23 year old Italian restaurant closed, to be demolished for fried chicken chain

Last April, rumors circulated that a popular chain for family-style Italian food would be closing and demolished to make way for a Chick-fil-A after plans submitted to the City of Worthington showed the chicken chain bought the location for $2.5 million.

But Buca di Beppo’s PR’s team told 614Now last April that, “Buca di Beppo has been notified that the real estate underlying its Worthington, Ohio, restaurant was sold to Chick-fil-A. Buca di Beppo has no plans to close the restaurant as Buca’s lease currently expires in April 2026, and Buca has the right to extend its lease for an additional 5-year period. Buca has been operating in Worthington, Ohio, for more than 20 years and looks forward to continuing to serve the community.”

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Unfortunately, the Buca di Beppo location at 60 E. Wilson Bridge did end up quietly closing last November, way earlier than their April 2026 expiration date. The chain filed for bankruptcy last August, owing $15-50 million to creditors. There is still one location left in Central Ohio, in Columbus’ Arena District.

Chick-fil-A is moving forward with plans for a new drive-thru location built on the site of the former Italian restaurant. The approved proposal outlines the plan to bulldoze Buca in 2026, then reconstruct a 5,000 square foot Chick-Fil-A drive-thru, opening in 2027.

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