The Baris Story

Baris (pronounced bar-s) Pizza & Pasta in Pflugerville is a restaurant borne of the fruits of family connections. So it is perhaps not surprising that the eatery has become a popular location for local families to gather.

Cheryl and Tony Bardhi moved from New York City to Pflugerville in 1997 and opened Baris Pizza & Pasta.
Baris (pronounced bar-s) Pizza & Pasta in Pflugerville is a restaurant borne of the fruits of family connections. So it is perhaps not surprising that the eatery has become a popular location for local families to gather.
“We had a good life in New York, we had a couple of good businesses,” Tony said. “We were just looking for better schools and an area with a slower pace.”

The Bardhi family eventually decided to settle in Pflugerville in order to be closer to Cheryl’s sister and her family. Instead of attempting to duplicate their former professions, however, Tony and Cheryl elected to make a go of the restaurant business. Although the couple had never owned a restaurant of their own, they were both experienced business owners, and Tony had numerous family members in the restaurant industry.

When Baris co-owners Tony and Cheryl Bardhi relocated to Texas from New York City in 1997, the couple also left behind their respective careers in construction and hair care. Tony says the couple was looking for a new environment in which to raise their two children.

With the guidance of Tony’s uncle, Imeri Bardhi—who opened the original Baris outside of Dallas in 1987—Baris Pizza & Pasta opened for business in Pflugerville in 1997. The Baris brand has since expanded to locations in Waco and Tallahassee, Fla., all owned and operated by members of the Bardhi family.