Buca di Beppo goes bankrupt. Here are the restaurants that are closing.

The Italian restaurant chain Buca di Beppo filed for bankruptcy protection after customer visits to the family-style dining establishment declined in recent years.

Buca di Beppo, which experienced "limited customer demand" during the pandemic, never fully recovered to the same level of revenue and sales after lockdown restrictions were lifted, the restaurant chain said Monday in bankruptcy court documents. The privately owned restaurant's revenue for the first five months of 2024 fell 10% to $74.8 million compared with a year earlier, court documents show.

Buca di Beppo is entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy saddled with more than $10 million in debt. About $1.36 million of that debt is for gift cards that customers have not yet redeemed, the restaurant said.

U.S. restaurants are struggling to maintain their sales as inflation-weary customers pull back on spending at fast food chains and sit-down establishments alike. At the same time, restaurants are facing higher food prices and labor costs, adding to their financial pressures.

Buca joins Red Lobster, Sticky's Finger Joint and Tijuana Flats on the list of casual restaurants that have filed for bankruptcy protection this year.

"While the restaurant industry has faced significant challenges, this move is the best next step for our brand," Buca president Rich Saultz said in a statement. "By restructuring with the continued support of our lenders, we are paving the way toward a reinvigorated future."

As part of its bankruptcy process, Buca said it began closing underperforming locations this year, including shuttering a dozen last month. Below are its 18 closed locations:

7111 West Ray Road in Chandler, Arizona1249 Howe Ave. in Sacramento, California615 Flatiron Marketplace Drive in Broomfield, Colorado1351 South Orlando Avenue in Maitland, Florida1030 Auahi Street in Honolulu, Hawaii6045 East 86th Street in Indianapolis, Indiana112 Kentlands Blvd in Gaithersburg, Maryland38888 Six Mile Road in Livonia, Michigan12575 Hall Road in Utica, Michigan1900 Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey
44 Wolf Road in Colonie, New York10915 Carolina Place Parkway in Pineville, North Carolina60 East Wilson Bridge in Worthington, Ohio3 East Station Square Drive in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania6600 Robinson Centre Drive in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania2745 Paper Mill Road in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania202 West 200 South in Salt Lake City, Utah935 East Fort Union Blvd in Midvale, Utah

The restaurant is keeping open 44 locations and is working on opening one new restaurant, according to a Monday statement from the restaurant. Buca, which first opened in Minnesota in 1993, employs 3,340 workers, of which 266 are full-time.

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