A local group of pizzerias that has been around for a long time is going through some major changes as the week begins.
As mentioned by multiple sources over the weekend, Papa Gino's abruptly closed more than 50 stores yesterday, with posters within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page mentioning such locations as Arlington, Bedford, Beverly, Brockton, Danvers, Malden, Medford, Newton, Quincy, being among the closures. Our sources also tell us that D'Angelo's--which is owned by the same company--has had some of its shops close as well. A new article from NECN mentions that Papa Gino's has now declared bankruptcy and that it is being sold to Wynnchurch, a private equity firm that is headquartered in the Chicago area. This story is still developing, so keep checking back for updates as they come in.
Papa Gino's started out in the 1960s in East Boston and has since expanded through much of New England, with its headquarters now being in Dedham. Currently, the chain has approximately 97 locations, which is down from 150 at the start of the weekend. (Its website can be found at https://www.papaginos.com/)
[February 1, 2019 update: The Boston Herald states that the sale of Papa Gino's and D'Angelo's to Wynnchurch has received court approval, with the sale including 96 company-owned locations of the former and 45 company-owned locations of the latter. In addition, 34 franchises will continue to be owned by the individual franchisees, with Wynnchurch being their franchisor.]
Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston
[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Fifteen Pizzas in the Boston Area]
