Fairfax’s Former Pitfire Pizza Will Operate With a New Name and Extensive All-Day Menu

More news today on what to expect out of the Pitfire Pizza switcheroo on Fairfax, as Paul Hibler’s American Gonzo Food Corp. takes over. Hibler is the founder of Pitfire, but is flipping the corner of the mixed-used development north of Melrose into a standalone restaurant to be called Gesso.

Previously the name was thought to be Rosalita, but the team has apparently backed off of that over time. Now with Gesso the plan is to breakfast through dinner service, with inexpensive AM meals and coffee Monday through Friday. Weekday lunch will match breakfast in being counter-service only, mostly salads and lighter fare to go along with a collection of pizzas and wood-fired items, while dinner and late night moves into even more pizza, plus beer, wine, and cocktails.

The jump to Gesso marks a new turn for Hibler, who has found success in places like Superba Food & Bread as an extension of his Pitfire empire. But with the pizza market already massively crunched by low-cost quick-fire alternatives, Hibler has begun spinning spaces into new ideas — including selling off the long-running Downtown location near city hall to Quinn and Karen Hatfield to open the soon-to-come restaurant The Mighty.

There’s no official word on a reopening date under the Gesso name just yet, but Hibler previously told Eater that a two-month turnaround would be ideal. That means the new Fairfax restaurant could be up and running by early fall, not far from the main drag that also includes everyone from Sweet Chick to Animal to the still-coming next concept from the Badmaash team.

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