Dining
BY KAREN CHANEY
Margherita pizza ($14) features tomatoes and basil.
Key lime pie ($11) is a top selling dessert.
Chilean sea bass ($40) is cooked in lemon wine sauce with artichokes, red peppers and capers.
PHOTOS BY KAREN CHANEY COMMUNITY IMPACT
Venezia’s Pizza Cafe prioritizes hospitality
As a family owned and operated business, the Krasniqi family said they place high priority on providing a family friendly environment at Venezia’s Pizza Cafe. “My mom [Mandy Krasniqi] is a wonderful lady. Whenever we train [new hires], she’ll train them and show how hospitality should be run,” said Tony Krasniqi, manager of Venezia Trattoria in McKinney. “The main thing is making sure everyone feels like part of the family.” Benny and Mandy Krasniqi opened Venezia’s Italian Cafe in Dallas in 1997. The married business owners sold that restaurant then opened Venezia’s Pizza Cafe in Richardson in 2011 followed by Venezia Trattoria in McKinney in 2024. On the menu Mandy Krasniqi said their Chilean sea bass, which is one of her favorite dishes, takes top ranking on the popularity chart at their Richardson restaurant. “Whenever we describe the sea bass—it melts in your mouth and has a lemon wine sauce—that one is very easy to sell,” Tony Krasniqi said. “We have a lot of people who only get that.” Other top-selling items include shrimp scallop diablo and Mandy’s Special, featuring breaded chicken cooked in brandy cream sauce with basil, red peppers, tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers,
topped with feta and mozzarella cheese and served with fettuccine pasta. Tony Krasniqi said lasagna is widely considered to be a barometer of an Italian restaurant’s overall quality. He said their lasagna is a fan favorite and credits the made-from-scratch sauce as the reason. One of Mandy Krasniqi’s responsibilities is making desserts for both restaurants. She said her personal favorite is her amaretto cheesecake, but the most frequently ordered dessert is her Key lime pie. She credits customer appreciation as one of her favorite things about being a restaurateur. “The No. 1 reason I enjoy working here is when I hear customers say how much they love my desserts,” Mandy Krasniqi said. “My husband and everyone says, ‘Mommy doesn’t have to cook anymore.’ But I see people enjoying it so much, and I just want to make more.” The backstory Prior to opening Venezia’s over two decades ago, Benny and Mandy Krasniqi worked in a variety of restaurant kitchens in New York. They chose to move to Texas to start their business because although North Texas was growing, it wasn’t nearly as busy as New York, and they had relatives living in the area. As their three children, Tony, Albiona and Albion Krasniqi, grew up, they worked in the family restaurant in Richardson.
Cappuccino ($5) features decorative foam art.
Mandy Krasniqi co-owns Venezia’s Pizza Cafe in Richardson with her husband, Benny Krasniqi.
RENNER RD.
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3555 Murphy Road, Ste. 107, Richardson www.veneziaspizzacafe.com
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RICHARDSON EDITION
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