dŌ Wood Fired Pizza

Yet again, we enter the continuing story of another well-known building on Main Street in downtown Greensburg. Hired by optimistic restaurateurs, we developed their concept in this early 20th-century structure as a new location for their popular wood-fired pizza restaurant. Like many others in the area, this building had been neglected and required extensive repairs to its interior structure and significant upgrades to meet current building codes. As we explored the possibilities for placing the restaurant in the space, their concrete wood-fired oven was a dominant feature, as well as reconstructing and expanding the existing balcony as a second-floor dining space. The dynamic and lively second-floor seating area overlooks the energetic space below and includes a prominent oven and pizza preparation view. The third floor would pose code-related challenges, so it was decided to use it for storage and mechanical purposes.

The interior of the restaurant features recycled wood that had also been used in the restaurant’s original location, creating a thematic connection between the two facilities. The upper facade of the building remains essentially unchanged; the first floor receives a modern storefront to facilitate an accessible customer entrance and exit, with a large glass expanse that provides a view of the vibrant interior from Main Street.

Although we took the project through construction documents and bidding, the unexpected cost (due to the severe nature of the required renovations) caused the young entrepreneurs to put the project on hold for a couple of years, as they were also working on another venture near their first shop. However, in 2019, the project was temporarily revived with a new building owner-partner (who would lease it to the pizza shop). Despite facing similar cost overruns, the project was halted again, and the building was left vacant during the COVID-19 years. In 2023, the building was sold to a new owner, with evidence of work underway for an unknown use.

Tenant/Client: do Boys (dba dO Wood Fired Pizza)
Project Size: First Floor 2,009 SF, Second Floor 1,541 SF (adaptive reuse)
Completed: 03/2017 (construction documents)
MEP Engineering Consultant: AJC Professional Services
Structural Engineering Consultant: Anderson Structural Inc.