SPRING TWP., Pa. – A restaurant chain known for its family-style Italian dishes and eclectic, vintage decor has closed its last location in Pennsylvania.
Buca di Beppo, a chain of more than 40 full-service Italian restaurants nationwide, in recent days closed its location at 2745 Paper Mill Road in Spring Township, Berks County.
A company spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking more information, including a reason for the closure.
“This location is permanently closed,” a recorded message states on the restaurant’s answering machine. “We thank all of our guests for their loyalty. Please visit bucadibeppo.com to find your nearest location. Thank you.”
The Spring Township restaurant, which operated in the Broadcasting Square shopping center, was Buca di Beppo’s only location in Berks County and its last location in Pennsylvania.
Two Pittsburgh area Buca di Beppo restaurants closed earlier this year, and a string of other locations – including longtime restaurants in California, Florida, Hawaii and Maryland – also shuttered in recent months, according to published reports.
A handful of Buca di Beppo restaurants in Ohio are now the chain’s closest locations to Berks County, according to the chain’s online locations page.
Emphasizing family-style dining for large groups in a fun atmosphere, the first Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant opened in 1993 in the basement of a Minneapolis apartment building, according to the company’s website.
Over the decades, the company expanded to include additional locations across the country, but its mission has remained the same: “To capture and share the fun and enthusiasm of a lively Italian gathering filled with generous portions of classic Italian food.”
Buca di Beppo, which also offers catering packages, serves appetizers such as bruschetta, meatballs and fried mozzarella; salads such as Caesar, chopped antipasti and apple gorgonzola; and entrees such as chicken saltimbocca, eggplant parmigiana and prosciutto-stuffed chicken.
Other menu highlights include pasta dishes such as lasagna, penne alla vodka and shrimp fra diavolo; pizzas such as margherita, spicy arrabbiata and pizza con formaggio; and shareable sides such as Italian sausage, Italian broccoli Romano and Brussels sprouts and prosciutto.
Restaurants are also known for their fun atmospheres, including a variety of funky wall art and décor.
“From the very beginning, guests have been charmed by our themed rooms, thousands of vintage photographs covering every wall in our restaurants, and fun details like recorded sounds of men and women laughing and conversing in Italian in the restrooms,” a description on the company’s website reads.
“We knew the importance of gathering around the dinner table sharing great food, laughter and fun times. Each location features a few extra special tables you can reserve, including our iconic Pope Table! It’s the restaurant’s largest table, in its own room, named for the centerpiece bust of the Pope. Most locations also have a Chef’s Table, usually inset to the wall, located directly across from the main kitchen, where the waiters and chefs will chat with guests and bring you samples of the kitchen’s magnificent dishes.”
In 2020, Buca di Beppo closed its only Lehigh Valley location at 714 Grape St. in Whitehall Township.