Italian-American restaurant chain Buca di Beppo filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy just days after several of its locations “abruptly closed,” WJET reported.
According to a now-deleted page of the company’s website, in 2020, there were 81 Buca di Beppo locations — 76 in the U.S. and five in the U.K.
Now, there are only about 44 locations in the states and just two overseas, the outlet reported of the Orlando, Florida-based company.
Court documents filed just before midnight on Sunday reveal that the chain holds $0 to $50,000 in assets and owes between $15 to $50 million to at least 30 creditors.
The bankruptcy filing comes just days after 13 locations across Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah “abruptly closed,” the outlet stated.
The Italian-American chain joins Pizza Hut, Red Lobster, and several fast food chains in closing dozens of locations due to inflation, increased rent prices, and raised minimum wage laws.
Several social media users reacted in anguish to the news of Buca di Beppo’s filing:
I just fell to my knees at a Buca Di Beppo 😩😩😩 https://t.co/76tHpE0mwa
— ____Hansy____ (@hvelaz77) August 5, 2024
Rip to Buca Di Beppo the last charming chain restaurant in America https://t.co/VDERoo2Qa0
— White Guy Fieri (@whiteguyfieri) August 5, 2024
