The Bizarre History of Buca di Beppo, America’s Most Postmodern Red Sauce Chain | Bon Appétit

"Founded in 1993 in a tiny Minneapolis basement by a non-Italian restaurateur, this chain intentionally amplified red-sauce–joint stereotypes with tacky, boisterous dining rooms crowded with black-and-white photos, Vatican paraphernalia and a theatrical “Pope Room,” Dean Martin crooning on loop, servers in tomato-patterned ties and enormous, family-style platters meant for sharing. The menu, developed by Milanese cook Vittorio Renda, leaned on hearty Italian-American classics—baseball-sized meatballs, gooey mozzarella-draped garlic bread and a memorable chicken Parmigiana served on a giant platter—anchored by a signature thick, fruity tomato sauce with a whisper of garlic that became many diners’ first introduction to dishes like frutti di mare and eggplant parm. Rapid expansion in the mid‑’90s turned it into a household name and cultural touchstone in parts of Middle America, but a later corporate shift to emphasize an immigrant-family origin story, cost-cutting in food prep and executive scandal in the 2000s eroded quality and reputation. Purchased in 2008 by Planet Hollywood’s founder, the brand was steered back toward its original kitschy identity, and with renewed culinary leadership that re-taught the chain’s marinara technique it stabilized into a privately held, profitable operation with dozens of locations across the country." - ByPriya Krishna