Biz Beat: Oakdale to get a taste of Mediterranean

A familiar taste of the Mediterranean is coming to Oakdale.

Papapolloni Mediterranean Bistro will open Aug. 1 on West F Street near Oak Avenue. The owners of Papapavlo's Mediterranean Bistro & Bar in Modesto are behind the venture and promise a bigger space with some new menu options. More steak and pasta dishes have been added.

But co-owner David Alonso said fans of Papapavlo's will recognize most of their favorites at Papapolloni. The restaurant will be open daily for lunch and dinner.

"It will be similar food," Alonso said. "But we're adding some different items to the menu. It will be Greek, Italian, French and American food."

The stand-alone space, which formerly housed a pizza parlor and stereo store, also has more seating, including an outdoor patio. The restaurant will be able to seat 100 inside and 40 outside.

Alonso and brother Balentin Alonso opened Papapavlo's in north Modesto in 2001. He said they've been thinking about expanding beyond Modesto for the past year. They picked Oakdale because of the spot's prime location.

"Even with the economy how it is, we felt it was time to expand," said David Alonso. "We felt (Oakdale) needed a Mediterranean restaurant to bring something new to the community."

They are hiring, with about 25 open positions for everything from cooks to servers. The restaurant will have about 35 employees.

To apply, call (209) 525-3995.

For more on Papapolloni Mediterranean Bistro, 1214 W. F St., visit www.papapolloni.com.

Elsewhere around the Business Beat:

Three Modesto attorneys have joined to open a Modesto office for the law firm Berliner Cohen.

Judy Jensen, Leslie Kalim McHugh and Edalina Mendonca, all formerly of Petrulakis Jensen & Friedrich LLP, joined the full-service firm this month. Berliner Cohen also has offices in San Jose and Merced and specializes in serving private businesses and public agencies in Northern California.

Call (209) 576-1197. …

And finally, the Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group has moved its Oakdale office to a Modesto address. The new office is at 4701 Sisk Road, Suite 102, Modesto 95356. Call(209) 809-2300.

Have an item for Business Beat? Contact Marijke Rowland at The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352; (209) 578-2284 or mrowland@modbee.com.