The traditional, understated facade of the Shops at Worthington Place will continue to fade away with the addition of Piada Italian Street Food.

The proposed restaurant, to be built on the southeast corner of the mall, will look much like the other Piada restaurants in central Ohio -- black and white, sleek and modern.

The Architectural Review Board approved the appearance of the restaurant during its June 28 meeting.

Board member Jo Rodgers said she would have preferred more traditional touches, such as unpainted brick, but in the end she joined the other five members present in approving the application.

The restaurant essentially will be free-standing, attached to the mall only by gates leading to a utility area and exterior access to a walk between the restaurant and the main building. It will be built slightly north of Panera Bread, which is scheduled to open in July. It will replace a walled utility courtyard.

A black storefront system will be framed by black painted soldier-course brick piers. The brightly lighted interior will be the focus, according to the application from architect Thomas Beery.

A black canopy will cover a patio on the east and south sides. The patio's stained concrete floors are an extension of the interior, Beery said.

The patio will have metal black furniture. A black fence on the south side and white canvas umbrellas will complete the look of the patio. Above the canopy will be a white illuminated panel.

Signs will be black metal letters along the fronts of the canopies.

A wall-mounted sign will be considered at a later meeting.

Piada opened its first central Ohio restaurant in 2010. This will be its sixth.

The restaurants offer a menu of choose-your-own ingredient pastas, salads and sandwiches.

In other commercial applications at the joint ARB/Municipal Planning Commission meeting, Real Living HER was granted a conditional-use permit to expand its office at 679 High St.

The office opened in downtown Worthington less than a year ago but already has grown because of the pickup in the real estate market, according to an application from Ron Hildebrand of HER.

The business will expand into the lower level of the downtown storefront, which once housed Curio Cabinet. The downstairs area was Christmas Village.

Also approved at the meeting was a freestanding sign for a new business opening in the Worthington Station business condominiums.

Schiffman/Grow & Co., which provides accounting, tax and financial services, is moving to 890 Proprietors Road from its current location on High Street in Clintonville.

The move will bring 13 jobs to Worthington, CPA Bill Schiffman said.

He said no expense has been spared on the interior of the building.

"It's going to be lovely," he said.

The 6-foot-wide, 4.5-foot-high sign will be on an brick base and will be illuminated internally.

The lighting is necessary because many clients will look for the business during the early evening hours of the winter months.

The sign received both architectural approval and a recommendation for an amendment to the development plan for a third freestanding sign on the property.

City Council has final approval over development plans.