Matt Harding, SVP of culinary and menu innovation with Piada Italian Street Food, a brand known for its pasta bowls, hand-rolled piadas, salads and sides, brings a fine-dining pedigree to the fast-casual format, innovating boldly while staying grounded in operational reality. From flavor-forward handhelds to playful seasonal beverages, Harding’s approach reflects a deep respect for taste memory, execution and craveability. We spoke with him about his creative approach to menu development, keeping today’s consumer preferences firmly in focus.

Matt Harding

Katie Ayoub: How do you describe Piada to someone unfamiliar with the brand?
Matt Harding: I’d describe Piada as a fast-casual Italian restaurant. It’s rooted in Italian flavors, but presented in a modern, accessible way.

KA: What differentiates Piada in the crowded fast-casual space?
MH: We put an extraordinary amount of care into the quality of our food. I’ve worked my way down from fine dining to fast casual—not because it’s a step back, but because it’s where the guest has gone. We start with the gold standard and then find a way to execute that at scale. There’s no freezer in our kitchens; we’re using grills, sauté stations, ovens and fryers—an equipment package that’s rare for our segment. That lets us use techniques like the Maillard reaction to build flavor. We’re also working with real ingredients, like fresh basil, lime juice and extra-virgin olive oil in our lemon-basil dressing. That level of intentionality stands out.

Credit: Piada Italian Street Food

Piada offers a robust menu of handhelds, including the Avocado Piada: artisan dough filled with pancetta, arugula, mozzarella, sweet corn, tomato and fresh avocado, finished with a bright basil aïoli

KA: What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to innovation?

MH: Innovation has to survive the journey from the test kitchen to the guest. It’s not enough for it to be delicious—it has to be executable system-wide. So, we ask: How can we make this dish easier to get right than wrong? We develop with process and scalability in mind and then vet it with our operators, many of whom have restaurant experience. If they flag something as unrealistic, we listen. We also run in-store tests and gather feedback before launching anything broadly.

KA: How do you evaluate food trends through the Piada lens?
MH: We always want to innovate, but our guests also love their favorites. So we’ll introduce a trend-forward element in a familiar form. When we launched our Hot Fried Chicken, we didn’t call it “Nashville Hot,” and we didn’t use Calabrian peppers either. We simply called it what it was: Hot Fried Chicken. Guests like to pair it with our top-selling carbonara pasta. It’s bold and new, but in a comforting, recognizable format.

Credit: Piada Italian Street Food

Piada offers Hot Fried Chicken as a protein topper, leveraging the Nashville hot trend while making it a sound fit for the brand.

KA: Do you use a similar approach with your beverage innovation?
MH: Seasonal beverages are another great canvas. They’re low risk for the guest but let us play with trend-forward ideas. This summer, we’re combining white peach and sweet basil—it’s fresh, vibrant and rooted in seasonality. And we keep flavors accessible but interesting. That balance gives us the opportunity for trial and retrial.

Credit: Piada Italian Street Food

Piada features signature flavor combinations in its seasonal beverages, like this summer’s refreshing LTO, the Peach-Basil Fresca, with ripe white peaches, fresh basil, lime and a hint of ginger.

KA: Are there limits to how far you’ll stretch globally inspired flavor?
MH: We play creatively with global flavors, but always filter them through what works for our brand. I joke that we could serve gochujang if we just called it Tuscan. Although we’re an Italian concept, we’re not locked into one pantry. If it enhances umami or depth, we’ll use it—whether it’s fish sauce, soy sauce or something else. If it doesn’t overwhelm the dish and adds craveable complexity, we’ll use it. Our guests may not know why something tastes so good, but they’ll want it again.

KA: Tell us about your current LTO strategy.
MH: We run seasonal LTOs that feel fun and accessible. Each summer we launch a beverage that’s vibrant and social media friendly. We’ve played with dragon fruit, for example, to create an ombré effect. For fall or winter, we’ll feature comfort-driven items like mac and cheese or ravioli. When we introduce new pastas, we let guests pair them with their favorite sauces—pomodoro, Alfredo, pesto—so they feel empowered to explore, but on their terms.

KA: You recently rolled out Piada Pockets. What’s the thinking behind them?
MH: These are snackable handhelds, a smaller version of our Piada Sticks made with pressed, thin piadina dough folded around fillings. We’re offering three: Meatball Marinara, Spinach & Artichoke (our top seller) and Spicy Sausage & Peppers. They’re selling really well. I think they resonate because they hit so many needs: portable, comforting and flavorful. Guests buy them alongside pasta and save them for later, or pair them with soup and a side to create a personal tasting experience.

Credit: Piada Italian Street Food

Piada Pockets answer the call for snacking: Italian-inspired handhelds in craveable flavors like Spinach & Artichoke, Meatball Marinara and Spicy Sausage & Peppers—folded, baked and ready to go.

KA: We’re seeing an uptick in fun spins on spinach and artichoke. Smart move on your part!
MH: It’s a nostalgic flavor combination—people remember it from places like Houston’s. Plus, spinach and artichoke are comfortably Italian-adjacent. The filling is creamy, vegetable-forward and craveable. It hits memory and flavor at the same time.

QUICKFIRE

Source of inspiration:
Everywhere. From chefs in my network who send me Instagram reels of food being grilled over wood to visiting restaurants to reading design magazines like Dwell to listening to how people are feeling. I try to filter my love of food through the lens of what the world is experiencing emotionally, economically, culturally. When you hit something that resonates holistically, the payoff is huge.

Something in your fridge that would surprise people:
I love Miracle Whip. Fried bologna, Miracle Whip, iceberg and tomato—you talk about a memory, right? I can remember my mom making that sandwich for me all those years ago.

Cuisine or ingredient you’re particularly excited to explore:
Lately, I’ve been diving into bread. I developed a sourdough for a local restaurant, and now I’m working on focaccia for sandwiches. It’s part of a personal bread quest.

Your go-to late-night snack:
Delicious bourbon—corn-based, of course.

Best bite you’ve had recently:
Broccolini and calamari at The Morris in San Francisco. I practically bathed in the sauce. Just unforgettable.