Bertucci's Restaurant Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Again

Bertucci’s, a casual-dining pizza chain, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the third time in seven years amid declining sales, rising costs, and shifting consumer preferences away from legacy casual-dining brands. The company, which once operated dozens of locations across the U.S., has reduced its footprint to just 16 restaurants nationwide and is now pivoting toward a fast-casual concept called Bertucci’s Pronto, with the first such outlet recently opening in Boston. Bertucci’s struggles are part of a broader trend affecting both independent and national pizza restaurants, as the industry faces fierce competition, inflation-driven spikes in labor and food costs, and more cautious consumer spending. Other major pizza chains, including franchisees of Pizza Hut and Domino’s, have also recently filed for bankruptcy or closed underperforming locations in response to these challenges. The pandemic and subsequent economic pressures have made restaurant operations increasingly difficult, prompting both closures and rebranding efforts across the sector.