‘It’s very disheartening’: Sacramento Buca di Beppo employees say they were not given prior notice of closure

(FOX40.COM) — An Italian restaurant chain has permanently closed its Sacramento location.

Buca di Beppo, a chain known for family-style dining, closed its restaurant near Cal Expo on 1249 Howe Avenue, according to the restaurant’s website and a sign posted on its front door.

“We are thankful to you, our loyal guests, for giving us the opportunity to serve you,” the restaurant’s sign reads. “It’s with great appreciation and gratitude that we say thank you for all the years.”

The restaurant had been operating its Howe Avenue location since 1999. Buca di Beppo’s closest restaurant to Sacramento is in Roseville on 1212 Galleria Boulevard.

“Just knowing this place has been open for so long and it’s closing…is a big deal,” former employee Jayden Seizmore told FOX40.com

Seizmore and his former coworker Darington Evans said they were unaware of the restaurant’s closure until Monday morning. Another former employee said herself and fellow employees were told to report to the restaurant at 11 a.m. for an “emergency meeting” where they were informed about the closure.

“Being able to work here and having the experience that I did here, it’s just really sad that it abruptly came to an end,” Rozalyn Marc-Aurele, who worked at the restaurant for four years, told FOX40.com “It’s very disheartening to have everything come to an end.”

There’s no clear reason why the restaurant was shut down, but the property is listed for sale by commercial real estate company Cushman and Wakefield.

The 8,550-square-foot retail space is currently priced at $3.6 million by the real estate company.

In a statement sent to FOX40.com, a representative for Buca di Beppo said the restaurant thanks its customers for their patronage for the last 25 years.

“After being part of this community for 25 years, regrettably, Buca di Beppo in Sacramento has closed,” a Buca di Beppo spokesperson told FOX40.com in an email. “We thank our customers for their loyalty — it was our privilege to be the backdrop for countless gatherings and celebrations over the past two decades.”

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