Buca di Beppo opens in Bonifacio Global City

BUCA di Beppo, the popular Italian restaurant chain that has conquered tastebuds in over 100 locations worldwide, is now in Manila, specifically at Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig. Serving Italian cuisine, Buca di Beppo celebrates sumptuous Italian family-style feasts perfect for sharing in a vintage setting that gives foodies a nostalgic and whimsical dining experience.

The original restaurant opened in 1993 in the basement of an apartment building in Minneapolis, USA. Back then, it was called Buca Little Italy. Five years later, it was renamed Buca di Beppo, which translates roughly to Joe’s Basement. Buca literally means “hole,” or the Tuscan slang for basement or cellar. Beppo is a nickname for Guiseppe, the Italian form of Joseph in Northern Italy.

The mission of Buca di Beppo is “to capture the fun and enthusiasm of an authentic Italian gathering along with delectable food.” In this setting, the Italian restaurant “serves recipes handed down from generation to generation by Italian immigrants.”

Seeing how Italians’ celebration of food and family resonates with Filipinos’ own love for festivities, businessman Marcelino Florete, Jr., holder of the Master Franchise of Buca di Beppo in the Philippines, decided to bring the restaurant to Manila. He said: “We felt that there’s room for an authentic Italian restaurant in the country today. And we also felt that there are very few restaurants, if at all, that can call itself “a home of celebrations for the family.”

Because of this, Buca di Beppo servings are perfect for groups. The large serving can satisfy 10-12 people; the medium is good for four to six people; and the small portion is a fit for two people.

Buca di Beppo serves authentic Italian favorites like Lasagna, Chicken Parmi-

and Spaghetti with their famous half-pound meatballs.

Mr. Florete clarified: “We’re very Italian in the sense that unlike our competitors, you will not find steaks here. We don’t serve ribs or steaks because those are really more American. We stick to the basic Italian.. We’ve so many types of pastas, we’ve so many types of pizzas, and of course we have the wine. We have very good calamari and mussels, cooked the Italian way. We have all those appetizers, but we don’t have sandwiches.”

Buca di Beppo is located at the Ground Floor, BGC Corporate Center, 11th Avenue corner 30th Street, BGC, Taguig City.