Worthington’s Buca di Beppo to close after 23 years, face bulldozer for new Chick-fil-A

David Rees
·2 min read
13
Worthington’s Buca di Beppo to close after 23 years, face bulldozer for new Chick-fil-A

WORTHINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) — A central Ohio Buca di Beppo restaurant open for more than 23 years is set to be demolished after the site was bought for $2.5 million by Chick-fil-A.

The Italian restaurant at 60 E. Wilson Bridge in Worthington was purchased by the fast food chain on April 17, Franklin County auditor’s office records show. While the restaurant remains open with a shuttering date yet to be announced, the location’s closing will dwindle Buca di Beppo to three Ohio eateries: one in downtown Columbus, another in Strongsville and a third near Cincinnati.

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Neither Chick-fil-A nor Buca di Beppo responded to NBC4’s request for comment regarding the Worthington property, which has been home to the Italian restaurant since 2001.

  • The Italian restaurant at 60 E. Wilson Bridge in Worthington was purchased by the fast food chain on April 17. (Worthington Planning and Building Commission)
    The Italian restaurant at 60 E. Wilson Bridge in Worthington was purchased by the fast food chain on April 17. (Worthington Planning and Building Commission)
  • The Italian restaurant at 60 E. Wilson Bridge in Worthington was purchased by the fast food chain on April 17. (Franklin County Auditor’s Office)
    The Italian restaurant at 60 E. Wilson Bridge in Worthington was purchased by the fast food chain on April 17. (Franklin County Auditor’s Office)

Plans call for the Buca di Beppo to be bulldozed to clear the site for construction of a 5,000 square-foot Chick-fil-A restaurant, a proposal filed with the city of Worthington states. Once finished, the building will sport an aesthetic matching the neighborhood with a dual-lane drive-thru covered by two canopies.

Bucca di Beppo marks one of several Columbus-area restaurants to be demolished for a new Chick-fil-A, like Mackenzie River at 1515 Polaris Parkway which closed earlier this year after eight years in business. The restaurant launched in 2016 after Montana-based Glacier Restaurant Group purchased all Max and Erma’s locations and transformed several into Mackenzie River eateries.

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Tee Jaye’s Country Place at 4910 N. High St. closed in 2021 to make way for a new Chick-fil-A, which opened earlier this month. Construction at this site included preserving the site’s 20th-century sign that has received a facelift with Chick-fil-A branding.

Other central Ohio restaurants facing a bulldozer for new development include a former Max and Erma’s restaurant at 7480 Sawmill Road in Dublin making room for a Sheetz location. Max and Erma’s Montana-based owner, Glacier Restaurant Group, closed the Sawmill Road location and the brand’s other Dublin restaurant at 411 Metro Place North in 2020.

A former O’Charley’s near Polaris will undergo a $1.5 million renovation to become the first Ohio restaurant for Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian steakhouse with locations across the globe. The location will add to the steakhouse’s collection of nearly 100 restaurants in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the Middle East, the U.S. and more.

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