Beloved New England chain restaurant unveils first-ever fast-casual concept
The first-ever Bertucci's Pronto officially opened near Government Center in Boston on Wednesday, April 23.
'This is home base. This is where we have all the resources, and this is where we're the most well known,' CEO and owner Robert Earl said about the company's decision to open the new concept in Boston. 'And actually most of our Bertucci's are sort of outliers geographically, where the people that work in Boston go home to. So you've got that crossover.'
Bertucci's Pronto intends to join the rapidly expanding fast-casual market while providing the same great food that Bertucci's has been serving for decades.
'Historically, Bertucci's has been a Boston legend that's been around for over 40 years. As a sit-down restaurant, we actually never even did delivery...until really the COVID-19 pandemic,' Earl told MassLive at the eatery Wednesday.
'Then we saw the huge demand for people to take out pizzas to the office or have them at home and on-the-go instead of eating in the restaurant,' he said. 'So we've always thought about how can we maximize that and look at where the trends are going.'
Bertucci's Pronto reinvents the chain's classic menu by offering breakfast items for the first time in the company's history.
Those who grew up loving Bertucci's famous rolls can now try them as a sandwich with egg, cheese and either bacon or sausage.
Other breakfast items include the 'Croast' — a croissant topped with smashed avocado, fried egg, arugula and Parmesan — or the breakfast pizza that's topped with eggs and bacon.
Aside from Bertucci's signature pastas, Bertucci's Pronto offers other classic dishes including pizzas, small bites, salads, sandwiches and desserts. Pizzas such as the 'Sporkie' and 'Meat Me in Boston' are sold by the slice or as a whole pie.
Earl said Bertucci's plans on building more Bertucci's Pronto locations or converting existing restaurants into a fast-casual setting. That would just involve conversations with landlords to see if they can give up some space while still occupying part of the building.
'We do plan on expanding this. But of course, with any test, you've got to make sure that it works and you learn from it and see that we've got it right,' Earl said.
Bertucci's opened its first restaurant in Davis Square in Somerville in 1981, according to the company's website. By the turn of the century, Bertucci's had opened locations from Florida to New Hampshire and as far west as Illinois.
However, the Northboro-based chain has closed multiple locations in recent history.
In 2018, Bertucci's closed 15 restaurants after filing for bankruptcy. The company filed for bankruptcy again in 2022 and closed seven New England locations at the time. Bertucci's most recently closed its Swampscott location in December, CBS Boston reported. There are now only 14 locations in Massachusetts.
Earl believes restaurant chains across the country have been affected by 'a plethora of problems' in the casual dining setting, from surmounting debt to changes in dining habits.
'There's so many factors, but unfortunately, the casual dining space is in a bad way,' he said.
Earl is optimistic that the inception of Bertucci's Pronto will help keep his company afloat.
'[When] I bought it, it was in distress and I've managed to preserve it,' the CEO, with 56 years of experience in the restaurant industry, said. 'But it needs a shot in the arm.'
'I'm sure that it will be popular,' Earl said of the new concept.
Earl anticipates that Bertucci's Pronto's customer base will be equally divided among three dining styles. A third of people will sit down for meals, another third will take their food to go and another third will order takeout or delivery.
To help with that, Bertucci's Pronto is available on all third-party delivery apps, including Yelp, GrubHub and DoorDash.
The address for Bertucci's Pronto is 22 Tremont St., Boston. The restaurant is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
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Read the original article on MassLive.
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