Bologna, 7 January 2026 – A notable piece of Bologna’s culinary history has come to an end wiht the closure of the Birreria del Pratello, owned by the Rocca family. The brewery, a landmark in the city since 1977, has been sold to Frasca, a local operator with existing locations on Via Andrea Costa and in the Ranocchi alley.
Founded by Piero Rocca in 1977 at Via del Pratello 24/a, the Birreria del Pratello was a pioneer in introducing a wide selection of draft beers to Bologna, a time when breweries where scarce. For two decades, Piero’s son, Andrea Rocca, continued the legacy, cultivating a unique atmosphere with its distinctive furnishings, including refined glassware, mirrors, a collection of corkscrews, and vintage beer memorabilia.
andrea Rocca announced the closure via social media,expressing his hope to reopen the brewery in the Pratello area in the near future. The decision to sell, he explained, was a result of the challenges faced by the hospitality sector, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the current economic climate. “Times have changed a lot,” Rocca stated. “The Covid years have bent us and the crisis that can also be felt in the city, marking a difficult moment for the sector, forced us to sell.”
frasca is expected to reopen the location in the spring, continuing the tradition of offering a diverse selection of beers. The closure follows a similar recent event with the closing of Caffè del Borgo, another historic establishment in Bologna , highlighting a challenging period for local businesses.
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