Fugazzi Presto is an interior design award-winning takeout pizzeria in Montreal that radically reimagines the genre of pizza-by-the-slice. Winner of Designer Word’s Small Restaurant award in 2021, the project fuses brutalist materials, Memphis Milano references, and unapologetic graphic energy to create a space that is as sculptural as it is functional.
The design rejects cliché in favor of contradiction—raw industrial textures are set against bursts of color and expressive linework. Chain-link fencing separates the kitchen from the service zone, while oversized steel rebar supports a circular 1960s bowling alley bench, hand-painted by Montreal graffiti artist Benny Wilding. Visual artist Taylor Gauley led the intricate surface treatment across the space, layering doodles and textures over counters, walls, and fixtures, creating a visceral sense of movement and play.
Though its references nod to 1980s modern culture, Fugazzi Presto doesn’t rely on nostalgia. Every element—from custom furnishings to graphic surfaces—feels lived-in, streetwise, and entirely of the now. It’s bold without being chaotic, loud without shouting.
In a city full of pizza joints, Fugazzi Presto stands apart as a design-forward cultural object. It isn’t themed. It doesn’t try to be retro. Instead, it embodies the raw spirit of the street—filtered through a designer’s eye that understands material tension, visual rhythm, and the power of disruption. Fugazzi Presto isn’t just a pizzeria—it’s a spatial manifesto wrapped around a slice counter.
Questions and Answers
How does Fugazzi presto’s interior design which combines brutalist forms with Memphis Milano flare, enhance the experience for customers?
Fugazzi Presto is a takeout experience, and the interior reflects that pace.
Rather than create a static or overly composed environment, the space is intentionally high-impact and stimulating. Customers are immersed in a burst of visual energy from the moment they walk in: brutalist materials meet expressive forms, layered textures, and saturated color.
The design leans into the short attention span of a takeout interaction. It’s not about subtlety—it’s about immediate atmosphere. The Memphis Milano elements and raw industrial gestures work together to create a kind of controlled visual chaos that makes the few minutes you spend there feel charged and memorable.
In a way, the space mirrors the speed and personality of street food culture: loud, fast, confident, and unfiltered. It’s a place you pass through quickly, but it leaves a lasting impression.