Prato is taking another step toward its projected late fall 2026 opening at 7278 Woodmont Ave. in Bethesda. The Italian restaurant is scheduled for a liquor license hearing with Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services on Thursday, August 20.
Prato will take over the former Matchbox space at Bethesda Row. Matchbox closed at the location in March, and Prato is currently targeting a late fall opening. “Your new go-to for Italian is arriving in Bethesda in late Fall 2026, featuring fresh, house-made pastas and wood-fired pizzas, rooted in tradition and elevated with seasonal ingredients,” Prato states on its website.
The Bethesda restaurant will be Prato’s second location and its first outside of Winter Park, Florida, where the original has operated for more than 14 years. Prato is expanding nationally under parent company Park Lights Hospitality, which also plans to open a Nashville location in early 2027.
When the Bethesda expansion was announced earlier this year, Park Lights Hospitality CEO Scott Bowman said the company was drawn to the area’s dining scene and community. “We couldn’t think of a better or more vibrant community than Bethesda to open our second Prato,” Bowman said.
The Bethesda space is undergoing renovations and is expected to incorporate design elements from the original Winter Park restaurant. “Prato Winter Park is a special room,” Bowman previously said. “You feel the energy as soon as you walk in… Our goal is to recreate that feeling in Bethesda and become a place where the community gathers and returns again and again.” We will provide an update when an opening date is announced.
