Pizzeria Gusto

[soonerguru]

I suspect this is going to be really good.

[Pete]

Pizzeria Gusto now has a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pizze...69362496458112

Looks like they have been busy touring lots of urban pizzerias all over the country. Really look forward to seeing the details of the concept.

[Pete]

Found their floor plan.

Looks like a decent-sized bar and a couple of tall communal tables similar to Back Door BBQ:

[onthestrip]

Im glad they have a bar here, although its pretty small. I think thats held back their other concepts Mutts and Backdoor BBQ, lack of a later in the night eatery or place to have a beer. I know they are still successful but having a bar to sit at definitely should help keep people past normal dinner times. As for the Mutts example...if it were more like the Mule or something like that, Id probably go much more often.

That said, best of luck to them here and Im sure it'll be another hit. And I love that they are bringing that awesome building back to life.

[Urbanized]

Hoping the building STAYS awesome. Any word on the facade?

[Urbanized]

Oh, great news on that FB page. Steve asked if the original facade was going to be restored, and PG replied "you betcha!"

[Pete]

Oh, great news on that FB page. Steve asked if the original facade was going to be restored, and PG replied "you betcha!"

Yes, they had previously submitted a design application that requested to remove the existing facade with the intention of keeping and renovating the original.

They had taken a side piece off and found the brick and cast stone, so they had to promise to be ultra-careful about removing what had been built on top.

[Pete]

Also, it should be noted that this looks like a full wait-staff setup, as opposed to Mutts, BTT and Back Door which are all order-at-the-counter.

[Urbanized]

Good for them. Had Land Run applied for a demolition permit for that building in its previous state and used the "beyond saving" or "irreparably altered" arguments - even if it was just to provide surface parking for the other parts of the development - I have no doubt that it would have breezed through without a peep. I'm glad they went to the effort and expense of seeing if the real building was hidden underneath and salvageable. It's going to be a stunner when finished, and another example of how things CAN be done.

By the way, every time I see something like this I am still dumbfounded that someone actually covered that over ON PURPOSE decades ago, and - knowing what the old facade looked like - stood back from the newly-minted abomination and said "man...that looks SO much better!"

[LakeEffect]

By the way, every time I see something like this I am still dumbfounded that someone actually covered that over ON PURPOSE decades ago, and - knowing what the old facade looked like - stood back from the newly-minted abomination and said "man...that looks SO much better!"

The 50's and 60's were really bad for older structures... so many downtowns have great facades hidden by horrendous cover-ups.

[Pete]

Here is part of what they submitted to the design committee... They had pried off a corner and found the brickwork underneath.




And the original facade looks a bit like near-by Cheever's, minus the black signs and awnings:

[CuatrodeMayo]

In the photos in the article, it appears the very top of the façade is missing. I hope that is restored.

[Urbanized]

The 50's and 60's were really bad for older structures... so many downtowns have great facades hidden by horrendous cover-ups.

Yep. That is usually a Main Street program's bread and butter.

[catch22]

Yep. That is usually a Main Street program's bread and butter.

Or Cheese and Pepperonis.

[Urbanized]

In the photos in the article, it appears the very top of the façade is missing. I hope that is restored.

In that way it reminds me of 800 N Broadway (ADT). When that building was restored and the original facade revealed (well, actually the ORIGINAL facade was unfortunately scored and then plastered), Elliott + Associates determined through research that there was originally an arched parapet detail with a circle cutout that had been eliminated. In the plans they showed that detail being restored, but unfortunately it didn't make it into the final. It would still be possible to do in the future, of course. It's the portion on the right:

[Urbanized]

Or Cheese and Pepperonis.

Like

[Celebrator]

The 50's and 60's were really bad for older structures... so many downtowns have great facades hidden by horrendous cover-ups.

See downtown Edmond!

[okiefoodie]

Found their floor plan.

Looks like a decent-sized bar and a couple of tall communal tables similar to Back Door BBQ:

Wow Pete... You really do your homework!

[Pete]

From their Facebook page:

[Pete]

^

Now you can clearly see there was some sort of cap piece on the top that was removed at some point.

Also, it appears there is a barrel roof. Hopefully that gets featured through interior design.

[Paseofreak]

Gawd, that manufactured stone in the center is horrific! Who ever said that was OK?

[musg8411]

^

Now you can clearly see there was some sort of cap piece on the top that was removed at some point.

Also, it appears there is a barrel roof. Hopefully that gets featured through interior design.

If you are talking about the corner pieces, I think that was part of the structure supported the old wood awning.

[Urbanized]

No, he's talking about the missing stairstep detail on the parapet. If you follow the cast stone cap on top of the parapet it steps up once and then disappears, leaving the top of the parapet brick and flush along that second level. What almost certainly happened is that it stepped up another level, continued across the facade and then dropped back down, which would obscure the top of the black roof (and maybe even the cobbled-on HVAC unit) from the POV where this photo was taken. That portion of the facade was apparently removed at some point, but should really (and surely will be) restored.

[Dubya61]

[E]very time I see something like this I am still dumbfounded that someone actually covered that over ON PURPOSE decades ago, and - knowing what the old facade looked like - stood back from the newly-minted abomination and said "man...that looks SO much better!"

All those layers and it's so easy / hard to imagine owner satisfaction with each new cover-up / abomination. Is there a statute of limitations for crimes against architecture aesthetics?

[Pete]

In the post-war 50's and 60's it seems that everyone wanted buildings to look modern, so they covered up so many brick buildings which to their eyes appeared to be old and antiquated.

Or just tore them down and started all over again.


It always makes me wonder what styles of toady will look pretty silly 20-30 years down the road.

I suspect the faux-Tuscan theme will be one of them, along with all the plain synthetic stucco structures.

And I wonder if stainless steel appliances will one day be regarded like avocado green or harvest gold.