After taking about 2 1/2 years to select a location and design a concept, Santiago Pelaez opened Zanti Cucina Italiana to bring authentic Italian cuisine to The Woodlands area in June 2019 on Research Forest Drive.

Pelaez said he had a tie to The Woodlands area after visiting with his family from Mexico since he was a child. “We decided to do an upper-casual restaurant,” Pelaez said. “Opening Zanti has changed my thinking. What I love is to serve. My passion is to make people happy. I love talking to people and being around people and creating happy moments.”