After a final evening of service on Sunday, March 5, Buca di Beppo has closed its Milwaukee location at 1233 N. Van Buren St.
A statement released by the restaurant said, "Although it was a very difficult decision, our management team decided to cease operations at our Milwaukee restaurant. There are a variety of factors that go into this decision being made, however, our executive team made the decision to not renew the lease with its current terms being up. We are saddened that business reasons forced us to make this decision."
Calls to the local number Monday were forwarded to the chain’s Orlando, Florida, headquarters, where an employee verified that the Greendale location at Southridge Mall will remain open.
Buca di Beppo – which roughly translates to "Joe's Basement" – first opened in the basement level of a Minneapolis apartment building in 1993. Today, the chain is owned by Planet Hollywood International, Inc. that maintains locations in 26 states. The Van Buren location has been a fixture for more than a decade.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
