Latest news with #Buona
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicago-based restaurant Buona plans expansion to St. Louis
ST. LOUIS – A staple Chicago restaurant is preparing to expand to the St. Louis region, introducing its famous italian beef to residents. According to St. Louis Magazine, Buona, a Chicago-based restaurant chain, is in discussions with multi-unit operators in St. Louis with plans to open a storefront franchise within the next 18 months. Buona was founded in 1981 and is known for its slow-roasted Italian beef, which stems from a family recipe that started at a stand in the early 1950s. In addition to their famous Italian beef, the chain's menu also features pizza, burgers, pasta, salads, chicken sandwiches, milkshakes, and more. Sheriff pleads the Fifth repeatedly over questions about mysterious death Buona has more than 25 restaurants located in the Chicago area, along with two in Indiana and two in Wisconsin. According to St. Louis Magazine, the chain has 16 franchised units currently in development and is set to open their first franchise locations in Murfreesboro, TN, and Dallas, TX, later this year. As Buona officials continue to have discussions with operators, it is currently unknown where the restaurant will be located. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Afternoon Briefing: How Crosetti Brand is representing himself at trial for child's slaying
Good afternoon, Chicago. Representing himself while he stands trial on murder charges, Crosetti Brand was in the middle of heatedly arguing that he was receiving an unfair trial when the judge stopped him. 'One second,' Cook County Judge Angela Petrone said. 'You don't have to call me 'bro.'' Brand, 39, is charged with murder, attempted murder, home invasion and aggravated domestic battery in a March 13, 2024, attack that killed 11-year-old Jayden Perkins and seriously injured his pregnant mother. During the first two weeks of an expected three-week trial, prosecutors called more than two dozen witnesses, all together painting a searing picture of the killing at the family's apartment in the 5900 block of North Ravenswood Avenue. Brand, though, made the unusual decision to forgo a licensed attorney and launch his own defense — a choice that, at times, has brought an air of peculiarity to the otherwise tense and emotional proceedings. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History As state lawmakers negotiate the first state operating budget since the prison was shuttered, Gov. JB Pritzker's administration is proposing that Stateville receive nearly as much funding as when the maximum security section of the facility was open. Read more here. More top news stories: Man taken into custody after SWAT called to domestic disturbance in McKinley Park neighborhood Sunny conditions expected with highs in the mid-50s over the holiday weekend Buona, the homegrown Italian beef chain that created the red-letter day 10 years ago, officially opened its 32nd Chicago-area restaurant this week in Gurnee, with a co-owned Rainbow Cone ice cream shop tucked inside. Read more here. More top business stories: President Donald Trump's latest tariff threats knock Wall Street, European stocks and Apple lower Existing home sales down, marking worst April since 2009 The Bears completed their first session of organized team activities this week at Halas Hall, with three days of practice offering an orientation to the experience under first-year coach Ben Johnson. Before the Bears return to the field for another round of OTAs next week, here are five observations. Read more here. More top sports stories: Angel Reese scores career-low 2 points in Chicago Sky's 99-74 loss to New York Liberty in home opener Column: George Wendt's 'Super Fans' character endures in a long tradition of on-screen Chicago sports nuts Fourth of July arrived early this year at Wrigley Field. A third of the way into his Big Ass Stadium Tour, Post Malone punctuated his blowout affair yesterday at the ballpark with a recurring blitz of pyrotechnics. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: 'Jane Austen Wrecked My Life' review: Writing and living her own private rom-com Billy Joel cancels all future shows due to normal pressure hydrocephalus The president confirmed that a group of migrants from countries including Vietnam, Cuba and Mexico were stuck in the East African nation of Djibouti on their way to being deported to South Sudan, a location U.S. officials had previously said in court was classified. Read more here. More top stories from around the world: Federal judge blocks Trump administration from barring foreign student enrollment at Harvard 'Today' host Sheinelle Jones' husband Uche Ojeh dies at 45 from brain cancer
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Chicagoland Italian beef chain Buona eyes multistate expansion
If you're wondering what to get that special someone for National Italian Beef Day, the annual giardiniera-fest coming up Saturday, consider a different kind of combo: beef and ice cream. Buona, the homegrown Italian beef chain that created the red-letter day 10 years ago, officially opened its 32nd Chicago-area restaurant this week in Gurnee, Illinois, with a co-owned Rainbow Cone ice cream shop tucked inside. "It's pretty cool," said Joe Buonavolanto III, 35, executive vice president of Burr Ridge-based Buona. "They go and get a beef sandwich and then they walk over and get the Original Rainbow Cone." Located on Grand Avenue near Six Flags Great America in the far northern suburbs, the newest Buona restaurant is part of a broader expansion by the family-owned chain launched four decades ago in Berwyn, Illinois. A 33rd location will open this summer in Crown Point, Indiana. All current Buona restaurants are company-owned, but the chain is planning to spread the gospel of the Chicago sandwich steeped in tradition and gravy by opening franchise locations in Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin beginning this fall. In addition to Italian beef, hot dogs and other offerings, the new restaurants will all include a Rainbow Cone ice cream shop, which occupies less than 10% of the 4,500-square-foot space. Buona acquired the Original Rainbow Cone, a family-owned South Side staple for nearly a century, in 2018, and now has 14 dual-branded restaurants, five standalone ice cream shops, a Navy Pier kiosk and a museum campus food truck. It also has eight franchised Rainbow locations stretching from California to Florida. The first dual-branded Buona/Rainbow Cone restaurant opened four years ago in southwest suburban Darien. "The beauty about this dual concept is it creates additional revenue opportunities throughout the day, and you get to have two iconic Chicago items under one roof," Buonavolanto said. "The Italian beef sandwich and the most iconic Chicago dessert, the Original Rainbow Cone." Started in 1926, Rainbow Cone features five flavors of ice cream sliced, not scooped, and stacked into a cone or cup. When Buona acquired Rainbow Cone seven years ago, there were two locations - the original shop in the Beverly neighborhood on Chicago's Far South Side and the Navy Pier kiosk. With the opening of a standalone ice cream shop on Michigan Avenue in July, there will be 30 Rainbow Cone locations in seven states. But Italian beef, the quintessential Chicago sandwich, remains at the top of the Buona menu - and its expansion plans. With a history dating back a century, one of the earliest purveyors of the thinly sliced beef, au jus and peppers on an Italian roll was Al's, which started in 1938 as a stand in the Little Italy neighborhood on the Near West Side. Mr. Beef, another iconic Italian beef stand, opened in 1979 on Orleans Street in River North, developing a loyal lunchtime crowd eating communally on picnic benches, ties flipped over their shoulders to avoid gravy stains. The restaurant gained national prominence through celebrity fans such as Jay Leno, and more recently served as the inspiration for "The Bear," the hit TV series which elevated Italian beef to cult status. Other longtime favorites include Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park and Scatchell's in Cicero. But the mission for exporting the true Chicago staple to other markets across the country has fallen mostly on Portillo's. Launched as a Villa Park hot dog stand in 1963, Dick Portillo expanded his menu to include Italian beef, burgers, salads and more, and built his chain to 38 restaurants in Illinois, Indiana, California and Arizona before selling to private equity firm Berkshire Partners in 2014. By the time Portillo's went public in October 2021, it had 67 restaurants in nine states, raising $405 million through the offering with an ambitious plan to expand to 600 locations nationwide. Since then, Portillo's has grown to 94 restaurants in 10 states, but the company's stock has fallen about 75% from its post-IPO high and the chain has taken some heat from activist investors Engaged Capital over concerns about increasing same-store sales and profitably growing units, advocating for smaller restaurant formats. On April 28, the restaurant chain announced it reached an agreement with Engaged, which owns 8.6% of Portillo's outstanding stock, to cooperate in appointing a director to the board. A spokesperson for the California-based hedge fund did not respond to a request for comment. All of Portillo's 94 restaurants are company-owned with no plans to franchise locations, a company spokesperson said last week. While Buona's soon-to-be 33 restaurants are also company-owned, it is taking a different approach to out-of-market expansion, with the first franchise location set to open in September in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. That will be followed next year by another Tennessee location, as well as franchises in Texas and Wisconsin, Buonavolanto said. "It's our goal as we expand into outer markets, to have somebody local that lives in the area, that has a sense of ownership, that invests their own money in building the store," Buonavolanto said. "That's the biggest thing that made us choose a franchise versus opening up our company stores as we expand into new markets." It is not, however, the first foray into franchising for Buona. In June 2021, Buona opened a franchise location in a food hall kiosk at McGregor Square, an entertainment complex adjacent to Coors Field in Denver. Launched during the pandemic, it lasted six months before Buona pulled the plug, deferring franchising efforts to focus on expansion of company-owned stores. Those franchising ambitions begin anew this fall, as Buona enters several states in a big way, with plans to open up to 10 restaurants over five years in Texas alone. "Who else is franchising Italian beef at a high level?" Buonavolanto posited. "The answer is nobody." Buona is hoping that Rainbow Cone will be another Chicago taste that travels well, with plans to include it in all new restaurants, franchised and company-owned. But Italian beef will be the main draw as Buona brings a taste of Chicago to places that have only seen it on TV. "'The Bear' is an entertaining show," Buonavolanto said. "But that really had nothing to do with our desire to expand into new states that we feel have a demand for Italian beef." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Chicago Tribune
23-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Afternoon Briefing: How Crosetti Brand is representing himself at trial for child's slaying
Good afternoon, Chicago. Representing himself while he stands trial on murder charges, Crosetti Brand was in the middle of heatedly arguing that he was receiving an unfair trial when the judge stopped him. 'One second,' Cook County Judge Angela Petrone said. 'You don't have to call me 'bro.'' Brand, 39, is charged with murder, attempted murder, home invasion and aggravated domestic battery in a March 13, 2024, attack that killed 11-year-old Jayden Perkins and seriously injured his pregnant mother. During the first two weeks of an expected three-week trial, prosecutors called more than two dozen witnesses, all together painting a searing picture of the killing at the family's apartment in the 5900 block of North Ravenswood Avenue. Brand, though, made the unusual decision to forgo a licensed attorney and launch his own defense — a choice that, at times, has brought an air of peculiarity to the otherwise tense and emotional proceedings. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History As state lawmakers negotiate the first state operating budget since the prison was shuttered, Gov. JB Pritzker's administration is proposing that Stateville receive nearly as much funding as when the maximum security section of the facility was open. Read more here. More top news stories: Buona, the homegrown Italian beef chain that created the red-letter day 10 years ago, officially opened its 32nd Chicago-area restaurant this week in Gurnee, with a co-owned Rainbow Cone ice cream shop tucked inside. Read more here. More top business stories: The Bears completed their first session of organized team activities this week at Halas Hall, with three days of practice offering an orientation to the experience under first-year coach Ben Johnson. Before the Bears return to the field for another round of OTAs next week, here are five observations. Read more here. More top sports stories: Fourth of July arrived early this year at Wrigley Field. A third of the way into his Big Ass Stadium Tour, Post Malone punctuated his blowout affair yesterday at the ballpark with a recurring blitz of pyrotechnics. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: The president confirmed that a group of migrants from countries including Vietnam, Cuba and Mexico were stuck in the East African nation of Djibouti on their way to being deported to South Sudan, a location U.S. officials had previously said in court was classified. Read more here. More top stories from around the world:
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicagoland Italian beef chain Buona eyes multistate expansion
If you're wondering what to get that special someone for National Italian Beef Day, the annual giardiniera-fest coming up Saturday, consider a different kind of combo: beef and ice cream. Buona, the homegrown Italian beef chain that created the red-letter day 10 years ago, officially opened its 32nd Chicago-area restaurant this week in Gurnee, Illinois, with a co-owned Rainbow Cone ice cream shop tucked inside. 'It's pretty cool,' said Joe Buonavolanto III, 35, executive vice president of Burr Ridge-based Buona. 'They go and get a beef sandwich and then they walk over and get the Original Rainbow Cone.' Located on Grand Avenue near Six Flags Great America in the far northern suburbs, the newest Buona restaurant is part of a broader expansion by the family-owned chain launched four decades ago in Berwyn, Illinois. A 33rd location will open this summer in Crown Point, Indiana. All current Buona restaurants are company-owned, but the chain is planning to spread the gospel of the Chicago sandwich steeped in tradition and gravy by opening franchise locations in Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin beginning this fall. In addition to Italian beef, hot dogs and other offerings, the new restaurants will all include a Rainbow Cone ice cream shop, which occupies less than 10% of the 4,500-square-foot space. Buona acquired the Original Rainbow Cone, a family-owned South Side staple for nearly a century, in 2018, and now has 14 dual-branded restaurants, five standalone ice cream shops, a Navy Pier kiosk and a museum campus food truck. It also has eight franchised Rainbow locations stretching from California to Florida. The first dual-branded Buona/Rainbow Cone restaurant opened four years ago in southwest suburban Darien. 'The beauty about this dual concept is it creates additional revenue opportunities throughout the day, and you get to have two iconic Chicago items under one roof,' Buonavolanto said. 'The Italian beef sandwich and the most iconic Chicago dessert, the Original Rainbow Cone.' Started in 1926, Rainbow Cone features five flavors of ice cream sliced, not scooped, and stacked into a cone or cup. When Buona acquired Rainbow Cone seven years ago, there were two locations — the original shop in the Beverly neighborhood on Chicago's Far South Side and the Navy Pier kiosk. With the opening of a standalone ice cream shop on Michigan Avenue in July, there will be 30 Rainbow Cone locations in seven states. But Italian beef, the quintessential Chicago sandwich, remains at the top of the Buona menu — and its expansion plans. With a history dating back a century, one of the earliest purveyors of the thinly sliced beef, au jus and peppers on an Italian roll was Al's, which started in 1938 as a stand in the Little Italy neighborhood on the Near West Side. Mr. Beef, another iconic Italian beef stand, opened in 1979 on Orleans Street in River North, developing a loyal lunchtime crowd eating communally on picnic benches, ties flipped over their shoulders to avoid gravy stains. The restaurant gained national prominence through celebrity fans such as Jay Leno, and more recently served as the inspiration for 'The Bear,' the hit TV series which elevated Italian beef to cult status. Other longtime favorites include Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park and Scatchell's in Cicero. But the mission for exporting the true Chicago staple to other markets across the country has fallen mostly on Portillo's. Launched as a Villa Park hot dog stand in 1963, Dick Portillo expanded his menu to include Italian beef, burgers, salads and more, and built his chain to 38 restaurants in Illinois, Indiana, California and Arizona before selling to private equity firm Berkshire Partners in 2014. By the time Portillo's went public in October 2021, it had 67 restaurants in nine states, raising $405 million through the offering with an ambitious plan to expand to 600 locations nationwide. Since then, Portillo's has grown to 94 restaurants in 10 states, but the company's stock has fallen about 75% from its post-IPO high and the chain has taken some heat from activist investors Engaged Capital over concerns about increasing same-store sales and profitably growing units, advocating for smaller restaurant formats. On April 28, the restaurant chain announced it reached an agreement with Engaged, which owns 8.6% of Portillo's outstanding stock, to cooperate in appointing a director to the board. A spokesperson for the California-based hedge fund did not respond to a request for comment. All of Portillo's 94 restaurants are company-owned with no plans to franchise locations, a company spokesperson said last week. While Buona's soon-to-be 33 restaurants are also company-owned, it is taking a different approach to out-of-market expansion, with the first franchise location set to open in September in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. That will be followed next year by another Tennessee location, as well as franchises in Texas and Wisconsin, Buonavolanto said. 'It's our goal as we expand into outer markets, to have somebody local that lives in the area, that has a sense of ownership, that invests their own money in building the store,' Buonavolanto said. 'That's the biggest thing that made us choose a franchise versus opening up our company stores as we expand into new markets.' It is not, however, the first foray into franchising for Buona. In June 2021, Buona opened a franchise location in a food hall kiosk at McGregor Square, an entertainment complex adjacent to Coors Field in Denver. Launched during the pandemic, it lasted six months before Buona pulled the plug, deferring franchising efforts to focus on expansion of company-owned stores. Those franchising ambitions begin anew this fall, as Buona enters several states in a big way, with plans to open up to 10 restaurants over five years in Texas alone. 'Who else is franchising Italian beef at a high level?' Buonavolanto posited. 'The answer is nobody.' Buona is hoping that Rainbow Cone will be another Chicago taste that travels well, with plans to include it in all new restaurants, franchised and company-owned. But Italian beef will be the main draw as Buona brings a taste of Chicago to places that have only seen it on TV. ''The Bear' is an entertaining show,' Buonavolanto said. 'But that really had nothing to do with our desire to expand into new states that we feel have a demand for Italian beef.'
