Prato, the Michelin Guide-listed Italian restaurant from Winter Park, Florida, is moving closer to opening its first location outside the Sunshine State at 7278 Woodmont Ave. on Bethesda Row this late fall.

The restaurant faces a liquor license hearing before Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services on Thursday, Aug. 20, one of the final regulatory steps before it can begin serving, MoCo Show reported.

Prato will fill the former Matchbox space at the corner of Woodmont Avenue and Elm Street. Matchbox closed there in March after roughly six and a half years. Renovations are underway, and the restaurant has said it plans to incorporate design elements from its original Winter Park location. The Michelin Guide describes that dining room as rustic-chic, with exposed brick, vaulted ceilings and caramel-leather booths surrounding a central bar.

The Bethesda outpost will be Prato's second location overall. The original, at 124 N. Park Ave. in Winter Park, has operated for more than 14 years and earned a spot in the 2026 Michelin Guide selection for its wood-fired pizzas and house-made pastas.

Park Lights Hospitality, Prato's parent company, is driving the national expansion. CEO Scott Bowman said in March, when the Bethesda move was first announced, that the company chose the area deliberately. "We couldn't think of a better or more vibrant community than Bethesda to open our second Prato," Bowman said at the time.

Park Lights also plans to open a Nashville Prato in early 2027 and was negotiating leases in additional markets as of March, according to Bowman.

If the license is approved, Prato is targeting a late fall 2026 opening on Bethesda Row.