For Pittsburgh resident Mike Neilson, proprietor of Used to Be a Pizza Hut, the iconic hump-roofed structure brings back happy memories of growing up the 1980s in the suburbs of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Back then, Pizza Hut pizza was "the de facto standard," he says, to be eaten while playing tabletop Pac Man games. A few years ago, Neilson moved to Pittsburgh, where he works at a company that develops mobile apps. He immediately noticed that when people in his new home gave directions, they often used bygone landmarks to guide the way.

The Talk Shop charges nothing and will be open through April 13 at the West 37th Street space, which was brokered through Chashama, an organization that connects arts groups with underutilized real estate in the city. Passersby can see into the salon, and can watch Mr. Redleaf and his team of “shop talkers”—people including comedians, drag queens, authors and a life coach who help keep the conversations going—as they talk to whomever comes in. To make the Talk Shop inviting, Mr. Redleaf set up a beach umbrella and chairs, hung a string of lights and painted the walls lemon yellow.