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The Only Recap Of Buca Di Beppo's Downfall You Need By Liana Hornyak Aug. 23, 2025 3:19 pm EST

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Known for its big portions and even bigger personality, Buca di Beppo has been a staple of American (or Italian-American, depending on how you see it) dining since 1993. That's when founder Phil Roberts opened his first location in the basement of a Minneapolis apartment building, with no idea that it would someday become a household name.

As an homage to the Northeast red sauce joints he loved, Roberts filled his Midwestern restaurant with an eclectic assortment of decorations meant to evoke nostalgia, whimsy, and a good laugh: Strings of Christmas lights swung over tacky velvet paintings, while black-and-white photos of boxers eat

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