Sorella Italian Restaurant Opens in Lake Highlands
Sisters Gondze Ajro and Vjosa Bajraktari have opened a new Italian dining destination in the Lakeridge Village Shopping Center.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Italian Food
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Gondze Ajro and Vjosa Bajraktari have officially opened Sorella, an Italian restaurant located at 9660 Audelia Road in the Lake Highlands neighborhood of Dallas. The eatery focuses on family recipes passed down from the owners' mother and grandmother in Albania.
Why it matters
The restaurant represents a personal culinary venture for the sisters, who combined their familial heritage with locally sourced Texas beef and imported Italian goods. Their arrival brings new dining options to the Lakeridge Village Shopping Center.
Sorella features a menu with lasagna bolognese priced at $24, shrimp scampi at $26, spicy vodka rigatoni at $21, and tortellini alla diavola for $22. The kitchen utilizes beef sourced from a Texas farm alongside tomatoes and olive oils imported from Italy.
The players
Gondze Ajro
One of the two sisters and co-owners of Sorella who manages the kitchen and menu preparation.
Vjosa Bajraktari
Co-owner of the restaurant who brings 15 years of experience in restaurant management to the new venture.
The details
The owners leased an empty storefront in the Lakeridge Village Shopping Center and oversaw the full renovation of the space. In the kitchen, Ajro prepares the tortellini sauce by grilling peppers and incorporating Calabrian chilies.
Timeline
2025: Gondze Ajro began traveling to Dallas for rowing practice.
February 16, 2026: The sisters signed the lease for the restaurant location.
October 2026: Sorella opened for business to the public.
Culture Shift
The opening of Sorella follows the established pattern of independent restaurateurs seeking underutilized shopping center space in growing suburban neighborhoods. This development reflects the ongoing trend of suburban neighborhood revitalizations through independent culinary investment.
Residents in the Lake Highlands area now have a new dining option in the Lakeridge Village Shopping Center. Diners can expect a menu rooted in Albanian family recipes featuring specific imported and regional ingredients.
The takeaway
Supporting neighborhood eateries like Sorella allows residents to access cuisine that relies on specific global imports and local farming. New dining spots in established shopping centers often shift local foot traffic patterns for the surrounding community.
What happens next
The restaurant plans to launch a signature cocktail menu in the coming weeks and aims to expand its current staff.
Further reading
Discover more local dining trends in the Italian Food section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Lake Highlands.
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