50-year-old pizza chain closes all restaurants, files Chapter 7
Pizza should be the perfect food for tough economic times.
It’s filling, relatively affordable, and comforting. You can feed a family of four with one pizza meal for under $30, and most people (especially kids) will be happy with that choice.
This does not mean that every pizza chain is successful. While both Pizza Hut and Papa John’s closed hundreds of restaurants, Americans made a notable shift in their dining habits.
“While foodservice continues to dominate, with around two-thirds of orders delivered monthly, delivery has fallen from 61% in 2022 to 55% in 2025. 2025 Technological Pizza Consumer Trend Report. The most significant change: 25% of consumers report eating more frozen pizza over restaurant options due to price increases.”
Pizza chains broadly speaking have struggled in the wake of the Covid-pandemic boom.
“The pizza segment struggled significantly in 2024; Technomic’s Top 500 Restaurants data showed 61% of pizza chains experienced sales declines. Only one pizza brand – Fort Worth-based pizza buffet chain Mr. Gatti’s Pizza – managed to achieve double-digit growth. This decline in pizza sales contrasts sharply with the super-competitive coffee segment, where 88% of chains saw positive sales growth.” Country’s Restaurant News.
Now Gina Maria’s Pizza has followed the closure of all its restaurants by filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Northern Brands, which operates under the Gina Maria’s Pizza brand, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on March 26, according to court documents. PacerMonitor.
Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy means the brand intends to liquidate, not reorganize.
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The Business Journal added: “North Brands Inc., which operates Gina Maria’s Pizza locations in Chanhassen, Eden Prairie, Edina and Plymouth, has debts of about $2.9 million and assets of about $64,000, according to court filings. The filing lists Porfioro Godinez as the company’s authorized debtor representative. Phil Godinez is listed as CEO.”
A California pizza restaurant using a similar name is not listed on the filing and appears to have no affiliation with the establishment that has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Gina Maria’s Pizza suddenly closed Four of its Twin Cities locations, Chanhassen, Eden Prairie, Edina and Plymouth, are “officially closing their doors,” the chain announced in October 2025 on its website. Bring Me the News.
Closing came with it little forewarning. An automated message now plays on all restaurant phone numbers stating that the restaurants are permanently closed. Bring Me the News added.
Gina Maria’s has long been a local favorite, first established in 1975. EPLocalNews.
Local sources say the sudden closures reflect broader pressures on the restaurant industry in the Twin Cities region in late 2025. Eater Twin Cities.
Debtor: NORTHERN BRANDS, INC. operates as Gina Maria’s Pizza, the corporate entity behind the pizza chain. Case Number: Bankruptcy Case No. 26-41005 assigned. Assets: The petition stated assets ranged from $0 to $100,000. Liabilities: The application lists liabilities as between $1 million and $10 million. Application Method: It is a voluntary application initiated by the debtor (company). Court: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota. Sources: Bankruptcy Watchdog, PacerMonitor
Pizza sales are down nationwide. Shutterstock ·Shutterstock
“About one in ten people eat pizza every day. Pizza remains one of the most affordable, shareable and safe foods in the country. What has changed is customers’ tolerance for pizza.” mediocre pizza (aka chain pizza)” slice.com reported.
The pizza industry website asked more than 100,000 people for their predictions on what 2026 will bring to pizza, and this is what they had to say.
The importance given to digital ordering will increase even more.
Stores open only to foot traffic will not survive.
The $1 tranche era is officially over.
artificial intelligence phone support will become an industry norm rather than a nice-to-have.
In 2026, consumers will be looking for new menu items and more they haven’t tried yet.
“Food trends are moving four times faster than before 2020, and stores need to adapt. When an influencer posts about a new flavor or topping, customers expect to see it locally within weeks. Stores willing to do so will get the business,” the pizza business website said.
Speaking at the annual ICR Conference in January, Papa John’s CEO Todd Penegor thinks a return to simplicity is part of the solution: Country’s Restaurant News reported.
“We’ve made it really difficult to run our restaurants,” he said. “We’ve added a lot of SKUs and a lot of beat-breaking products over the last few years. We’re going to take a look at some of the lower-moving SKUs and take them out of the rotation. We want to sprinkle great innovations into the core menu…We really need to get back to being the best pizza makers in the business.”
