• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Business index
  • Contribute
  • Wellesley Square
  • Private schools
  • Camp
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Kids
  • About us
  • Events
  • Natick Report
  • COVID-19
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Athlete of the Week
  • Seniors
  • Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend
Needham Bank, Wellesley

Wellesley Bertucci’s restaurant closes abruptly

March 25, 2018 by Bob Brown 8 Comments

Customers at the Wellesley Bertucci’s on Sunday night were told the restaurant was closing for good when they left and the remaining takeout orders were picked up.

One customer who arrived around 7:30pm with his wife was politely greeted by the manager from Bertucci’s Needham restaurant, who said the restaurant team found out at 7pm that the eatery was being shuttered. As a parting gift, the manager gave the customer a coupon for the Needham location.

We swung by the Playhouse Square building at 9:20pm-ish on Sunday night and all the lights were out (the restaurant usually closes at 9pm on Sundays, so that did seem like an awfully quick lights out). No signs were on the windows to indicate anything was awry.

But Bertucci’s first thing Monday responded to our inquiry, and confirmed the closing, described as “lease-related, unfortunately.” Other Playhouse Square tenants, such as TD Bank and Legit Activewear, have also departed this property in months past. Real estate banners have popped up on the building encouraging new tenants to sign on.

Bertucci's Wellesley

Bertucci’s emailed customers on Monday morning with the following message titled “Bertucci’s Important News” (including a $10 coupon, no minimum purchase):

Dear [customer],

We are sad to report that yesterday was our last day of operation at Bertucci’s in Wellesley. The reason for closing was lease-related. We are doing everything possible to relocate many of our Wellesley staff members to other Boston-area Bertucci’s locations.

While this news is tough to deliver, we hope that you — our valued guests — will consider visiting our other nearby Bertucci’s. Closest to Wellesley, our team members at Bertucci’s Needham are ready to step in to satisfy your craving for our rolls, pizza, pasta and more. For location information, please visit bertuccis.com/locations.

Thank you for being a Dough Nation member and loyal Bertucci’s fan. We hope that you’ll continue to come to a Bertucci’s nearest you and that you’ll stay in the club. Please click this link to choose a new Bertucci’s home store so that you can continue to enjoy all of the benefits of membership, including birthday, half-birthday, wedding anniversary gifts and more.

To our wonderful team members and loyal guests in Wellesley, we thank you for your support over the years.

The news about Wellesley’s pizza-plus joint closing comes on the heels of the Bertucci’s in Kenmore Square in Boston shutting down last month after 15 years in business and the Bertucci’s in Faneuil Hall being shuttered in January. Lease issues were also cited in those closings.

About 80 Bertucci’s locations are listed on the company’s website, and all is happiness on the company’s social media (i.e, latest Facebook post starts: “Happiness is a warm Bertucci’s roll dipped in olive oil.”).

With Bertucci’s closing, the cries have already started among longtime or past Wellesley residents to bring back the Community Playhouse that once occupied that building and showed movies for decades until it shut down in 1987. More reactions from customers and other observers have begun flooding in to our Facebook page.

Meanwhile, for those seeking pizza in Wellesley, no shortage of options exist, from chains like Upper Crust and California Pizza Kitchen, to one-of-a-kinds such as Old School.

MORE: Where to eat in Wellesley, MA

print

Share

Filed Under: Business, Restaurants

Comments

  1. CL says

    March 26, 2018 at 7:44 am

    Bring back the theatre!! Wellesley Film Festival?

    Reply
  2. Patrick Rafter says

    March 26, 2018 at 8:54 am

    Yes. Bring back the theatre! A Wellesley venue for film, acting and more! Any local philanthropists in search of a new worthy cause?

    Reply
  3. Jeff Brooks says

    March 26, 2018 at 9:13 am

    Bertucci’s has gone downhill steadily over the last 15 yrs. Not really sad to see them go. Also in favor of a theater. And definitely NOT in favor of another bank, pizza place, or yogurt shop. 🙁

    Reply
  4. John Williams says

    March 26, 2018 at 12:34 pm

    Good!

    Reply
  5. Greg Livingston says

    March 28, 2018 at 2:35 pm

    We’d go there often, and it was usually either empty or only a few tables occupied, and I wondered how they made the payroll that day. Sorry it’s gone.

    Reply
  6. Abe Froman says

    April 11, 2018 at 6:58 pm

    The town must have a big spender looking for a theatrical writeoff? What happened to the guy that got the Beach Boys to play in town?

    Bertuccis was a disaster, understaffed with moody Managers. Good riddance. A real shame and corporate was oblivious.

    Reply
  7. J says

    April 13, 2018 at 11:07 pm

    I had worked for Bertuccis for 10 1/2 years. I have seen them close restaurants and open new ones. They use to have a really good staff in one of their restaurants that could have saved their chain. Now, many of those that were phenomenal cooks and servers have gone elsewhere because they did not want to pay well, nor treat their employees fairly. Just heard they are filing for bankruptcy, I am not surprised to say the least. I could tell numerous stories of some of the things I’ve seen over the years.

    Reply
  8. Patricia Salvas says

    June 11, 2018 at 5:30 pm

    All of Bertucci’s are closed in Western Mass and I have a gift card and cannot travel to the Boston area to redeem it… I have heard on the news they may reopen under new management.. owners? I loved this place.. sorry to hear and sorry my gift card isn’t worth anything to me now.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Linden Square, Wellesley
Wonderful Wellesley
Riverbend School

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to [email protected]

 

Advertisements

Wellesley Square
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Edge on Science
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Fay School, Southborough
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Cachet, Wellesley
Cheesy Street Grill
Admit Fit, Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Most Read Posts

  • Wellesley (and beyond) summer camp listings—sign up now
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend—2022 schedule
  • Wellesley Business Buzz: Bach to Rock; Papa Wheelies Grand Opening; Lululemon coming to Central St.; StretchMed under new ownership; Roosters makes move within Linden Square
  • 54th Annual Wellesley Veterans' Parade honorees
  • POPS senior profile: Timothy Bonis impresses with musical aptitude 

Upcoming Events

May 26
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Lecture – The Modern Classics of Musical Theater: Les Miserables

May 26
6:15 pm - 8:15 pm

Battle of the Badges charity softball game pits Wellesley Fire vs. Police

May 30
7:30 pm

Memorial Day ceremony

Jun 4
9:00 am - 10:00 am

Carisbrooke Walk 

Jun 4
10:00 am - 11:30 am

“Rules of the Ride” cycling event

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • Aliana on Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend Veterans Parade a combo of somber & celebratory
  • Stephanie Hawkinson on Show & tell: The Skolnicks share story of selling landmark E.A. Davis department store
  • Linda Tighe on Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend heats up
  • Ruth Kleinfeld on Show & tell: The Skolnicks share story of selling landmark E.A. Davis department store
  • Bob Brown on Wellesley, football world mourn death of longtime Patriots star Gino Cappelletti

Links we like

  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Taquitos.net
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • Animals (413)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (576)
  • Beyond Wellesley (45)
  • Books (364)
  • Business (1,494)
  • Camp (11)
  • Careers/jobs (48)
  • Churches (79)
  • Clubs (227)
  • Construction (291)
  • Dump (127)
  • Education (3,086)
    • Babson College (250)
    • Bates Elementary School (16)
    • Dana Hall School (33)
    • Fiske Elementary School (9)
    • Hardy Elementary School (42)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (40)
    • MassBay (55)
    • Schofield Elementary School (24)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (34)
    • Wellesley College (608)
    • Wellesley High School (946)
    • Wellesley Middle School (201)
  • Embracing diversity (69)
  • Entertainment (782)
  • Environment (743)
  • Fashion (141)
  • Finance (14)
  • Fire (159)
  • Food (341)
  • Fundraising (608)
  • Gardens (156)
  • Government (550)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (14)
  • Health (843)
    • COVID-19 (198)
  • Hikes (2)
  • History (386)
  • Holidays (403)
  • Houses (152)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (844)
  • Law (7)
  • Legal notices (6)
  • Letters to the Editor (62)
  • Media (68)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (10)
  • Morses Pond (108)
  • Music (563)
  • Natick Report (29)
  • Neighbors (272)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (71)
  • Outdoors (637)
  • Parenting (62)
  • Police (754)
    • Crime (386)
  • Politics (551)
  • POPS Senior Profile (3)
  • RDF (6)
  • Real estate (328)
  • Religion (131)
  • Restaurants (328)
  • Safety (149)
  • Scouts (1)
  • Seniors (120)
  • Shopping (141)
  • Sponsored (5)
  • Sports (976)
    • Athlete of the Week (6)
  • STEM (107)
  • Technology (164)
  • Theatre (392)
  • Town Meeting (23)
  • Transportation (226)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,229)
  • Volunteering (346)
  • Weather (177)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (276)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (19)
RSS Feed Icon Subscribe to RSS Feed

© 2022 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login