Achieving a noteworthy milestone after years of strategic revitalization work, the City of Richardson today announced that acclaimed Italian restaurant Partenope Ristorante will be opening in the Downtown area of Richardson’s CORE District in mid-2023. The restaurant will occupy 3,100 square feet of the 6,200-square-foot 110 S. Greenville Ave. building, located near the southwest corner of the Main Street/Greenville Avenue intersection.

This is the first new full-service, sit-down restaurant slated for the Downtown area since the City substantially completed redevelopment planning efforts and major infrastructure investments in the CORE District.

“As evidenced by this new restaurant announcement, the CORE District’s Downtown area is growing, transforming and well-positioned to serve as the eclectic, vibrant, walkable heart of our community,” said Don Magner, Richardson City Manager. “Years of strategic visioning by stakeholders and thoughtful reinvestment by the City are really beginning to pay off in a big way. We’re excited about this area’s enhanced vitality and what it means for our community as people increasingly come here to live, work, shop, dine and play.”

The restaurant is owned by husband-and-wife Dino and Megan Santonicola, who opened their first Partenope in downtown Dallas in 2019. Partenope is known for Southern Italian authenticity and a living room-like, welcoming environment, and is proud to have Vera Pizza Napoletana (VPN) certification, signifying that its pizza meets the true Neapolitan-style standard.

“When I moved to Dallas from Seattle in 2011, I immediately settled right here in Richardson,” said Dino Santonicola, a native of Naples, Italy. “Today, my family and I frequently walk to Downtown Richardson for coffee at Staycation or burgers at Del’s, and we also stop at this intersection while taking our kids to school. So, when we learned about this site’s availability, it was almost like destiny. We are truly excited to be opening Partenope here, bringing the comforting cuisine and warm hospitality of Naples to our home community. We are also happy to see the Downtown Richardson area evolving in such a positive way.”

The restaurant will offer many of the same sophisticated, hand-made pizzas and pastas as Partenope’s original location. Its new Richardson location will also feature a patio, providing more flexible seating options and more connectivity to the enhanced streetscape.

The property is owned by Durkin Properties and Greenway Investment Company, and is being marketed for retail occupancy by SHOP Companies. Manasseh Durkin, president of Durkin Properties and chair of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce board of directors, was instrumental in the area’s 2019 rebranding as the CORE District and has worked closely with the City on area revitalization efforts.

“When we first programmed the nearby Lockwood area, we expected that a dynamic entertainment and dining destination would emerge next in Downtown, right in the heart of the CORE District,” said Durkin. “Now, thanks to the City’s purposeful investments and the work of our partners, we have Partenope coming in as a strong anchor for further, quality development on the District’s southern and eastern side. With Belt + Main bringing more residential density and desirable amenities in the near future, Downtown Richardson will be hopping again. It’s an exciting time for this area, and we expect to have more restaurant announcements to share in the very near future, including a large patio restaurant concept coming soon.”

The CORE District, which includes the Downtown, Richardson Heights, Interurban, Lockwood and Chinatown areas, was one of six citywide zones identified for intentional enhancement or redevelopment efforts in Richardson’s 2009 Comprehensive Plan. In 2012 the City began a community vision and market study for its Main Street and Central Expressway corridors, which led to public meetings with residents and stakeholders, and eventually to two rezoning initiatives adopted by the City Council in 2015 and 2016.

Over the past few years, the City’s major investments in the CORE District include a new $80 million public safety campus, distinctive public art projects and $21 million in various infrastructure, roadway and pedestrian improvements such as wider sidewalks, lighting fixtures, picnic tables, benches, urban parks, tree-lined medians and tree plantings along both sides of Main Street east of U.S. 75/Central Expressway. The City has also partnered with local merchants and neighborhood groups to host events showcasing the District’s rebirth, including June’s Culture in CORE event and last fall’s Main Street Celebration, as well as a Chinese New Year Festival at DFW Chinatown and the Light Up Lockwood event, both held this year.

Through its Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Zone #1, the City also provided a $300,000 grant for façade improvements and needed modernization to the future Partenope building, including the patio addition.

Nearby, construction broke ground last year on the 14.5-acre Belt + Main mixed-use project from Catalyst Urban Development, which will offer 15,000 square feet of new restaurant and retail space, 350 multifamily units and 7,000 square feet of residential amenities. The initial phase of construction including ground-floor retail space is slated for completion in early 2023, and full project completion is expected in the spring 2024.

To learn more about Richardson’s CORE District or to see information about amenities and upcoming events in the area, visit www.richardsoncoredistrict.com.

About the City of Richardson

The City of Richardson is widely recognized for its commitment to excellence, its rich history and its bright future, all of which make Richardson a smart choice for residents and businesses. Known globally for its high-tech business leadership, the City of Richardson also offers a high quality of life, diverse array of neighborhoods, convenient Metroplex location, multi-modal transportation infrastructure and outstanding City services. Richardson has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top places to live and work by the national media, and the City remains dedicated to continuous improvement, as well as to the principles of open government and two-way communications with residents. To learn more, visit www.cor.net.

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