In October 2025, the beloved Minnesota pizza chain Gina Maria’s Pizza abruptly closed its doors.
The closure of all four of the nearly 50-year-old chain’s locations was a shock to its loyal fans—and since then, many have been left wondering exactly why the company shuttered its doors. Now we know.
What was Gina Maria’s Pizza?
While not widely known outside of Minnesota, Gina Maria’s Pizza was a locally cherished pizza joint in the Minneapolis area.
According to an Internet Archive capture of its now-defunct website, Gina Maria’s Pizza was founded in 1975, when it opened its first location in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
The chain served a small collection of staples that its customers adored, including custom-made pizzas, cheesy bread, and specialty subs.
But in October, Gina Maria’s Pizza abruptly closed all its locations. An Internet Archive capture from November 10 revealed that the chain posted a simple goodbye message on its website.
“After many wonderful years of serving our community, we want to share the difficult news that Gina Maria’s Pizza has officially closed its doors,” the message read. “This decision did not come easily.”
Beyond that, however, customers were left wondering why, precisely, the chain suddenly shut its doors.
Why did Gina Maria’s Pizza shut down?
The mystery of why Gina Maria’s Pizza closed its doors has finally been revealed.
According to documents filed with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota, the owners of the chain, Northern Brands Inc., filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in March.
Chapter 7 bankruptcy is used when a company doesn’t intend to restructure itself. Instead, it is seeking to permanently shut down its business, which usually entails selling off eligible assets to pay its creditors as best it can. Any remaining debts unable to be repaid are generally discharged.
According to court documents, Northern Brands owes roughly $1 million to $10 million to between 50 and 99 creditors. According to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, its actual debts amount to around $2.9 million.
Gina Maria’s Pizza closed locations
After the abrupt announcement in October, Northern Brands closed all of its Gina Maria’s Pizza locations.
According to Internet Archive records of the company’s website from October 2025, those locations included:
Chanhassen, MN, at 330 Lake Drive East
Plymouth, MN, at 1400 Hwy. 101 North
Eden Prairie, MN, at 7416 Mitchell Rd.
Edina, MN (Deliveries Only)
Gina Maria’s Pizza is hardly the only restaurant chain that has faced financial difficulties recently. A number of restaurant companies have filed for bankruptcy just this year, including large franchisees for Applebee’s and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.
