Thursday, May 2, 2013
The Upper Crust Pizzeria on Centre Street will remain open until at least June, before the owners sell to another restaurant.
The Upper Crust Pizzeria will remain open until at least June, with another unknown restaurant coming into the Centre Street locale in the coming months. Initially, the owners group of several local families, believed they would close this past weekend. "There’s some paperwork that needs to be done. That we thought would be taken care of," said Kelley Santangelo, co-owner. "We’ve given out a lot of dinner vouchers for silent acutions for charity nights, and I really wanted to make sure people could use them because they paid good money for them. They have more time to use them than we anticipated." Santangelo said that another restaurant approached the owners about the coveted space on Centre Street, and some of the Upper Crust's …
42.287211
-71.149492
The Upper Crust
1727 Centre St, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/upper-crust-open-until-june-selling-to-new-restaurant
803573
/locations/9336077
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
West Roxbury's Upper Crust franchise is owned locally, and co-owner Kelley Santangelo spoke about the Centre Street business.
The Upper Crust Pizzeria chain has been enduring financial issues including bankruptcy and lawsuits. Kelley Santangelo, co-owner of West Roxbury's Upper Crust Pizzeria discussed the company's issues and being a local franchisee with Patch. Patch: Why did you choose to open an Upper Crust Pizzeria in West Roxbury? Santangelo: We wanted to open an Upper Crust franchise because we loved the pizza and my husband, Paul, and one of our partners, Joe Mulry, grew up in West Roxbury and thought it would be a great spot for it. Also, my husband had a very strong attachment to the building itself. He was a frequent customer to Tai Ho, and before that China Gold. Growing up his family always had their Chinese food from there for special occasions …
42.287211
-71.149492
The Upper Crust
1727 Centre St, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/q-a-upper-crust-owner-discusses-company-s-financial-issues
803573
/locations/8502886
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Reported to be among the bidders at tomorrow's auction for the bankrupt pizza places: both ex-workers (+ their lawyer) and ex-managers.
The attorney who represents ex-employees in a class-action lawsuit is among the bidders at tomorrow's auction for 10 Upper Crust locations. The pizza chain went under in October, with, says the Boston Herald, debt of $3-4 million. The Herald writes: The company sought bankruptcy protection after it defaulted on bank loans, the U.S. Labor Department forced it to pay $342,000 in back wages to 121 employees, and several lawsuits were filed against it. Some of those same employees, along with their lawyer, are among bidders for the bankrupt company, according to the Boston Globe. The Globe quotes attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan, who represents workers in their suit, as saying: The plan is for employees to have ownership shares, and we are very …
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
The financially and legally troubled Boston-based pizza chain has shut some locations, including its South End location, and its future remains uncertain.
The West Roxbury branch of the Upper Crust Pizzeria is remaining open while 10 out of 16 local branches have closed in the face of financial failures. The locally owned pizza chain Upper Crust needs a cash infusion of a least a hundred thousand dollars to keep its doors open, or it could close forever, according to the Boston Globe. But West Roxbury's branch is locally-owned and continues to keep its doors open on Centre Street, said co-owner Kelley Santangelo. But the local business is no longer taking Groupon coupons. "We are not taking Groupons because although corporate UC (Upper Crust) was paid for them by Groupon, they never forwarded the $15K coming to us. We are out about $23,000 in product due to all of the $25 Groupon vouchers …
42.287211
-71.149492
The Upper Crust
1727 Centre St, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/corporate-upper-crust-owes-west-roxburys-branch-15000-from-grouponcom
803573
/locations/8155600
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Labor department claims Boston restaurant chain cheated workers.
The U.S. Labor Department filed court papers claiming that Upper Crust pizzeria owes workers $850,000 in back wages, according to a Boston Globe report. The company, founded on Beacon Hill in 2001, was found in a federal investigation to have violated minimum-wage and overtime laws between April 2009 and January 2011, largely by exploiting immigrant workers. This came on the back of a 2009 Labor Department investigation which ended in an order to pay workers $350,000 in back overtime. Those court judgements were before the West Roxbury's Upper Crust Pizzeria opened up, which will remain open. "We're a locally and independent owned business. Please keep on supporting us," said Santangelo. The West Roxbury Upper Crust is very involved …
42.287211
-71.149492
The Upper Crust
1727 Centre St, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/labor-agency-upper-crust-pizzeria-owes-workers-850000-8496e5b5
803573
/locations/8114918
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The troubled pizza chain, once lauded as a local business success story, has been beset with controversy.
Upper Crust Pizza has filed for bankruptcy. The company defaulted on a loan in September and owes at least $3.4 million, according to the Boston Globe. But West Roxbury's Upper Crust is not expected to close, said owner Kelley Santangelo to Patch on Tuesday. "There is no plan to close. We are a franchise. We're a locally and independent owned business. Please keep on supporting us," said Santangelo. The West Roxbury Upper Crust is very involved with the community through donating food for fundraisers, and Holy Name School students take field trips to the pizzeria just a stone's throw away to learn how to make pizza. The filing came after years of controversy for the local chain. Unfair labor charges and legal wrangling amongst owners …
42.287211
-71.149492
The Upper Crust
1727 Centre St, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/upper-crust-pizza-files-for-bankruptcy-west-roxburys-not-closing
803573
/locations/7982941
Thursday, February 9, 2012
The Holy Name School and Upper Crust Pizzeria came together for a good cause.
Families of Holy Name came out on January 31st to support the Cradles to Crayons Pajama Drive at the Upper Crust Pizzeria. The pizzeria donated 15% of that night's sales to Cradles to Crayons. The total sales were $1500, so $230 was donated to the drive. Cradles to Crayons is a non-profit organization that "collects new and like-new children's items through grassroots community drives and corporate donations," according to its website. "Donations are then processed and packaged by volunteers, and are distributed to disadvantaged children across the state through a collaborative network of social service agencies and school partners." "We have been shopping the sales and estimate this money will enable to get about 70 pairs of warm …
42.287211
-71.149492
The Upper Crust
1727 Centre St, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/photos-upper-crust-fundraiser-for-cradles-to-crayons
803573
/locations/6339537
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Holy Name and Beethoven Schools, as well as Upper Crust, and individual residents have gotten involved with non-profit Cradles to Crayons Pajamas Drive.
The West Roxbury community gives to those in need. This point is illustrated by the collection of schools, parents, and many nighttime garbed-children, all involved in a pajamas drive for Cradles to Crayons. Cradles to Crayons is a non-profit organization that "collects new and like-new children's items through grassroots community drives and corporate donations," according to its website. "Donations are then processed and packaged by volunteers, and are distributed to disadvantaged children across the state through a collaborative network of social service agencies and school partners." On Jan. 21 the Holy Name School held a movie night with students wearing their bedtime apparel, and collected pajamas. The school made a poster with a …
42.289059
-71.147171
Holy Name Parish School
525 W Roxbury Pkwy, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/a-west-roxbury-community-pajamas-drive
1508470
/locations/6282773
42.287211
-71.149492
The Upper Crust
1727 Centre St, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/a-west-roxbury-community-pajamas-drive
803573
/locations/6282774
42.28767
-71.14648
Holy Name Parish
1689 Centre St, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/a-west-roxbury-community-pajamas-drive
803224
/locations/6282775
Karen Mahoney
8:44 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013
Good for the Santangelos and the Mulrys! The negative press about the bad behavior from "corporate" shouldn't cloud what these families are trying to do: deliver good pizza in a local, family-friendly establishment. more ›