Jimmy Pardini has announced the opening of his new Italian-inspired sandwich shop, Strada.
“We wanted to give a sense of the Italian experience with a little bit of a modern feel,” Pardini said.
Strada, meaning “street” or “road” in Italian, is inspired by Pardini’s time spent in Italy. He shared his experiences visiting sandwich shops where people would grab a sandwich and a glass of wine and take those with them on the street.
“It’s a big part of the everyday food culture there, and something that really just fits well with my interest,” Pardini said.
Unlike other sandwich shops in the area, Strada features imported meats from Italy and spreads made in-house. Its focaccia bread is also made in-house and requires a multi-day process. Strada combines unique flavors and ingredients for traditional Italian sandwiches while incorporating familiar American and Californian touches.
Along with sandwiches, Strada will offer a selection of wine and beer.
“I really think that Strada, hopefully, will have a wide reach around the community and even the valley, because we’re really gonna be doing a sandwich that you really can’t get anywhere else,” Pardini said.
Located in the Park Crossing Shopping Center, Strada sits across from Pardini-owned Annesso Pizzeria.
Pardini also owns The Annex Kitchen and Willow Osteria. His restaurants bring upscale Italian cuisine to the Central Valley.
This is the company’s first counter-service restaurant. The idea behind Strada was to make it accessible to everyone —whether it’s your everyday lunch spot or a grab-and-go dinner, no planning ahead is required.
Pardini’s key to success, he says, is to simply make people happy. Great company, great food and great service are their values that keep people coming back.
“We’re gonna answer a million and one questions, and just make sure the guests just feel like we’re here to help them,” said Giovanna Pecchenino, the managing partner at Strada.
Many members of the Strada team transferred from other Pardini-owned restaurants and understand the values and standards. Pecchenino has been working with and training the team for weeks to prepare for the opening.
“We’re pretty excited about the product that we’re doing. So we hope that everyone else is as well,” Pecchenino said.
Strada will officially open on April 28.
