And instead of Italian, a Brazilian eating experience will soon tempt the city's diners.

The Zeffirelli pizza and pasta restaurant in Dickson became a favourite for those looking for generous serves at a reasonable price.

Renowned for large groups and families, the Woolley Street venue spawned shopfronts at Belconnen and later Manuka.

But as Canberrans' dining preferences have changed and individual offerings become more important outside the fast-food sector, the restaurant's owners - the Pelle Group - think they have found a new niche to fill.

Managing director Joseph Pelle says after filling a gap in the Canberra market from 1998, the family-owned company will again add a missing culinary link.

''[In 1998] we came in above the fast-food restaurants and below the normal restaurants,'' he says.

''As the city grows, you've got to grow with it and adapt. Food's fashion and you've got to evolve.''

With the names removed after the last sitting on Sunday, the Dickson store is set to come to life again on May 8 under the name of The Copa, with promises of dancing girls and an abundance of colour.

The restaurant will feature Brazilian churrasco-style cooking and service, with a diverse range of coal-roasted meats carved by waiters off skewers to individual diners.

The restaurant will seat 250 with long communal tables targeting the celebration and event market.

The menu and prices have yet to be finalised, but a churrasco grill arrived yesterday from Brazil.

The concept has created interest, with opening night almost sold out.

Drawing on a long family history in the Canberra food game - his father Dominic started a supermarket in 1971 before running a delicatessen for a decade - Mr Pelle says the new restaurant will offer diners a memorable experience. ''Brazil is all about the colour and the fun and the girls - it's definitely a venue you [will] come to celebrate,'' he says.

Mr Pelle said Dickson staff had been given an option to work at the group's other restaurants.

He said that the new restaurant would result in an increase in total employment.