The Mill City Times Interview: Frank Beaton, General Manager, Buca di Beppo, Minneapolis

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos supplied by Buca

Do you know the history of Harmon Place and the Kenosha Building? Neither did I until I spoke to Frank Beaton of Buca di Beppo. Frank shares some city history and food recommendations in our discussion.

Frank Beaton

MCT: What do you know about this location of Buca di Beppo?

FB: Well, we were the first Buca restaurant. We were called Buca Little Italy when we opened in 1993 in the basement of the historic Kenosha building, which was built in 1907. Harmon Place was the heart of the Minneapolis automotive district for over fifty years. The Kenosha apartment building was designed for middle class strivers – people who wanted distance from the city center and mill district. We’re between two neighborhoods - Loring Park and Downtown West. Of course, we’re no longer the only Buca di Beppo location. There are now over restaurants worldwide. We are honored that Minneapolis was our very first location and we’ve been welcoming customers here for over 27 years. We’ve proudly been a staple of the Minneapolis restaurant scene for all this time.  

Historic Kenosha building

MCT: Tell us some details about what guests can expect when dining at Buca di Beppo? 

FB:  We can accommodate groups of many sizes - business dinners, family get-togethers and special events or just dinner for two. We believe that our kitschy décor and candid photographs of Italian-American icons, such as Frank Sinatra and Joe DiMaggio, make for a fun time while accompanied by delicious Italian food. The restaurant was designed to be boisterous, loud and conducive to good times.

MCT:  What kind of food can we expect at Buca di Beppo? 

FB:  The founders hired Vittorio Renda, a chef from Milan, to design the first menu. Renda brought family recipes – meatballs, chicken cacciatore and cannoli – and served generous sizes. That’s still our style – family style dining. We have introduced smaller portions in the last couple of years. We continue to innovate and create recipes beyond our traditional style by adding new menu items inspired by Northern and Southern Italian cuisine. My favorite dishes are the spicy chicken rigatoni and spaghetti and meatballs.

Thursday Meal Deal - Spaghetti and Meatballs

MCT:  How often do you revise your menus? 

FB:  Buca di Beppo does various specials and packages regularly. Right now we offering Family Meal Deals which feeds up to 5 people (or 3 people, with leftovers for the next day) for just $9 or $11 per person! These have been very popular with the families needing a dinner during the restaurant shutdown. We also have an Easter menu available – order ahead of time or even up to Easter day.

MCT:  How do you communicate with customers?

FB:  Buca di Beppo is very active on social media, providing info on daily specials, events and plenty of photos of the restaurant's dishes. Please follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.

MCT:  How can guests order right now as we practice social distancing? 

FB:  Buca di Beppo is now offering curbside pickup and delivery. Visit https://www.bucadibeppo.com/online-ordering/ to view menus and order online. Beer and wine is also available via pickup. We can do delivery via GrubHub, Uber Eats and DoorDash. The City of Minneapolis has generously provided us with reserved spaces outside of the restaurant for pick-up orders– temporary parking is not a problem! We’re open from 11:30AM to 9:30PM Sunday to Thursday; 11:30AM to 10:30PM Friday and Saturday. The message is that we’re open and ready to serve you!

Buca's designated pick up zone

Chef Pablo Rivera with pizza ready for takeout

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About Becky Fillinger

I’ve been a resident of the Mill District only since July 2019, but have visited the Guthrie, the Farmers Market, restaurants and friends in the area for many years prior to making the leap to Minneapolis. I’ve lived in many places (and climates) in the US and can testify that our cultural events, bicycle and hiking trails, parks and green spaces, museums, diverse neighborhoods and wonderful restaurants put Minnesota and Minneapolis high on my best places list. I’m a member of the Mill City Singers and look forward to our choir practices and performances.

One of my main interests is community - a very broad concept. For me it means bringing people together with common interests to form meaningful relationships. I look forward to reporting on businesses and individuals in our neighborhoods. Feel free to drop me an email at becky_fillinger@hotmail.com with your thoughts and ideas for stories.