Once called a top 10 pizza restaurant in the US, the last RI Bertucci’s has closed

Bertucci’s third bankruptcy in seven years has claimed the last of the chain’s Rhode Island restaurants.  

The Warwick Bertucci’s Kitchen and Bar at 1946 Post Road closed on Thursday, April  25.  

“It was a sad day yesterday,” read the Bertucci’s Warwick Instagram post on April 26. “We will miss all our employees & customers. Thank you for your business. We are no longer open in Warwick, RI.” 

The Northboro, Massachusetts-based restaurant chain serves brick oven pizza and pasta dishes. It was founded in 1981 in Somerville by Joey Crugnale. 

The bankruptcy filing claims $10 million to $50 million in assets and liabilities, according to a story in USAToday. Bertucci’s plans to pivot to fast-casual dining with a new venture called Bertucci’s Pronto, which already has a Tremont Street location in downtown Boston, the story said.  

“For Bertucci’s longstanding and loyal patrons, the Bertucci’s you know, and love is here to stay as well, just with a few less locations for now,” the chain said in a statement obtained by Restaurant Business Magazine. 

Also closed on April 25 were four restaurants in Massachusetts including Braintree, Mansfield, North Andover, Norwood and Plymouth. The state has 10 remaining open restaurants and there is also one in Glastonbury, Connecticut. A few are open in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.  

As recently as three years ago, there were 52 restaurants in 10 East Coast states, from New Hampshire to Virginia. 

The first time the chain filed for bankruptcy was in 2018 while it was trying to sell itself to an affiliate of a Chicago investment firm. It was eventually bought by Earl’s Enterprise, the parent company of Planet Hollywood. The second time was in 2022, when Bertucci’s cited pandemic losses. 

It was back in 1988 when Bertucci’s opened its first Rhode Island restaurant in East Providence. At that time, Boston Magazine declared it the best pizza in Boston for its annual “Best and Worst” list. USA Today named Bertucci’s as one of America’s top 10 pizza restaurants in 1989. 

The second Bertucci’s opened in Warwick in 1990. 

Then, it seemed everyone was opening brick-oven or other specialty pizzerias. There was plenty of competition for everyone’s pizza dollar. Bertucci’s struggles began.  

There were lots of openings and closings, including one in North Attleboro. Rhode Island was down to one Bertucci’s in Warwick.