![](\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/.image\/c_fit%2Ch_800%2Cw_1200\/NDA6MDAwMDAwMDAyODc0ODk0\/pepperoni-pizza-lead-ko-020426.jpg\")
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Pizza should be the perfect food for challenging economic times.<\/p>\n
It’s filling, relatively affordable, and comforting. You can feed a family of four a pizza meal for under $30, and most people (kids, especially) will be happy with the choice.<\/p>\n
That has not meant every pizza chain has thrived. Both Pizza Hut and Papa John’s are closing hundreds of restaurants, while Americans have made a notable change in their dining habits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile food-service remains dominant with nearly two-thirds ordering carryout monthly, delivery has declined from 61% in 2022 to 55% in 2025, according to the 2025 Technomic Pizza Consumer Trend Report. The most telling shift: 25% of consumers report eating more frozen pizza instead of restaurant options due to price increases.\u201d <\/p>\n
In a broad sense, pizza chains have struggled after a Covid-pandemic boom.<\/p>\n
“In 2024, the pizza segment struggled significantly, with Technomic\u2019s Top 500 Restaurants data showing 61% of pizza chains experienced declining sales. Only one pizza brand \u2014 Fort Worth-based pizza buffet chain Mr. Gatti’s Pizza \u2014 managed to achieve double-digit growth. This downturn in pizza sales contrasted sharply with the super-competitive coffee segment, where 88% of chains saw positive sales growth,” according to Nation’s Restaurant News.<\/p>\n
Now, Gina Maria’s Pizza has followed the closure of all of its restaurants with a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing.<\/p>\n
Gina Maria’s files Chapter 7 bankruptcy<\/p>\n
Northern Brands, which has been doing business under the Gina Maria’s Pizza brand name, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on March 26, according to court documents on PacerMonitor.<\/p>\n
“Gina Maria\u2019s Pizza abruptly closed its four western Twin Cities locations in October without offering a reason,” according to the Minneapolis\/St. Paul Business Journal.<\/p>\n
A Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing means the brand intends to liquidate, not restructure.<\/p>\n
More pizza stories from TheStreet:<\/p>\n
Popular pizza chain cuts ties with Uber EatsPapa Johns debuts bold menu changes to win back customersTroubled pizza restaurant franchisee files Chapter 11 bankruptcy<\/p>\n
“Northern Brands Inc. \u2014 which operated Gina Maria\u2019s Pizzas locations in Chanhassen, Eden Prairie, Edina and Plymouth \u2014 has nearly $2.9 million in liabilities and about $64,000 in assets, according to court filings. The filing lists Porfioro Godinez as the company\u2019s authorized representative of debtor. It lists Phil Godinez as CEO,” the Business Journal added. <\/p>\n
A California pizza restaurant using a similar name is not included in the filing and appears to have no relation to the entity that filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.<\/p>\n
Gina Maria’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy factsGina Maria\u2019s Pizza abruptly closed all four of its Twin Cities locations, Chanhassen, Eden Prairie, Edina, and Plymouth, in October\u202f2025, with the chain announcing on its website that it had \u201cofficially closed its doors,\u201d according to Bring Me the News.The closure came with little advance warning. All restaurant phone numbers now play an automated message saying the locations are permanently closed, Bring Me the News added.Gina Maria\u2019s was a longtime local favorite originally founded in 1975, according to EPLocalNews. Local coverage notes that the sudden closures reflected broader restaurant industry pressures in the Twin Cities area during late 2025, according to Eater Twin Cities. Debtor: NORTHERN BRANDS, INC., doing business as Gina Maria\u2019s Pizza, the corporate entity behind the pizza chain.
\nCase Number: The bankruptcy was assigned Case No. 26\u201141005.<\/p>\n
Assets: The petition reported assets in the range of $0 to $100,000.<\/p>\n
Liabilities: The filing listed liabilities in the range of $1\u202fmillion to $10\u202fmillion.<\/p>\n
Filing Type: This was a voluntary filing initiated by the debtor (the company).<\/p>\n
Court: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota.<\/p>\n
Sources: Bankruptcy Observer, PacerMonitor<\/p>\n
Pizza sales have slumped nationally. <\/p>\n
Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Americans want better pizza<\/p>\n
“Roughly one in ten people eats pizza\u00a0every single day. It remains one of the most affordable, shareable, and reliable foods in the country. What changed is the customer tolerance for mediocre pizza (aka chain pizza),” Slice.com reported.<\/p>\n
The pizza-industry website asked more than 100,000 people for predictions on what 2026 would bring for pizza, and this is what they had to say.<\/p>\n
The emphasis on digital ordering will rise even more.\u00a0 Foot\u2011traffic\u2011only shops won\u2019t survive.\u00a0 \u00a0The $1 slice era is officially dead. AI phone support will become an industry norm, versus a nice-to-have.<\/p>\n
Consumers in 2026 will be looking for new menu items and more of what they haven\u2019t tried yet.<\/p>\n
“Food trends move four times faster than pre\u20112020 and shops need to adapt. When an influencer posts about a new flavor or topping, customers expect to see it locally within weeks. Shops willing to do this will get the business,” the pizza business website shared.<\/p>\n
Papa John’s CEO Todd Penegor, speaking at the annual ICR Conference in January, thinks a return to simplicity is part of the solution, Nation’s Restaurant News reported.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve made our restaurants really tough to operate,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve added a lot of SKUs over the last few years, and a lot of rhythm-breakers. We\u2019ll take a look at some of the lower-moving SKUs and pull them out of the rotation. We want to sprinkle in some great innovation around the core menu\u2026We really need to get back to being the best pizzamakers in the business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Related: Once-booming cookie chain closes all stores after Chapter 11 filing<\/p>\n
#50yearold #pizza #chain #closes #restaurants #files #Chapter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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