Bertucci's facts for kids
Brick Oven Pizzeria
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A Bertucci's in Peabody, Massachusetts
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Genre | Casual dining |
| Founded | 1981, in Somerville, Massachusetts, as (Bertucci's Pizza and Bocce) |
| Founder | Joseph Crugnale |
| Headquarters | Northborough, Massachusetts U.S. |
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Key people
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Len Carpenter (CEO) |
| Products | Italian-American cuisine |
| Parent | N.E. Restaurant Co. Inc. (1998–2018) Earl Enterprises (2018–present) |
Bertucci's is a popular chain of restaurants in America. They are famous for their delicious pizza and other Italian foods. Joey Crugnale started Bertucci's in 1981 in Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts. The company grew quickly in the 1990s. Most Bertucci's restaurants are in the Northeast United States. You can find them as far south as Virginia.
Contents
The Story of Bertucci's
Joseph ("Joey") Crugnale, who started Bertucci's, was born in Sulmona, Italy. He moved to Boston, Massachusetts, and got his first job in a restaurant while in high school. He worked at the Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge.
In 1974, Joey opened his first ice cream stand. A year later, he bought Steve's Ice Cream from its founder, Steve Herrell. Joey opened 26 ice cream stores. He later sold the ice cream business in 1983.
The very first 'Bertucci's Pizza and Bocce' opened in 1981. It was right next to one of his ice cream shops. Joey wanted to make sure no other ice cream shop would open there. The name "Bertucci's" came from a magazine he read on a plane. The first restaurant even had a bocce ball court in its basement!
Growing in the 1980s
By 1989, USA Today magazine said Bertucci's was one of America's top 10 pizza restaurants. At this time, their main office was in Woburn, Massachusetts.
Expanding in the 1990s
Bertucci's became a publicly owned company in July 1991. This meant people could buy shares of the company. Sales went up a lot that year.
In 1998, Joey Crugnale tried to buy the company back. However, another company, N.E. Restaurant Co. Inc., bought Bertucci's instead.
The 2000s and Beyond
In 2001, N.E. Restaurant Co. Inc. changed its name to Bertucci's Corp. They also sold their other restaurants, like Chili's. By the end of the 2000s, Bertucci's had almost 100 locations.
In 2011, The Boston Globe newspaper checked fish in restaurants. They found that some fish were not labeled correctly. Bertucci's quickly worked to fix this problem. They made sure their fish was always what it said it was.
In December 2012, Bertucci's opened a new kind of restaurant. It was called the "2Ovens concept" in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. In these restaurants, brick ovens are used for most of the cooking.
Bertucci's has faced some financial challenges over the years. In 2018, the company was bought by Earl Enterprises. This company also owns Planet Hollywood.
In December 2022, Bertucci's again faced difficulties. They had to close some restaurants. This was due to lower sales after the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising costs also made things harder for the company. Several locations in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts closed. More locations in Massachusetts and New Jersey closed in 2023.
As of April 2024, Bertucci's still has 23 restaurants open. You can find them in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
See also
