Silvio’s Organic Pizza, a restaurant known for its healthy food and intimate atmosphere, recently underwent renovations, decorating the space with red-painted walls and green chairs in a tribute to its culinary heritage.

The restaurant, located at 715 North University Ave., updated its space to include a new modern interior, more seating options and an expanded menu.

The family-run restaurant, established in 2005, started as a hole-in-the-wall offering pizza by the slice, according to Silvio’s manager Cathy Banish. But owners Silvio and Catia Medoro, who do the majority of the cooking for the restaurant, decided to give the restaurant a slightly more formal feel.

The expansion, which extends into the former Beanie June Boutique space, now includes a bar and allows for room to seat about 70 customers.

“We’re hoping to transition to a full-scale sit down dining service offering music,” Banish said. “All we’ve done is make a larger, still comfortable environment offering more tables, more seating and a better ambiance.”

The expansion, which started several months ago, cost around $125,000, and was done with the intent to further satisfy their steady customer base and attract more diners.

“We have a lot of the same customer base daily, and I hope they are a little happier because they have a wider space,” Silvio Medoro said. “We consider people who may work on laptops so we left spots available for that. It’s cozy and family friendly.”

To keep up with the competitive Ann Arbor pizza scene, Silvio’s owners decided to expand the menu — which features all organic and primarily local ingredients — and apply for a beer and wine license, Banish said.

“We are also growing our own herbs and offering bi-weekly specials featuring different regions of Italy,” she said.

Banish also noted that the restaurant is one of the only pizzerias in town that uses gluten-free crust and pasta. She added that Silvio’s pizzas are like “snowflakes” because each one is unique.

“Nobody opens a can here,” she said. “Everything is made from scratch.”

Banish said Silvio’s organic mentality contributes to their decision to be a green business.

LSA junior, Rebecca Egler, said she is a frequent diner at Silvio’s, adding that the renovations are an improvement on the restaurant’s original space.

“I think it’s great,” Egler said. “It’s a lot more open. The aesthetics are very nice.”

Silvio Medoro said customer satisfaction is an essential part of the restaurant’s business, which is why — despite the costs of the renovations — the menu prices will remain the same.

“Our profit is way lower than a regular pizzeria, but we love to have our customers happy and that’s important for us,” Silvio Medoro said.