Italian Restaurant in Chandler Closes After 25 Years

An Italian chain restaurant has closed in greater Phoenix.Photo byLisa BresleronUnsplash

It has been anything but a good year for chain restaurants. Especially sit-down restaurants. With fewer customers going out to eat on a regular basis, there just isn’t the disposable income there was (even just a few years ago). This has resulted in a number of higher profile chains either closing down a few straggling locations or filing for bankruptcy protection and shuttering dozens (if not more) restaurants across the country. Greater Phoenix is not immune to the effects, as restaurants continue to shutter throughout the Valley. The latest addition to this list includes a once-popular Italian restaurant.

Buca di Beppo hasn’t had the greatest of luck in recent years. The chain restaurant was specifically founded as a brand that could compete with the small-time Italian family restaurants found throughout the country. Buca di Beppo was always a corporate creation, and the owner, Phil Roberts, specifically wanted the restaurant to have a stereotypical, over-the-top Italian feel. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Planet Hollywood became the parent company of Buca di Beppo in 2008. Through 2016, the restaurant brand expanded to around 100 locations around the world.

However, the brand did not weather COVID well and it has continued to downsize ever since. The chain is down to about 40 percent of what it was at its height, and the brand continues to slash locations, including a location in Chandler.

Situated at 7111 West Ray Road in Chandler, despite the over-the-top nature of the faux Italian chain, customers generally enjoyed the food and atmosphere, as it maintained a 4.2 rating on Google with over 1,700 reviews. However, fans of the brand will now need to look elsewhere, as the Chandler location closed after 25 years.

The restaurant was closed for underperformance. It was as simple as that. As Buca di Beppo looks to maintain itself and streamline its business practices, it continues shutting locations around the country. While it likely wants to maintain some kind of presence in Phoenix, if the final two restaurants fail to perform, there’s a strong possibility the final eateries in the Valley could find themselves on the chopping block as well. 

The silver lining is there are still three remaining locations around metro Phoenix. This includes 3828 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale, 1730 South Val Vista Drive in Mesa, and 16091 North Arrowhead Fountains Center Drive in Peoria. 

Menu items can vary slightly from one location to the next, but chances are, if you had a favorite meal at the Chandler location you should be able to find it in one of the three remaining restaurants.