DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Beloved Italian restaurant Pepp & Dolores, along with two of its sister restaurants, is set to open a second location in the Cincinnati area later this year.
Thunderdome Restaurant Group is opening Pepp & Dolores, alongside The Eagle and CityBird, at Deerfield Township's new The District at Deerfield development.
Joe Lanni, co-founder of Thunderdome, told WCPO 9 that the new locations are the restaurant group's way of broadening specifically in the Cincinnati market. Currently, CityBird has several locations, including Amelia, Anderson, Over-the-Rhine, Harper's Point, Fountain Square and Crestview Hills in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The Eagle also has several other locations, but all of them, except OTR, are in other cities such as Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis and others.
"We just feel that this one (Deerfield Township) is a great location, first and foremost, but we're going to have great neighbors, and when you put those two things together, that's a real recipe for success, hopefully," Lanni said.
The District at Deerfield, which sits near Mason Montgomery Road, is home to several businesses, including Pins Mechanical Co., Fifty West Brewery and 101 Craft Kitchen. It was recently announced that the Indianapolis-based brunch spot, Cafe Patachou, is also expected to open at The District at Deerfield this spring, as well.
While The Eagle and CityBird have other locations, the upcoming Pepp & Dolores in Deerfield Township is only the second location for the concept outside of its flagship OTR spot. Lanni told us that Thunderdome never planned to make Pepp & Dolores a regional chain like the other concepts, but they decided to open a second location due to the restaurant's success.
"It's just had such success and resonated so well that demand's just been off the charts, and we thought, if we're making our first foray outside the central business district, we ought to put our best foot forward," Lanni said.
Lanni said they plan to design the new space to give the same feel of OTR's Pepp & Dolores, obviously without the 100-year-old historic building along Vine Street. Guests can also expect the same menu as the OTR restaurant, with in-house-made pastas, wine and more.
Pepp & Dolores, The Eagle and CityBird are expected to open at The District at Deerfield in September or October, Lanni said.
