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PITTSBURGH, PA (9/5/2020) – Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group has announced plans to open a second tako location in Bakery Square.

Richard DeShantz, Pittsburgh-native and Chef/Owner of the well-known restaurant group, has created several unique restaurants that have helped reorient Pittsburgh’s focus from steel mills to the next food city. tako, one of the group’s eight local spots, originally opened in the Cultural District in spring of 2015. It is a street-fusion taco shop focusing on fresh ingredients and chef-driven tacos. The new location in Bakery Square will feature a similar look and feel to the existing space in downtown, just bigger! You can expect all your food favorites to be available at this location and maybe some new options too! Counter service will also be offered at this location. 

Out of all their restaurant concepts, this is the group’s first additional location of an original restaurant. The DeShantz Group is “excited to bring tako to Bakery Square and join the already vibrant community”. They say “even in times like these it is our duty in the world of hospitality to continue to bring joy and good times to the people of Pittsburgh. We look forward to serving the community soon”.

Walnut Capital and Bakery Square are “honored to partner with the renowned Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group and are anxiously awaiting tako’s grand opening in Bakery Square” says Gregg Perelman, co-founder and CEO of Walnut Capital. “tako is one of Pittsburgh’s go-to restaurants for locals and tourists alike. The food, vibe, and decor is unmatched. tako will really elevate the Bakery Square experience.”

The new spot is currently under construction in the space next to Panera Bread and is approximately 5,000 square feet. It will feature an expansive Tequila wall as well as tons of indoor seating and a covered patio outdoors!

tako will be moving into a freshly revamped courtyard currently undergoing construction as a part of the “Bakery Refresh,” a plan to update the property and incorporate new elements throughout the square. The updates include a conservatory, outdoor cafe seating, public open space, grass field, lounge seating and Galley – Bakery Square, the Galley Group’s newest location in a brand new expansive food hall set to open in 2021.

Jason Cannon of CBRE worked with both parties to facilitate the restaurant’s second location. A lifelong Pittsburgh resident, Jason has an intimate knowledge of the unique Western PA retail and restaurant scene.

About Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group

Established in 2011, the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group is owned and operated by Chef and Pittsburgh-native, Richard DeShantz. He first opened the doors to his flagship restaurant, Meat & Potatoes, which was met with rave reviews and national recognition. Over the years, the restaurant group expanded downtown with Butcher and the Rye, tako, and Pork and Beans. In 2018, the Richard DeShantz Group opened their first location outside of Downtown, Poulet Bleu, followed by Fish nor Fowl a few months later. This year, the group has opened gi-jin and Coop De Ville. DeShantz continues to elevate his hometown’s culinary credibility by focusing on farm fresh ingredients and pushing boundaries.

About Bakery Square & Walnut Capital

Walnut Capital has been instrumental in Pittsburgh’s evolution from post-industrial steel town to a world-class intelligence-based economy, helping Pittsburgh reimagine itself into a hub of new knowledge. The developer behind the growing Bakery Square campus, they purchased the then abandoned Nabisco Bakery plant in 2007 and created a sustainable, mixed-use development home to some of Pittsburgh’s top employers (Philips Sleep and Respiratory Care, Google, UPMC Enterprises, Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh and others) and high-quality retail tenants (Starbucks, West Elm, Anthropologie, Free People). The Bakery Square campus now includes three office buildings, 2,000 parking spaces, two residential apartment complexes, for-sale townhomes and continues to evolve with the “Bakery Refresh” renovation plans. For more information and updates on “Bakery Refresh” please visit https://bakery-square.com/refresh/.

About Lionstone Investments: 

Lionstone Investments is Walnut Capital’s financial and development partner at Bakery Square. Lionstone Investments is a data-analytics driven real estate investment firm that conceptualizes, analyzes, and executes national investment strategies using proprietary algorithms and advanced analytics to strategically pinpoint the locations where  innovation, economic vitality, and productivity intersect to create sustainable and vibrant communities.