A familiar restaurant building in Arden-Arcade is preparing for its next chapter.
The former site of Buca di Beppo at 1249 Howe Ave has officially been sold and will soon be home to a new Middle Eastern dining concept. Bay Area restaurateur Javed Ahmadi is behind the upcoming project, according to a recent Instagram post from Scott Kingston, senior vice president at Turton Commercial Real Estate.
“For a lot of Sacramento kids (and now adults), this building wasn’t just a restaurant — it was where birthdays were celebrated, awkward first dates happened, and entire soccer teams crammed into giant red booths at Buca di Beppo,” he wrote. “After years as a landmark on Howe Avenue, the former Buca has officially traded hands for $1.75 million and is entering its next chapter.”
Buca di Beppo operated at the 8,550-square-foot, two-story building until July 2024, when the location closed after decades in business. As the owner of My-O-My Shawarma in Berkeley and Chopan Kabob in Concord and San Ramon, Ahmadi brings extensive experience in Middle Eastern cuisine to the space.
While the new restaurant has not yet been named and full menu details have not been released, the concept is expected to draw from the same Middle Eastern traditions found at Ahmadi’s other eateries. Those menus feature grilled meats, shawarma, kabobs, rice plates, fresh-baked flatbreads, and sides like hummus, salads, and pickled vegetables.
According to the Sacramento Business Journal, Ahmadi plans to renovate and refresh the building before opening the new restaurant sometime in 2026.
