By Isabel Hart – Reporter, Boston Business Journal
Bertucci’s, a once-popular casual dining chain known for its brick oven pizza and signature bread rolls, is testing a new fast-casual concept called Bertucci’s Pronto in Downtown Boston. After filing for bankruptcy twice—in 2018 and 2022—the brand is pivoting under the direction of owner Robert Earl (Earl Enterprises) to align with modern consumer preferences that favor quicker dining experiences.
The new Pronto location on Tremont Street targets a mix of tourists, office workers, and college students, offering pizza by the slice, breakfast sandwiches on Bertucci’s rolls, soups, and salads. Earl hopes the concept’s mix of eat-in, take-out, and delivery will help offset declining lunch traffic in urban cores.
He views the brand as a “troubled asset” but sees this transition as a potential path forward. If the concept gains traction by mid-summer, more Pronto locations could open across Boston.