Two New Specialty Restaurants Coming To Trio In Mid-2011

Online, January 10, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Trio, Pasadena's renowned luxury mixed-use community along Colorado Boulevard, has announced that Tender Greens and Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana are moving into the retail and restaurant portion of the community in mid-2011. The restaurants will give diners high-quality options for that perfect start to a night on the town, or for a quick-but-healthy lunch. In addition, the leases bring the 13,720 square feet of retail to full occupancy.

"Shea Properties is extremely happy to add these two progressive dining concepts to Trio, where we are confident they will enjoy great success," said Colm Macken, Chief Executive Officer for Shea Properties.

Located in the heart of the Pasadena Playhouse District, Trio also offers 304 luxury apartment homes situated above the retail. The two new restaurants will join Roy's Hawaiian Fusion, already located at Trio, to create one of the most dynamic dining corners along Colorado Boulevard.

Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana

The pizzeria is named after the most valuable card in a game that is extremely popular around Napoli, Italy, and boasts a mouth-watering array of wood-fired pizzas cooked to perfection in 90 seconds in ovens that reach 1,000 degrees.

It is scheduled to open in May, 2011, according to owner Brad Otton, and will occupy a 3,320-square-foot space, making it the acclaimed chain's first location in California and third overall, after Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.

Otton was trained as a pizzaiolo in Napoli by renowned pizzaiolo Enzo Coccia. He created the Settebello concept in 2006, bringing the first authentic Napoli-style pizza to the Las Vegas area.

"We're not trying to create anything new - we're trying to recreate what authentic pizza in Napoli is all about," Otton says. "It's a very unique product. We're targeting people who are looking for an authentic pizza experience."

Otton says the Trio development has the urban feel that he was looking for to debut his restaurant chain in the Golden State.

"The area in downtown Pasadena has a New York City feel to it," Otton says. "We really like the space at Trio, and really like the area. Pasadena proved to be a really good match for us."

At Settebello Pizzeria, cooks use only specific raw ingredients to create the pizza dough, and work the dough with their hands - never using a rolling pin. Only certain types of tomatoes are used, and the cheese is made from only fresh milk or buffalo milk mozzarella.

For more information about Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana, visit www.settebello.net.

Tender Greens

Tender Greens will occupy a 3,673-square-foot suite, joining the other retailers that ring the lower level of Trio and is scheduled to open in June 2011, said owner Erik Oberholtzer.

"Pasadena has always been on our radar, and Colorado is one of the key streets to be on," Oberholtzer said.

Trio is conveniently located near office buildings, which should translate into a robust lunchtime business, Oberholtzer said. And the Pasadena Playhouse should help make the restaurant a good nighttime and weekend draw, he said.

Diners craving a healthy lunch or home-cooked dinner have made Tender Greens a huge success at its other locations in Culver City, West Hollywood, Hollywood, San Diego and Walnut Creek. The Culver City location was the first to open, in June 2006. Opening at about the same time as the Trio location will be a restaurant in Santa Monica.

Tender Greens is known for its locally sourced products, environmentally sensitive philosophy and its modern, sleek decor in a diner-like atmosphere.

"We think we've been ahead of the curve in the farm-to-fork concept of mid-market restaurants that specialize in healthy cuisine," Oberholtzer said. "The timing has been just right."

Tender Greens offers salads and sandwiches and a menu that allows diners to mix and match their salads and proteins, including steak, chicken and tuna. The Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes are hugely popular, and a savory steak dinner can be enjoyed for as little as $11. Fruit drinks, organic beers and wine also are served.

For more, visit www.tendergreensfood.com

The broker for both leases was Mark Blancarte of Site Reach Inc., a boutique retail brokerage firm headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif.

About Shea Properties (www.sheaproperties.com)
Shea Properties, headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Calif., is a multifaceted organization responsible for the acquisition, design, development, construction and management of business parks, shopping centers, apartment communities and mixed-use environments. Since beginning operations in 1969, annual revenues have grown steadily to more than $200 million, while the overall value of the portfolio has grown from $150 million to more than $2 billion. Shea Properties currently owns and operates approximately 6,300 apartment units and 6 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space in California, Colorado and Arizona. The development pipeline holds an additional 2,200 apartment units and 2.5 million square feet of commercial space. In concert with sister company Shea Homes, the nation's largest private home builder, Shea Properties offers a range of capabilities matched by few other developers in the industry.