Back in 1981, pizzerias that also served more refined Italian cuisine were rare. In Boston, you can go to high-end traditional Italian restaurants in the city’s famous North End, but pizza isn’t usually on their menu.
Yes, there are some great pizza places in that neighborhood that I went to with friends and family in the 80’s. While not unheard of, it’s unusual for pizza to appear on the same menu as pasta and other Italian entrees.
When Bertucci’s opened in Somerville, Massachusetts, in 1981, the soon-to-be chain introduced a few different products. This is a classic brick oven pizzeria that offers a full Italian lunch and dinner menu in addition to its signature bocce ball court.
That’s where I played bocce for the first time, and probably the first time anyone handed me a dough ball to play with before a meal. (This later became a kid-only thing, but it was something I experienced with my high school friends in the late 80s.)
The chain offers something different, a higher-end experience where you can order pizza or pasta, along with classics like Chicken Parmesan and some of its own take on Italian classics.
It was a recipe for success, at least for a while, as Bertucci’s grew across the East Coast, with more than 100 stores at its peak.
The chain’s decline was rapid, however, and after three Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings (the third of which has yet to be resolved), the chain is left with just 12 locations across our states.
More bankruptcies:
Chapter11Cases.com reports, “Bertucci’s Dining LLC has filed a full disclosure statement with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida outlining its proposed reorganization plan that would see the Italian restaurant chain emerge from Chapter 11 protections and significantly restructure its business model with a focus on fast-casual dining expansion.”
Some creditors will be paid, according to a 28-page disclosure statement the company filed in August.
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Under the proposed plan, Bertucci’s largest creditor, PHL Holdings LLC, which holds a $23.264 million secured claim on nearly all of the company’s assets, would retain its lien and collect monthly interest for 60 months.
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The plan maintains PHL’s safe position while allowing the company to continue operations and repay debt through operating cash flow.
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A smaller equipment financing claim held by Ameris Bank d/b/a Balboa Capital Corporation totaling $69,664 will be satisfied by 53 monthly payments of $1,306.37 beginning the month after the plan’s effective date.
Unsecured creditors, however, are not in a better position.
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The creditors, whose claims are estimated to be approximately $2.5 million, will receive pro rata distributions only from the proceeds from the sale of liquor licenses in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, with total distributions capped at $200,000.
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The license is currently on the market, a disclosure statement states.
“The Debtors believe that the Plan provides the best means currently available to them to exit Chapter 11 and provides the best means of recovery for creditor and equity holders,” attorneys R. Scott Shuker and Lauren L. Stricker of Shuker & Dorris, Pennsylvania, said in the filing.
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April 15, 2018: Bertucci filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the first time. It closed 15 locations. At the time, the company owed about $9 million to suppliers and about $110 million to financial lenders, Nation’s Restaurant News reported.
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June 2018: The chain was acquired by Earl Enterprises for approximately $20 million, according to Boston Magazine.
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2019: The chain still has annual sales of about $120 million, according to FSR Magazine.
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December 2022: Bertucci files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time. The company cited the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, inflation, increased costs and lower sales. Restaurant Dive said at the time of the filing, the chain had already reduced its number of restaurants.
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Closed after 2022: As part of its second bankruptcy reorganization, multiple underperforming stores were closed (including several in Massachusetts and elsewhere), reducing the chain’s footprint, FSR Magazine reports.
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April 24, 2025: Bertucci has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the third time in seven years, according to documents from PacerMonitor.
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New Strategy: Launch of Pronto by Bertucci: As part of its 2025 restructuring, the company launched the fast-casual “Pronto” concept. According to FSR Magazine, the first Bertucci’s Pronto opened in Boston just before the bankruptcy filing (at 22 Tremont Street).
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Reorganization after 2025: According to documents filed with Stretto, following the bankruptcy filing, the company renegotiated its lease, cut operating costs where possible and plans to focus on remaining high-performance sit-down locations as well as new fast-casual concepts.
The chain has closed nearly 90% of its stores. The company currently has nine offices in Massachusetts and one each in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Bertucci’s is pinning big hopes on its new fast-casual brand, Pronto.
“Pronto offers a range of breakfast items, sandwiches and other fast food options like pizza by the slice, while retaining many of Bertucci’s signature pies. The strategy seems sound, but has been tried by several other dine-in chain restaurants without much success. Additionally, back in 2012, Bertucci’s tried to appeal to then-young Millennial customers with a spin-off brand called 2ovens, but it failed to catch on,” Mashed reports.
Current economic conditions are also hurting the chain’s recovery.
“Grocery purchases are increasing for the first time in years as consumers choose to buy more home-cooked food. Grocery prices have risen 1.1 percent over the past year, while restaurant meal costs have increased 4.1 percent, according to federal data. Although grocery prices have risen more slowly than restaurant prices, both remain significantly higher than in recent years due to cumulative inflation,” World Economic Magazine reported.
Growth has been an ongoing trend.
The magazine shared: “Grocery costs have soared 19% since mid-2020, while restaurant prices have increased nearly 24%. This sharp increase has prompted many Americans to realign their spending, choosing to splurge on higher-quality groceries instead of frequenting restaurants.”
Bertucci’s survival ultimately depends on whether the courts accept his turnaround plan. The company argued in court filings that doing so would be better for creditors than forcing a Chapter 7 liquidation.
“The company’s liquidation analysis (also filed with the disclosure statement) indicates that unsecured creditors will receive nothing in the event of a Chapter 7 liquidation because the estimated $1.8 million in liquidation proceeds will not be sufficient to cover the $24.6 million in prior secured debt and priority claims of general unsecured creditors,” Stretto reported.
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This article was originally published by TheStreet on December 13, 2025, and first appeared in the Restaurant section. Click here to add TheStreet as your preferred source.