Story

Triangle renovated this tenant space, located in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids Historical District, creating a new venue for Georgio’s Pizza. Inspiration for the gourmet pizza by-the-slice restaurant came from East Lansing, Michigan. The owner, an MSU alumni, founded the original pizzeria in East Lansing and fulfilled his dream of opening another location in Grand Rapids.

This fifty-seat restaurant serves the downtown area with unique gourmet pizza and delivery service. Georgio’s provides a niche market among the academia and business clientele in both East Lansing and Grand Rapids.

Georgio’s was a design build project in a historic building which presented several possible challenges. Triangle’s ability to take leadership of the design and permitting process early, ensured a successful outcome. The owner was pleased to have Georgio’s open for business before the 2009 Holiday season–which required an aggressive 45-day schedule from building permit to occupancy permit.

Health department reviews are lengthy and can become an unforeseen obstacle for construction starts. Triangle’s experience with these reviews allowed Georgio’s health permit to pass the first time, saving valuable days in the schedule. Triangle’s experience with kitchen planning and lead time of equipment allowed Georgio’s to avoid the headache of schedule delays due to back-ordered kitchen equipment.

Triangle recognized the close scrutiny historical spaces like Georgio’s often face from the Historical Preservation Commission. Triangle worked closely with the commission throughout the project to ensure that the design and construction preserved the historic look of this building. This allowed Georgio’s to avoid any schedule impact due to non-compliance in design.