Buca di Beppo has closed its one Atlanta area restaurant. The family-style Italian-American restaurant was located at 2335 Mansell Road just off Exit 8 of GA 400 in Alpharetta. Sources in the area indicate the restaurant closed in recent days while other reports indicate the Orlando-based company closed as many as 13 "underperforming restaurants" within the last week or so.
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The company Monday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It cited declining sales, rising costs, continued staffing challenges and changes in consumer preferences, among other causes, for its need to file bankruptcy.
Buca di Beppo and other full-service restaurants are under extreme pressure as consumers pull back on their dining dollars as record inflation and menu price sticker shock are leading to "less butts in seats."
Buca di Beppo opened its first restaurant in 1993 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The chain was a stereotypical “red sauce joint” decorated with framed family photos and other Italian-themed kitsch. In 2008, Orlando-based Earl Enterprises (Planet Hollywood International) acquired the chain. At its peak in 2013, Buca di Beppo touted 95 restaurants across the country. Today, the chain is comprised of just 44 locations across 14 states and two international locations.
Amid the pandemic, many Buca di Beppo locations transformed into “ghost kitchens” selling delivery-only virtual brands from Virtual Dining Concepts (also owned by Earl Enterprises) like Pardon My Cheesesteak, NASCAR Refuel Wings, Creators' Kitchen as seen on TikTok, MrBeast Burger, Buddy V's Cake Slice, and other digital restaurant concepts.
In an April 2019 article in bon appétit, "The Bizarre History of Buca di Beppo, America’s Most Postmodern Red Sauce Chain," the chain's Honolulu location is listed as its "top-grossing." In a shock to locals, the company shuttered the restaurant in May after more than two decades in business.
Fulton County records indicate that the Alpharetta restaurant is about 9,000 square feet and was built in 2002. Tax records show the property last sold in August 2022 when El Paso-based Coronado Tower LLC paid $2.98 million for the roughly 1.55 acres.
The Buca di Beppo building joins the former Atlantic Seafood Co. building next door as vacant restaurants in the area. Atlantic Seafood closed in January 2020, and while a Whataburger franchise sought to open a new restaurant in its place in 2023, the burger joint could not come to terms with the reportedly "oppressive" demands made by the City of Alpharetta, and ultimately abandoned its plans.
Despite the closures and other challenges, restaurant owners and operators are still interested in the North Point Mall corridor.
ToNeTo Atlanta exclusively reported in January that upscale restaurant Eddie V's Prime Seafood is planning to open on nearby Haynes Bridge Road. ToNeTo Atlanta was also first to report in May that Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant is also opening in the area with a new location, its first in Georgia, planned in front of Studio Movie Grill along North Point Parkway.
Original ChopShop, a quick-serve healthy eatery from Texas, is also growing in the area with plans to open its third Atlanta location in September. Super Golden Buffet, a locally owned Chinese buffet, is also expanding into the area with plans to open soon in the former Golden Corral on North Point Parkway.
What would you like to see open in place of Buca di Beppo in Alpharetta? Which upcoming Alpharetta restaurant are you most excited about? What kind of cuisine do you think Atlanta is lacking in?
Please share your thoughts below.
12 comments:
Well that’s a shame. I hope another Italian eatery opens in its place
Would love to see a large pizza restaurant come in. All the pizza spots in the area are generally for small groups.
I would love to have seen the Whataburger open. Curious what the changes the city wanted. Just absolute insane how hostile to growth the City of Alpharetta actually is. I'm sure they'll let these spots sit empty until their chosen developer finally lands at the mall, but we're probably in for 5 years of decay in that area until then
I had a coupon a couple months ago and went in on Saturday for a lunch. I was literally the only one in the restaurant. Too many other Italian restaurants in the area that are a thousand times better. Service was pretty bad considering I was the only customer. I wouldn't go back. It has really gone downhill the last few years.
Owned by Planet Hollywood which are outdated theme restaurants
Good riddance. Service became awful and prices were ridiculous
We ate there a few times, never busy or crowded. The staff was friendly and the food was good but the portions were huge. I couldn’t see how they could make money doing that.
Alpharetta is the worst. No new Wattaburger, but we are getting two new steakhouses on top of the 10 we already have…? And an IKEA pick up only location? We’ve missed out on so many great things coming to Alpharetta because Alpharetta picks and chooses what businesses these oppressive demands are enforced on. I can not wait to get out of this paper town.
Yup! Alpharetta would rather have abandoned building rotting away as they wait for something they think is fancy to make it more like Beverly Hills. It’s 100% a paper town.
I was traveling for work and took several clients to dinner at various locations of this chain.
Food was always good and at times service was hit or miss.
Later I went to location and was seated at the first table and all customers were paraded to their booth or table by going past my table and the kitchen.
That night, all I wanted was a quiet place to eat and read my book, the host didn't want to seat me at other places.
Good luck to the staff on securing a new source of income.
Bucca de Beppo gave their employees no notice. Called the manager on Saturday. Told them Sunday was last day. Promised management they would get a full check, 2 weeks severance pay, plus their vacation. They got 9 days pay and that is it. At least they paid the servers. The management has yet to be paid. Our manager fouggt for us to get paid. He has kids. Shame on Buca
Dey staff whud noe goood! Gnowhaommsayin???
Dey wazz goood wenn dat staff waz bettuh!!!
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