both of our backgrounds. It will be something very personal and special,” Bianco said in AZ Central — though notably, it appears this is the first time Bianco will step away completely from pizza and Italian food. The historic building, which used to house an Asian market, is currently undergoing renovations.

• Chris Bianco, Tacos Chiwas team up for restaurant in century-old Phoenix building [AZ Central]