Buona Beef, home of “Chicago’s Original Italian Beef,” is preparing to open a new location in Valparaiso at 2901 John Howell Dr.
The new 4,700-square-foot restaurant will move into a vacant lot at the corner of John Howwell Drive and Silhavy Road. The company’s second corporate-owned location in Northwest Indiana is currently under construction and is estimated to cost $833,780, according to NWI Times. A representative from the company tells What Now Chicago the new location is expected to open by the end of April 2023, with an opening date announcement expected to come in the next few weeks.
Like the first Indiana Buona Beef in Schererville, at 324 US-41, this new location will include The Original Rainbow Cone, an ice cream concept from the same company. Buona Beef and The Original Rainbow Cone both launched a new franchise program last year, hoping to bring the brands to the Midwest, Florida, Texas, Colorado, Tennessee, and Arizona. The company representative mentions Florida has had some deals being worked through for Buona, but The Original Rainbow Cone has secured a couple of locations in Bradenton and The Keys.
“It has always been our family’s dream to bring Buona to every family, every city, and every community across the United States,” Joe Buonavolanto III, VP of Franchise Operations for both companies, said last year in a press release. “We have always considered everyone family at Buona, whether a Buonavolanto, a customer, an employee, or a vendor. Our new franchise partners join the Buona family, with the potential to be the first to bring our signature Italian beef to their communities.”
