Patio Season Extends All Year with Glass Retractable Roof at Toronto's Award-Winning Gusto 101

TORONTO, April 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of a successful launch for her newest establishment, Gusto 101 in Toronto's King West district, restaurateur Janet Zuccarini has reinvented the patio sipping and dining experience with the integration of an all-glass retractable roof for the restaurant's rooftop patio. As the first of its kind in the city's dining scene, the retractable roof extends the patio season indefinitely for Toronto diners just beginning to enjoy a spring thaw and outdoor people watching. Gusto 101's striking overall design garnered the restaurant international acclaim as a winner of this year's Hospitality Design Award in the casual restaurant category.

Zuccarini, as owner of Trattoria Nervosa in Yorkville, brought along her patio-savvy when it came to visualizing the design for Gusto 101's rooftop dining area. After discovering a retractable roof at a restaurant patio in New York, she realized that the idea could be implemented in her home city using a locally sourced solution. Just a short car trip down the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) highway, Oakville, Ontario based OpenAire Inc. provided the expertise and technology needed to bring Zuccarini's vision to life.

"We're in a bold and creative period in Toronto, with our restaurants now on the international map, not just for food, but for overall experience, including design," said Zuccarini. "I want to maintain that momentum and keep pushing the boundaries to make the dining experience extraordinary; and Gusto 101's retractable rooftop creates just that, with a patio season that doesn't end when the summer does."

In collaboration with leading interior design firm Munge Leung, OpenAire designed, manufactured and installed a double slope, telescoping skylight measuring 32 feet by 51 feet. The roof has three divided sections, where two sections retract under one fixed section, transforming the second floor from an indoor to an outdoor space in mere minutes. In warm weather amidst breeze, sunshine and the patio roof open, up to 100 diners can sip a glass of house wine from the restaurant's in-house winery. During fall and winter months, with the roof closed, guests can enjoy a cozy rooftop space under the stars.

"The collaborative process between Munge Leung and OpenAire made for an engaging team dynamic, where our creativity and designdirection meshed perfectly with OpenAire's technical know-how and precision execution," said managing partner, Alessandro Munge.

"Working with clients like Janet Zuccarini and firms like Munge Leung—both inspired leaders at the top of their game—made OpenAire's work on Gusto 101 that much more satisfying. Winning a Hospitality Design Award is a wonderful affirmation of the work we achieved together," said Mark Albertine, president of OpenAire.

With the retractable roof construction initiated October 2012, Gusto 101's renovated rooftop patio is now completed and open, just in time for a year-round patio season. The award-winning project will be recognized at the ninth annual Hospitality Design Awards on June 5^th in New York and will be featured in the June issue of Hospitality Design Magazine. Gusto 101 was selected by a panel of industry professionals from among over 400 global entries.

About OpenAire  
OpenAire is the world's premier designer, manufacturer and installer of high-quality custom retractable roof enclosures and operable skylights. OpenAire specializes in energy-efficient retractable enclosures for indoor swimming pools, waterparks, restaurants, hotels and other commercial facilities.

OpenAire Contact:  
Elmira Abushayeva, Marketing Director 
(416) 568-1295   
[email protected]  
www.openaire.com  

Gusto 101 Contact: 
Candice Best, BEST PR Boutique 
[email protected]   
(416) 525-1332   

Munge Leung Contact:  
Kasia Chalas, Marketing & Media Relations Manager  
[email protected]  
(416) 588-1668   

SOURCE OpenAire