Street food, Italian style

A new takeaway called Sugo – with a logo consisting of a fork dressed up in a suit and tie, perhaps a reference to the 1960s and Bruno Munari’s “Talking Forks” – was opened recently in Padua, not far from Basilica del Santo and the University.
Offering freshly cooked food made with zero-food-mile ingredients, Sugo combines healthy eating with a takeaway street food model that is respectful of Italian culinary traditions. And it garnishes it all with a focus on sustainability and value for money.
The idea was conceived by Emanuele Dapiran and Davide Curcio. “We share a passion for mountain biking and for exploring our local area on our bikes, as well as a desire to turn what we enjoy doing into something useful,” they said. “It’s a challenge and a new activity for both of us.”
A designer with experience in the R&D department of a bicycle factory and an amateur world mountain biking champion, Dapiran took on the challenge of renovating the space with its old columns and vaulted ceiling on the ground floor of a historic building, transforming it into what one customer – delighted with the warm atmosphere, the quality of the food and the look – described as “Grandma Duck’s Kitchen”.
It is a particularly apt description for this large modern takeaway (with the option of eating in), which captures the passerby’s gaze from the street for the homely look of its decorated walls. The decision to cover the old walls that delimit the work area with Cementine20 tiles produced by Ceramica Fioranese proved an extremely effective design decision.
The colours, designs and installation pattern emulate recycled tiles made from sand and cement paste, known as “cement tiles” to differentiate them from terrazzo tiles which instead contain marble granules and powder. Invented in northern Italy in the late 1800s, these tiles became popular in the 20th century as a low-cost and easy-to-use flooring solution for the first homes built for immigrants.
Tough, almost completely impermeable and ideal for use in public places, Cementine20 porcelain tiles maintain a traditional look and convey a sense of nostalgia for a time when people still loved to chat. This is reflected in the notice next to the till which reads: “There’s no wi-fi here, talk amongst yourselves…”.
The elements that contribute to the environmental sustainability of this project include LED lighting, wood and glass for the counters, steel for the working equipment, copper pipes for the suspension lamps, bare wooden planks for the countertops where customers can eat, and recycled furniture. There is also a bicycle for home deliveries, recyclable forks and plates, and practical and stylish paper noodle boxes, perfect for eating on the go. No less importantly, the food itself consists of fresh pasta (wholemeal, Khorasan, organic), a wide variety of sauces, fresh salads, organic drinks, oil and wine from the local hills, vegetarian dumplings, soups and much more according to seasonal availability.