U.S.-based family-style Italian restaurant chain Buca di Beppo has announced the closure of at least 13 of its underperforming locations, citing economic pressures as the reason for this difficult decision.
The chain stated to Scripps News that these stores “were unable to recover from the damage caused by the pandemic and other market pressures.”
With around 50 locations nationally, Buca di Beppo’s restaurants were predominantly situated along the West Coast, in Texas, Florida, and the Midwest, offering both dine-in and take-away options with online ordering services available.
As reported by Scripps News Salt Lake City, the chain’s Salt Lake City and Midvale, Utah locations were listed as closed on Google by Tuesday.
Founded in 1993 in the basement of a Minneapolis apartment building, Buca di Beppo — which the company claims translates to ‘Joe’s small place’ in Italian — has faced the closures of some of its branches.
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These closures come at a time when there have been modest increases in restaurant sales nationwide.
According to a July report by the National Restaurant Association, total sales for eating and drinking establishments in June saw a 0.3% increase from May on a seasonally adjusted basis, marking the third consecutive monthly sales gain.
The association noted that the trendline for sales in the first half of 2024 showed only modestly positive growth.
