Buca di Beppo
Encyclopedia
Buca di Beppo is a restaurant specializing in immigrant Southern Italian food. The name roughly translates as "Joe's Basement" (buca, which literally means "hole," can be a slang word for basement
or cellar, and Beppo is a nickname for Giuseppe, the Italian form of "Joseph", in Southern Italy). The chain of 92 (87 company-owned, 5 franchises in UK) establishments is owned by Buca, Inc., which in turn is owned by Planet Hollywood
.
The chain is known for its vintage photographs hung closely spaced throughout the entire restaurant; it is said that they have more than 2,500 pictures. Restrooms feature recorded ambient sounds — women laughing and conversing in Italian in the men's room and vice-versa in the women's room.
, each item served à la carte
and shared among the dining party. Some locations also have a lunch menu, featuring individual-sized portions. Each room at Buca is themed, and all restaurants have a Pope
table and kitchen table. When at the kitchen table, the waiter and chefs will converse with you and allow you to sample many dishes.
In an attempt to boost sales during 2005, Buca introduced a Buca Mia, meaning "My Cellar", menu with less-expensive portions for two. Fettuccine alfredo was also introduced even though it is not a strictly Southern Italian dish.
In March 2009, Buca di Beppo introduced six new menu items: guests can now order Penne San Remo, Chicken Carbonara, Penne Basilica, Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken and Chianti-Braised Short Ribs.
The chain continued to grow, but began to hit some rough spots a few years later. Business losses mounted, and in 2005, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission began investigating the company over securities laws. Two top executives left the company, three Buca di Beppo sites were closed, and the company described those restaurants and the Vinny T's chain as "discontinued operations" in 4th quarter 2005 earnings statements.
However, on May 22, 2006, the company announced that it would be keeping the Vinny T's stores, but converting them to Buca di Beppo locations. On September 25, 2006 Buca, Inc. sold their 11 Vinny T's of Boston restaurants to Bertucci's Corp.
for $6.8 million.
On June 7, 2006, three former Buca executives were charged with stealing more than US$200,000 from the company.
On August 5, 2008, Planet Hollywood
's parent company, Planet Hollywood International, Inc., agreed to purchase the Buca chain for US$28.5 million. Under terms of the deal, Buca became a wholly owned subsidiary of Planet Hollywood.
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
or cellar, and Beppo is a nickname for Giuseppe, the Italian form of "Joseph", in Southern Italy). The chain of 92 (87 company-owned, 5 franchises in UK) establishments is owned by Buca, Inc., which in turn is owned by Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood, a restaurant inspired by the popular portrayal of Hollywood, was launched in New York on October 22, 1991, with the backing of Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.-History:...
.
The chain is known for its vintage photographs hung closely spaced throughout the entire restaurant; it is said that they have more than 2,500 pictures. Restrooms feature recorded ambient sounds — women laughing and conversing in Italian in the men's room and vice-versa in the women's room.
Menu
The food at Buca di Beppo is served family styleFamily Style
Family Style is a blues-rock album by the Vaughan Brothers, released on September 25, 1990. The album features the brethren guitarists and vocalists, Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, in their only studio collaboration. In his early years, Stevie Ray Vaughan often remarked that he would like to do an...
, each item served à la carte
À la carte
À la carte is a French language loan phrase meaning "according to the menu", and used in* A reference to a menu of items priced and ordered separately, i.e. the usual operation of restaurants * To order an item from the menu on its own, e.g...
and shared among the dining party. Some locations also have a lunch menu, featuring individual-sized portions. Each room at Buca is themed, and all restaurants have a Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
table and kitchen table. When at the kitchen table, the waiter and chefs will converse with you and allow you to sample many dishes.
In an attempt to boost sales during 2005, Buca introduced a Buca Mia, meaning "My Cellar", menu with less-expensive portions for two. Fettuccine alfredo was also introduced even though it is not a strictly Southern Italian dish.
In March 2009, Buca di Beppo introduced six new menu items: guests can now order Penne San Remo, Chicken Carbonara, Penne Basilica, Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken and Chianti-Braised Short Ribs.
Corporate history
The first restaurant was opened in the basement level of a Minneapolis apartment building in 1993. Five restaurants were operating in 1996, and 20 in 1999 when Buca, Inc. began trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange. There are 83 Buca restaurants operating nationwide.The chain continued to grow, but began to hit some rough spots a few years later. Business losses mounted, and in 2005, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission began investigating the company over securities laws. Two top executives left the company, three Buca di Beppo sites were closed, and the company described those restaurants and the Vinny T's chain as "discontinued operations" in 4th quarter 2005 earnings statements.
However, on May 22, 2006, the company announced that it would be keeping the Vinny T's stores, but converting them to Buca di Beppo locations. On September 25, 2006 Buca, Inc. sold their 11 Vinny T's of Boston restaurants to Bertucci's Corp.
Bertucci's
Bertucci's is a Northborough, Massachusetts-based private company which runs a chain of sit-down Italian restaurants offering brick oven pizza and Italian food. It also offers delivery , take-out and private dining....
for $6.8 million.
On June 7, 2006, three former Buca executives were charged with stealing more than US$200,000 from the company.
On August 5, 2008, Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood, a restaurant inspired by the popular portrayal of Hollywood, was launched in New York on October 22, 1991, with the backing of Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.-History:...
's parent company, Planet Hollywood International, Inc., agreed to purchase the Buca chain for US$28.5 million. Under terms of the deal, Buca became a wholly owned subsidiary of Planet Hollywood.
External links
- www.bucadibeppo.com — Buca di Beppo website
- www.bucadibeppo.co.uk — Buca di Beppo United Kingdom website