A member of the embattled Alizadeh family is taking over Roseville's former Piatti Ristorante, with plans to open it as a Mediterranean-themed restaurant called Sangria.
Azita Alizadeh said Friday the new restaurant will be open in late March or early April and employ as many as 100 people.
Her family has long been in the restaurant business. Her brother, Abe Alizadeh, built an empire of fast-food operations but lost most of his holdings due to financial troubles over the past few years.
The new operator of Sangria insisted her business will have no connection with other restaurants still run by family members, including Crush 29 and Suede Blue in Roseville.
"I will be the sole owner. This is my venture," she said.
Exterior painting and modest interior work is now under way at the future restaurant site at 3003 Douglas Blvd., where Piatti operated for a decade before closing in September 2010.
"It's mostly cosmetic – fabrics and wallpaper," said Alizadeh's spokeswoman, Juliet Brown.
Alizadeh said the new restaurant will have "the colors and flavors of the Mediterranean region," with tapas and other small-plate offerings as well as full-size entrees.
Lunches will be priced from $10 to $15, she said, while dinners will be in the $12 to $25 range.
Alizadeh holds a doctorate in biology from UC Davis and did postdoctoral work in genetics at Stanford.
She said she has been drawn into the family restaurant business in recent years.
"I grew up around it," she said, "and I always wanted to have my own restaurant."
Three years ago, her sister Mitra – also a Ph.D. holder with a background in genetics – made a similar move, leaving a career in academia to run the former Carver's steakhouse at 1400 Eureka Road.
She changed its name to Suede Blue in May 2009.
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