A new upscale destination is coming to Rochester Hills next year with a team of seasoned industry professionals behind it.

Coco's Chop House will have dry-aged steaks, dry-aged seafood, house-made pastas and a focus on greatly reducing kitchen waste, says executive chef and general manager Dean Cicala. The restaurant is set to open in the spring of 2026 near N. Rochester and W. Tienken roads in the former Bigalora Wood Fired Cucina space.

Joining Cicala are restaurateurs John DeAngelis and Iris Male, who have owned longstanding Shelby Township favorite Filippa's Italian Restaurant and Banquets since 2019. James Beard Award-winning chef Jimmy Schmidt is consulting on the project. He will lend his expertise to the restaurant's dry aging program and is helping select vendors for the menu.

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