McKENZIE, a boutique design, build and custom fabrication firm in Miami’s industrial Allapattah neighborhood, completed the design of Atlanta’s first Genuine Pizza. Originating in Miami, the restaurant is a concept by award-winning chef Michael Schwartz and part of Genuine Hospitality. Located at the main entrance of Phipps Plaza at 3500 Peachtree Road, this is the culinary team’s first out-of-state pizzeria.
McKENZIE’s design of the 2,879-square-foot space matches the genuine aspect of the food that Genuine Hospitality is widely known for.
“Our vision was to create an environment that was fresh, warm and simply inviting, allowing the food be the main focus,” says McKENZIE’s Design Officer Jose Ortez. “We also incorporated a sense of transparency where customers can see the ingredients and food-making process.”
McKenzie achieved its vision for the eatery with the use of stringed lights and hanging light fixtures, a showcased dough-making room, colorful accents like yellow and grey Cuban tiles, and a 29-by-7 foot moss wall.
The firm also applied its custom fabrication skills into the design by creating the restaurant’s bar, merchandise unit, host stand, and ceiling trellis all made of warm-toned woods.
The restaurant’s interior features 64 seats, including seven counter seats, and six seats at the pizza bar, as well as an outdoor patio offering 36 additional seats surrounded by green landscaping and additional wood details. The restaurant also boasts an open kitchen with a Marra Forni pizza oven so diners and mall goers can watch as the pizza is made and baked. The restaurant also offers a private dining room, a first for the team, which seats 6-8 guests—perfect for intimate gatherings and business meetings.
Genuine Pizza officially opened January 5.