The first Buona Beef opened in Chicago 40 years ago, a 1,500-square-foot spot with 36 seats and no drive-thru that was secured when the owners took out a $10,000 second mortgage.
It took 15 years, but the Italian beef concept opened its second location and then developed a plan to steadily add units.
Today, Chicago-based Buona Beef recently launched its 25th store and the family-owned chain is getting ready to explore franchising.
“It took us quite some time to get our foundation and get our legs under us,” Joe Buonavolanto Jr., one of the five sons of the restaurant’s founder who run the chain today. “In 1996, we started a growth plan.”
One of Buonavolanto’s uncles ran Mr. Beef, another Italian beef operation in Chicago, and he shared the family recipe.
“He helped us get started,” Buonavolanto said. “It was kind of a recipe in our family. It was something we were very proud of.”
After nearly 40 years of growth, though, the pandemic shook up Buona Beef.
“It was a trying time not only for our family but for our staff,” he said. “Twelve to 14 months ago was probably the most scary moment in our 40 years in business. It was something we felt was completely out of our control.”
Pre-pandemic, dine-in traffic was 40% of Buona’s business. Now, it’s maybe 20%, he said.
So, Buona mobilized its drive-thrus (located at all but the chain’s very first location) and added third-party delivery and curbside pickup. It debuted a new app to drive sales.
Photo courtesy Buona Beef
Growth was put on hold.
“We took a little bit of a pause, not knowing how things were going to shake out,” Buonavolanto said.
And now, Buona is taking tentative steps toward franchising.
In June, an express version of the concept with a pared-down menu is slated to open in a new food hall in Denver.
“We’re going to test the waters and see how our original Italian beef is received in an entirely new market,” he said. “We wanted to really make sure the model and the business was very well organized and simple to run before we considered franchising.”
The franchising process started in 2018, but took a pandemic pause. If the food hall is successful, Buona is hoping to expand in the Denver area.
“We thought there was a lot of runway there to open up multiple locations,” he said.
Italian beef sandwiches are a regional specialty—sliced beef sandwiches topped with vinegar-y giardiniera relish and au jus on a soft bun. They’re served at Chicago’s major athletic arenas, places frequented by large numbers of tourists.
“You see those visiting teams’ jerseys,” he said. “They’re eating it and they’re enjoying it. We think there’s lots of appeal. It will take a little educating the consumer on what it is.”
Recently, Buona generated lots of headlines on its home turf for developing a plant-based Italian beef sandwich, complete with a vegetarian version of the brothy au jus the regional dish is known for.
“We sold out the first day,” Buonavolanto said. “It was bigger news than we even thought it would be.”
The sandwich is partway through a 12-week test run, but he thinks it will make Buona’s permanent menu.
“It’s doing very well,” he said. “It’s caught on. It’s really introduced our concept to a different community.”
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