Gina Maria’s Pizza, a beloved pizza chain in the Minneapolis area, has closed all four of its locations and filed for bankruptcy after 50 years in business. The chain abruptly shut its doors in October 2024 without warning customers, leaving many disappointed.
A bankruptcy filing on March 26, 2025, revealed that the chain’s operator, Northern Brands Inc., owed $2.9 million in debts while reporting only $64,000 in assets. The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which typically involves liquidation rather than restructuring.
Gina Maria’s started in 1975 in Minnetonka and expanded to Chanhassen, Eden Prairie, Edina, and Plymouth. Customers expressed their sadness on social media, with one Facebook user saying, “I’m so bummed, I live a block away from the E.P. Store went there for 25 years, just love the pepperoni and green olive, best pizza by far.”
After the closures, former manager Ulises Godinez opened a new restaurant called Pizzas Gina in the former Eden Prairie location, using the same recipes. Godinez told Eden Prairie Local News that the previous owners left supplies for him to use.
The closures come amid broader struggles in the US restaurant industry, with chains like Applebee’s, Popeye’s, Noodles & Company, and Jack in the Box also closing locations due to financial difficulties.
