Restaurant Chain Founded In Minnesota Now Closing 13 Locations
It was founded right here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes over 30 years ago but this popular chain just announced it was closing 13 restaurants.
Restaurants play a unique role in our economy and culture both here in Minnesota and across the country. While most of us head to our favorite restaurants for food, sometimes the restaurant's novel atmosphere is an experience all in itself. The National Restaurant Association estimates that there are currently over 11,100 restaurants in the North Star State, generating over $15 billion in sales.
However, difficult hours and high turnover rates mean the available workforce is a major factor in restaurant success. And, since the pandemic introduced even more challenges, it's been common to see restaurant closings become a more common occurrence in the news.
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Which is what just happened to this popular restaurant chain that was founded in Minnesota. Just last week, they announced they were closing 13 of their locations. And while none of them are located here in the Gopher State, it's still a bit surprising.
Which restaurant chain are we talking about? That would be Buca di Beppo, the family-style Italian restaurant that was founded here in Minnesota back in 1993.
Buca's website says the chain started in the basement of a Minneapolis apartment building, which is responsible for its unique name:
What’s in a name? We have to go back to the beginning and look at where we started. In a basement! The name “Buca di Beppo” roughly translates as “Joe’s small place” in Italian.
Restaurant Business says the chain was sold to its current owners, Earl Enterprises, back in 2005. It peaked in 2013 with 97 locations, including several here in Minnesota.
But since then, the chain has been steadily closing locations-- including one here in our fair state, in Burnsville. That location closed after it sustained massive damage in a fire that broke out in June 2021, though, not due to financial reasons. You can see below that only the sign remains of the previous Buca's location on Burnhaven Drive.
There are currently four other Buca di Beppo locations still open in Minnesota:
- St. Paul
- Maple Grove
- Minneapolis
- Eden Prairie
And now, Buca's also announce they were closing 13 other locations across the country, as well, including restaurants in Utah, California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York. This Restaurant News story noted that those locations 'had been unable to recover from the pandemic and other market pressures,' and are now shuttered.
Luckily, the Buca di Beppo brand is still going strong, with 44 locations still open across the country. Speaking of brands that were once popular but now only exist in our memories, keep scrolling to check out 50 beloved retail chains that weren't so succesful and are not around anymore.
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LOOK: 50 Beloved Retail Chains That No Longer Exist
Gallery Credit: Madison Troyer
