Prato Italian has secured a $1.37 million building permit for its first Maryland restaurant at 7278 Woodmont Ave. in Bethesda Row, MoCo Show reported.

The permit covers the interior fit-out of the 5,750-square-foot space, formerly home to Matchbox, which closed March 22 after opening there in October 2019. Prato is targeting a late-fall 2026 opening.

The restaurant will be Prato's second location and its first outside Winter Park, Florida, where the original has operated for more than 14 years. The Washington Business Journal described Prato as Michelin-recommended.

Park Lights Hospitality, the Orlando-based parent company, plans to expand nationally after the Bethesda opening. CEO Scott Bowman told citybiz in March that the company expects to open in Nashville in early 2027 and is negotiating deals in other major markets. Bowman joined Park Lights Hospitality about two years before that announcement to lead the growth of its restaurant brands.

"We couldn't think of a better or more vibrant community than Bethesda to open our second Prato," Bowman said in an August interview with MoCo Show, ahead of a liquor license hearing scheduled for Aug. 20 with Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services.

The permit milestone follows progress made over the summer, including that scheduled hearing. The former Matchbox space seated 180 guests indoors and 32 on an outdoor patio and featured a large wood-fired pizza oven as a centerpiece of the dining room. Prato's menu will also center on wood-fired pizzas alongside house-made pastas, according to the restaurant's website.

The Bethesda space will undergo a substantial renovation. Bowman said in March that the design will incorporate elements from the Winter Park flagship, including brick and warm wood.

Federal Realty, which owns Bethesda Row, is the landlord. Bowman named CORE, ReVite and Culinary Creations as project partners.

An exact opening date has not been announced. Nashville is next on Park Lights Hospitality's calendar, with a planned early 2027 debut.