Dorit Kemsley’s Famed ‘Capri Room’ Remains Open Amid Buca di Beppo’s Financial Troubles
Despite financial struggles, Buca di Beppo’s Encino, California location, featuring Dorit Kemsley’s designed “Capri Room,” will remain open. The restaurant chain has filed for bankruptcy, but the iconic room, inspired by the Isle of Capri, will continue to operate intact.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills personality, 48, had invested in the location and designed the room, which was showcased on the Bravo series in 2020. The room was featured prominently in an episode where Kemsley hosted a baby shower for former castmate Teddi Mellencamp.
Kemsley had decorated the room with pink and lemon yellow accents, complete with floral bouquets and a three-tiered cake. She also created a special menu, the Capri Package, which included items served at the baby shower.
The Encino location is one of eight Buca di Beppo locations in California, among the chain’s 44 restaurants across 14 states and two international locations.
Buca di Beppo has attracted celebrity fans, including Kemsley, Sylvester Stallone, and Sofia Vergara. The chain is known for its family-style Italian dishes and vintage décor.
However, the company has been hit by a drop in sales, coupled with soaring food and labor costs. As a result, it has closed 13 underperforming locations across the US, with the potential for more closures in the future.
The news comes as a shock to former employees, many of whom had worked at the restaurants for years. Rozalyn Marc-Aurele, a former employee at the Sacramento location, expressed her disappointment, saying, “It’s very disheartening to have everything come to an end.”
The chain’s financial struggles are part of a larger trend of restaurant closures across the US, as small and mid-size chains struggle to stay afloat.
