The chain of fast-casual pizzerias &pizza announced the launch of its first West Coast location. The restaurant is set to open in spring 2026 at Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. For a brand that has spent more than a decade growing exclusively in the eastern part of the country, this marks a fundamentally new chapter.
National expansion is picking up pace
The Las Vegas opening fits into a large-scale national expansion plan being carried out by the parent company Latitude Food Group. The strategy calls for entering so-called “high-energy” markets, where a concentration of tourists, high foot traffic, and strong media visibility make it possible to quickly build brand awareness. Las Vegas, with its tens of millions of visitors a year, is almost perfectly suited to this task.
For &pizza, this is not just another pin on the map, but a test of its business model in a completely different setting. The East Coast, with its dense urban fabric and established fast-casual culture, differs significantly from Nevada’s dining landscape, where competition among hotel- and casino-based venues is considered one of the fiercest in the country.
And it has grown even more intense in recent years, as Las Vegas has begun to move away from its image as the gambling capital and focus on developing other tourism segments. First and foremost, this is event tourism, with culinary tourism in second place.
This is a necessary response amid the rapidly accelerating growth of the iGaming sector. Online casinos actively attract players with their accessibility, since you can play from anywhere as long as you have an internet-connected device. Bonuses also draw in new players, but the biggest draw of gaming platforms is the variety of games.
Online casinos offer gambling entertainment to suit every taste. Fans of the classics prefer slots and roulette, more contemplative players choose Plinko, and busy players opt for crash games such as Aviatrix, Aviator, Jet X, Lucky Jet. They stand out for their simplicity and fast-paced gameplay, which is what makes them so popular. According to information we found on this site indianaviatrix.com, a site dedicated to the Aviatrix crash game, a round lasts up to 10 seconds. That is what makes the game an excellent choice for those who want to use it to simply unwind without stepping away from their tasks for long or changing their location.
For land-based casinos, all these advantages are unavailable, which leads to a decline in visitor numbers. In order to maintain tourist traffic, Las Vegas is no longer focused on the gambling industry. Now, food and dining is a key priority.
Rio Hotel & Casino will take over operations
An unusual detail of the project is that the new restaurant will be owned and operated directly by Rio Hotel & Casino, rather than by &pizza itself. This sets the Las Vegas location apart from most previous openings, where the company managed operations directly.
This model reflects an evolution in &pizza’s partnership approach. Handing operational management to a major hospitality player allows the brand to stay focused on the product and brand identity, while leaving on-the-ground operations to an experienced operator.
What both sides are saying
Mike Burns, CEO of Latitude Food Group, described the current period as a time of maximum activity. “&pizza is operating at full speed, and we have no plans to slow down. Our expansion goal is ambitious, and entering dynamic markets like Las Vegas is critical to achieving it,” he said.
Patrick Miller, President and CEO of Rio, emphasized the strategic fit between the brands. According to him, &pizza’s creative take on the fast-casual format aligns well with Rio’s push to develop bold, guest-focused dining concepts.
Franchising without losing its identity
Unlike many chains that aim for rapid scaling through selling franchises, &pizza deliberately keeps its partner pool small. The selection principles include:
• the franchisee’s ability to maintain the brand’s “fun” and creative vibe;
• a focus on the guest experience, not just financial metrics;
• a willingness to follow standards that bring fast-casual closer to fine dining.
That is why the decision to entrust operations to Rio looks logical: a major operator with resources and a strong reputation can deliver the brand’s signature look and feel without compromise.
From H&pizza in Washington to a national brand
The chain launched in Washington in 2012 under the name H&pizza, and after a rebrand began expanding along the East Coast. Today, restaurants operate in Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. The brand builds its positioning around pizza customization, unconventional marketing campaigns, and an intentionally “upscale” presentation that aims to create an experience closer to fine dining.
Las Vegas as a testing ground for future growth
Entering one of America’s most competitive restaurant markets comes with obvious risks, but also the potential to broaden its customer base well beyond its core East Coast audience. Not long ago, Las Vegas once again drew the industry’s attention by changing the rules of the game, which made the market even more promising.
The company sees this move as an opportunity to test its franchising model in a major urban center and assess whether a format born on Washington’s streets can gain traction in a very different ecosystem.
