The pizza sharing club

The two restaurants opened in Milan in 2019, one near the Duomo and the other in Porta Nuova, marked a milestone in the development of Briscola-Pizza Society. The Neapolitan pizza concept based on the principles of fraternity and «pizza sharing» was launched in 2015 by Foodation, a holding company specialising in the creation of casual dining models founded by Riccardo Cortese and Federico Pinna. The founding partners met in 2009 while working for a youth association supporting Milan’s candidacy for Expo 2015, and decided to ride the current wave of success of the out-of-home food & beverage sector. A more recent arrival was marketing and retail expert Francesco Trapani, former CEO of Bulgari, a manager at LVMH, former Executive Chairman of Hourglass and a current shareholder of Tiffany and Tages Holding. But what is it that sets this formula apart from others and makes it unique? First and foremost it is the concept of pizza sharing. Along with a traditional 30 cm diameter pizza, which customers can compose according to their own personal tastes on three different bases (margherita, white and red), they can also choose a couple of 18-20 cm diameter «pizzinas» or mini-pizzas. This allows diners to share and experiment with different combinations.
A style choice
«We started out by opening new locations in two iconic districts of Milan: the area near the Duomo, the heart of the city’s history and tradition, and Porta Nuova, a symbol of modernity and dynamism,» explain the founders. «These restaurants mark a transition from a fast casual to a casual dining formula and offer the advantages of both fast food and traditional restaurants. For the interior design project we contacted internationally renowned architect Fabio Novembre.»

For this project, Novembre draw stylistic inspiration from the atmosphere of English clubs while introducing more typically Italian symbols, such as life-size figures inspired by Briscola playing cards and a six-metre-high bright red polygonal Queen Margherita installation in the Duomo restaurant.
The materials and furnishings used throughout the project were supplied by leading design firms such as Kartell, Flos, Lea Ceramiche and Hi-Macs.
The distinctive elements of the exclusive pizza club include the geometric pattern of the grey floor tiles reminiscent of the backs of traditional playing cards and life-size playing card figures mounted on the walls in the same colours as the room and backlit with red LEDs.

Patterns and materials
The decorative floor pattern was created using Slimtech Take Care large-size tiles from Lea Ceramiche, the latest-generation ceramic surfaces that combine aesthetics and functionality. Slimtech Take Care tiles come in a thickness of just 5.5 millimetres and extra-large sizes (up to 1 x 3 metres) and were specially cut to the designer’s specifications to recreate the classic playing card pattern. The powerful colour contrasts and the distinctive geometry of the individual modules demonstrate the material’s ability to meet the design requirements and create a sense of originality and visual impact.
Consisting of two seemingly heterogeneous surfaces, the Take Care collection in fact forms a harmonious dialogue. The Take version features a continuous, trowelled effect midway between resin and concrete, enriched by the inclusion of materials with varying degrees of reflectivity. The soft, almost velvety finish creates an iridescent effect that varies according to the angle of the light. By contrast, the Care series has a more hybrid identity and the texture of coarse fabric. It is produced with an innovative technique that uses interpenetrating materials to create glossy, iridescent and relief effects.
It is available in five dusty, neutral, warm and cold colours that allow for perfect visual coordination between the two textures.