The Bertucci’s Sicklerville pizza and Italian restaurant on Berlin Cross Keys Road in Gloucester Township has closed abruptly. I believe they closed Sunday.
The Marlton and Mt Laurel locations are still open.
42Freeway was made aware of the Bertucci’s Sicklerville closing on Monday night from a reader who said their reservation for this upcoming Thursday was cancelled. The also stated there was a truck onsite last night loading things into it.
So I did some research and seeing it appeared true, I stopped in this morning 7:15am! I haven’t left that early for “work” in months!
As you can see in the images here, already the signature front signage is off the building.
And the said telltale simple letter sized paper sign is in place at the front door “This location is permanently closed”
As the reader who commented last night, there is a large box truck which is being used to clear out the contents. I was surprised to see at 7:15am people were already on site.
Status Changed Fast Online
I searched online last night and found several things locking in the “closed” status. (Well before I actually drove there this morning)
Very telling last night was that the Sicklerville location is completely removed from the Bertucci’s website.
A Google search on “Bertucci’s Sicklerville” will bring back a search result and page for Sicklerville, but when you click on the link the browser returns the dreaded “404 page not found” at the Bertucci’s website.
Then the Bertucci’s “Locations by State” page for New Jersey only shows Marlton and Mt Laurel!
Adding to the wound, the Google location page clearly lists “Permanently Closed”, as well as the Facebook Page!
And then for the final piece of evidence in my late Monday night search.
I found a social media account from a former employee who recorded their “Peace Out” video inside the closed restaurant, where things were already in complete disarray.
So as I said I then decided to wait for this today to post this so I could stop there this morning to see if there is a note on the window and update further… and as I expected, it was there.
I saw two cars in the lot along with the truck, and as I moved around the building taking a few photos… someone came out.
I offered him my condolences at the loss of jobs. They were very somber. While I didn’t confirm who they were it seemed they were part of the Bertucci’s location staff or management. When I asked if there were plans for the property they said “I dont know. I guess it will be sold”
Bertucci’s Sicklerville Restaurant
The Sicklerville location of Bertucci’s was located at 625 Berlin Cross Keys Road at the entrance to the Shoppes at Cross Keys. I believe they opened around 2009.
Bertucci’s sat on the “restaurant row” of Cross Keys Rd, which had FOUR alcohol licensed restaurants in a row; Bertucci’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sakura, and Texas Road House.
As mentioned, directly behind all these road facing restaurants is the Shoppes at Cross Keys which is home to a Hobby Lobby and Urban Air Adventure.
Considering New Jersey’s restrictive an antiquated liquor laws, it truly is amazing that there were FOUR alcohol serving restaurants in a row, sharing the same connected parking lot!
Plus, Plaza Azteca is just a few hundred feet behind those four, in the shopping center!
Bertucci’s location was one of the best, situated to the main entrance of the shopping center where every car coming in saw the restaurant.
This restaurant was also a “Ghost Kitchen” for other celebrity based food items. If you’ve ordered a Mr Beast Burger, something from Guy Fieris’ Kitchen or even Mariah Carey’s cookies… there is a good chance that it came from this Bertucci’s.
Sadly, now it really is a ghost kitchen.
Bertucci’s Brand
If you weren’t familiar, Bertucci’s is a chain of pizza and Italian food restaurants, with full bar.
Today there are 47 locations, which is a downward trend as reports say at one time they had over 100 locations.
Things slipped even before the Covid pandemic, when in 2018 the brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. (USA Today). At that time the had 59 locations.
After some financial moves, the brand ended up in the hands of Earl Enterprises who acquired the Bertucci’s brand for $20 million that same year.
Earl Enterprises owns over a dozen restaurant brands, many of them iconic such as Planet Hollywood, Brio, and Buca di Beppo.
But as mentioned, I am not 100% clear on the plans for the Sicklerville building and I’d imagine it will be put up for sale.
Links and Location
Bertucci’s Sicklerville – Closed
625 Berlin – Cross Keys Rd,
Sicklerville, NJ 08081