TORONTO — Two well-known restaurateurs from Mississauga, Ont. are partnering on a new venture that combines their shared culinary passions and serves up a new take on a casual-dining staple — the pizza.
Mohamad Fakih, founder and CEO of the Paramount Fine Foods chain of restaurants, and celebrity chef, author and restaurant owner Massimo Capra have announced they will work together on a new pizza concept called “MAS.E.MO” — a combination of Massimo and Mohamad’s names. This new venture will offer a variety of different pizza choices independent from the mankeesh options currently offered at Paramount.
Capra began his culinary journey in Italy before moving to Canada to work in the restaurant industry, eventually opening two Italian establishments in Mississauga, Ont. and Niagara, Ont. He’s renowned for his approach to Italian classics and fresh new dishes will create a one-of-a-kind pizza featuring halal-only ingredients from Paramount’s popular Middle-Eastern menu.
“We’re looking forward to giving a traditional favourite on dining tables across the country a delicious new taste,” says Fakih.
“We’ve respected each other for years and have been looking for the right opportunity to work together,” Capra says. “This concept will combine our strengths and create something entirely new for our guests to experience.”
The pizza created by Capra and Fakih will be available for takeout and delivery from select Paramount restaurants across the Greater Toronto Area. The Paramount Fine Foods located at 253 Yonge St. in Toronto will be the first location where customers can order the new menu items. The launch is part of the Paramount pandemic plan to broaden menu offerings and maximize the use of pre-existing spaces, resulting in the new brands Box’d, Cloud Kitchen and Krispo.
The new concept will launch in the near future. Further details on timing will be provided as plans are finalized.
