Construction on an area location of franchise Russo’s New York Pizzeria is expected to begin in April at Cypress Creek Road and Lakeline Boulevard near Randalls and the forthcoming Gold's Gym.

Local entrepreneur Raymond Rosario, who co-owns Shady Oaks Gun Range in Cedar Park, plans to open the business by August 2016. An address has not yet been determined, however it could be between 1400 and 1500 Cypress Creek Road, Cedar Park, he said.

Russo’s is Rosario’s second restaurant venture. He previously owned Hungry Howie’s restaurant in McAllen, Texas, and worked as a server, as well as in the kitchen at several eateries.

Rosario said he chose the location because of the “underserved market” in the area. Because the cluster of restaurants are mostly located on FM 1431, Rosario said he wanted to offer casual dining options near Cypress Creek and Lakeline.

“My family and I are embedded and invested in the Cedar Park community,” he said. “We definitely could have looked at other places. … [And in] other places we could have opened up a lot sooner, but at the end of the day we felt we wanted to continue to be part of the Cedar Park community.”

The Italian restaurant will serve pizzas, pastas, calzones, gluten-free dishes and desserts, which are flown in daily from New York, Rosario said. Beer and wine will be served, and Russo’s in Cedar Park will have a covered patio that is about 1,200 square feet, he said. The restaurant will be about 2,750 square feet. The franchise also has an area location in Pflugerville.

Rosario said he plans to include two ovens in the kitchen, one of which could be used to accommodate potential deliveries in the future. Russo’s will not initially offer delivery, but could shortly thereafter the opening, he said.

Rosario’s friend, Richard Martinez, owns a Russo’s location in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Rosario said it was his success that piqued his interest in opening a franchise location in Cedar Park.

“I already had exposure to Russo’s as a consumer but actually … my best friend exposed me to Russo’s," he said. "He has a wonderful restaurant [that] is doing great. … The neighborhood where [it] is location is very similar to the Cedar Park location and the demographics are the same, so we believe with that product and the price point [of menu items] it’s such a good [investment]. The quality of the food is superb.”