Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant is close to bringing its pizza-focused spinoff to the DMV, with suburban Maryland among the areas being considered for future locations.
According to the Washington Business Journal, Piccolo Buco is close to signing a lease for its first DMV location at Kingstowne Center in Fairfax County. The restaurant would take over the space formerly occupied by Romano’s Macaroni Grill, which was the chain’s final location in the Washington region. The Business Journal also reports that representatives for Piccolo Buco are scouting potential locations in suburban Maryland.
Piccolo Buco is a partnership between Cooper’s Hawk founder and CEO Tim McEnery and Roman chef Luca Issa. McEnery discovered Issa’s original Piccolo Buco pizzeria while visiting Rome near the Trevi Fountain and later partnered with him to bring the concept to the United States.
The restaurant is best known for its Neapolitan-inspired pizzas featuring an especially large, airy outer crust. Pizzas are served with kitchen shears for guests to cut their own slices without compressing the crust.
The menu includes red, white and yellow pizzas, with varieties such as Charred Pepperoni with truffle honey, Carbonara and ’Nduja. Piccolo Buco also offers Italian starters, handmade pastas and desserts.
The Cooper’s Hawk connection extends to the restaurant’s wine program. Piccolo Buco offers wine flights and proprietary Italian blends, while Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club members can use their monthly wine credits, rewards and other benefits at Piccolo Buco.
The first U.S. Piccolo Buco opened at Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook, Illinois. The concept has since expanded selectively, including additional locations in Illinois and Florida.
Cooper’s Hawk already has a presence in Montgomery County. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant opened at Research Row in Rockville on July 15, 2019, becoming the company’s first Montgomery County location and its second in Maryland following the opening of its Annapolis restaurant in 2016. No specific Maryland location for Piccolo Buco has been announced at this time.
