Bertucci's is launching a new concept called Bertucci's Pronto, and it's all about combining the chain's classic Italian meals with the hustle and bustle of modern life.
The new type of restaurant is set to open up in March right in the heart of Downtown Boston, at Government Center— an area teeming with busy office workers in frequent need of a quick meal while on the go.
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"A lot of people always say 'I grew up with Bertucci's, and they haven't been lately,'" owner Robert Earl said in an interview with NBC10 Boston. "And so we did a lot of analysis. And we found that everyone at work would love to have a Bertucci's experience. And so we are bringing the food to them."
The Pronto location will have all the Bertucci's favorites that people have come to know and love over the past four decades — from pizzas and sandwiches, to soups and salads and of course the famous rolls and decadent desserts. They'll be available, though, in a fast casual setting versus a more traditional sit-down casual.
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"Everyone is in a hurry; you have so much to do; you've got so much time that you've got to be back at work," Earl said. "You might want to get out of the office environment for a few minutes and there's about 34, 35 seats inside the space. But it's principally there to make for you your food. The Ubers, the DoorDashes, the GrubHubs. They're all part of it."
The menu at Bertucci's Pronto will also feature breakfast items like breakfast pizzas and sandwiches, and stay open into the evening. The location also plans to cater directly to local officers.
Earl also hopes to attract Freedom Trail tourists into the new restaurant.
"Half of the space is just open kitchen with massive, fabulous pizza ovens, culinary teams making fresh salads in front of you," Earl envisioned. "Your breads, our world famous rolls, they'll all be there being baked for you. And they'll make sandwiches to order oozing with buffalo mozzarella or burrata and prosciutto."
While the Tremont Street location is set to be the first, Earl said that more Bertucci's Pronto locations will be in the works.
"When a business is over 40 years old, it needs a shot in the arm," Earl said. "It needs something fresh to get you thinking about it again. And that's what I'm thinking about."
The brand has faced some challenges in recent years, including a bankruptcy filing in 2022. Several locations have closed in recent years.
Bertucci's opened its first location in 1981 in Davis Square in Somerville. It is headquartered in Northborough.
