In February of 2023, our team at GAEA  was thrilled to celebrate the grand opening of Pizza Rio, a unique Brazilian five-course pizza restaurant bringing the taste of Rio de Janeiro to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee!

This project is part of our ongoing partnership with restaurant owners Vilmar and Renata Zenzen. (Check out our work on Iron Forge Brewing!) Our team had the privilege to manage this design-build project all the way from conceptualization to the intricate details of interior design. 

The Vision: A Taste of Rio de Janeiro in the Smokies

Restaurateurs Vilmar and Renata purchased an old dinner theatre in Pigeon Forge with the vision of renovating it into a modern yet cozy fine dining experience. Because of our clients’ ties to Brazil, Brazilian culture and cuisine heavily influenced the design direction.

For Pizza Rio’s interior, GAEA Interior Designer Christina shares, “Ultimately the play on words of ‘Pizza Rio’ was the driving force when selecting materials, relating organic textures and playful colors back to a very vibrant city.”

The Process: A Successful Collaboration

Planning the restaurant began with a site visit to the property. We met with our clients to hear about their vision for the space, what type of cuisine they wanted to offer, and what kind of experience they wanted to create. Next, we dove into the schematic design, where we used space planning to create a few different options for the direction of the overall design, layout, and interior flow.

Once we all settled on a floor plan, we got to work on construction documents, coordinating with the required engineering consultants, and submitting them to the local jurisdiction for permitting. During this time we also met to review material, furniture, and artwork selections, which we presented to Renata and Vilmar. 

Lastly, we oversaw the build alongside a relative of the owners’ who is licensed in the construction industry, and had regular on-site meetings with all involved. “They were very involved in every step of the design process, which made the overall design that much more successful,” says Christina. “The space has their personal touch on it, and with the help of their background and knowledge of Brazilian culture, we created a very authentic design language throughout the entire restaurant.”

From start to finish, we communicated and coordinated with Vilmar and Renata to ensure the design we worked hard to create came to reality exactly the way they had envisioned. 

The Outcome: An Artistic, Cozy Atmosphere

Since opening in February 2023, the community response to Pizza Rio has been fabulous! Pigeon Forge is a busy area most of the year, and the restaurant’s proximity to the Parkway is ideal for a nice dinner overlooking the city’s hustle and bustle. 

While guests enjoy the unique Brazilian cuisine and style of serving, they’re surrounded by impressive architectural elements like the vaulted wood ceiling in the large dining space – accompanied by Rio-inspired details like the carefully-curated bar countertop and the lighting in the smaller dining space. 

“I am so thrilled about how each area has its own special moment,” reflects Christina. “One of the most fun elements is the tilework on the pizza oven. Our client wanted the orange tile to have a subtle flame pattern and play back and forth with the navy tile. We met on-site to hand-select where each tile went and make any adjustments to create a fun playful pattern that catches your eye.”

Join an Exceptional Team

From the big-picture planning of Pizza Rio to details like tiles and textiles, our GAEA team was proud to serve up another amazing restaurant design in East Tennessee. If you want to work with an innovative, artistic team in the Knoxville area, we’d love to hear from you. We welcome interest from architects, designers, and project managers at any level. 

You can reach out to us on our site or email us at info@georgeewart.com to see if our firm might be a fit for you.