A historic pizza brand is closing! Rustic Crust is closing because of some economic issues, and the local people of Pittsfield didn’t take it very well.
This decision wasn’t announced far enough in advance, so it felt like buckets of iced water on the employees since the brand had to fire them.
These bankruptcy situations involving very famous brands are a common occurrence. Let’s see why the pizza company had to close and what the future holds for the brand.
Rustic Crust
This brand was a famous American company known for its handmade pizzas which were sold in different supermarkets. Their frozen pizzas and dough were sold in places like: Whole Foods, Stop & Shop or Hannaford, among many others.
The Rustic Crust’s manufacturing base was located in Pittsfield, New Hampshire. It was 28,000 square feet size and was one of the main sources of job opportunities for Pittsfield citizens. The plant was fully equipped with machinery to manufacture and package so many products that could be kept at room temperature.
Having this in mind and the fact that it was one of the most consumed brands in Pittsfield, it is hard to believe they had to close the company. So, let’s find out the reason behind this decision.
Unexpected decision from the brand
In August of 2024, the plant took the drastic decision of closing without noticing their workers or anything like it.
When the time of the closing was closer, the company sent a letter to their workers explaining the decision saying the company’s economic situation was out of their hands.
How much is it for the pizza brand plant?
After all the negatives on the solutions proposed by the company owners, a judge ordered the plant to be auctioned, which was done in May of 2025.
The first offer started at $1,375 million because it was a common strategy used in auctions when there is a bankruptcy situation. This is called ‘stalking horse offer’ and it is useful for guaranteeing a minimum price for the assets and attracting buyers so that they can offer more money.
Those who were offering money to buy the company, were accepting just the plant and all the machinery. The brand Rustic Crust, and all that has to do with recipes and products, still belonged to their owners. So, the new owner of the plant is not allowed to sell Rustic Crust products. It is not known what the new company will manufacture in the plant, but the previous owners said at the auction that it was a great opportunity to sell food as it was fully equipped with the necessary machinery.
Specific reasons behind the closing
Rustic Crust was in a bankruptcy situation, but they were accepted a protection time that allows them to refund the debt while they were active and selling products. In the end, the pizza brand couldn’t take care of the debt, and they had to close.
One of the reasons for this lack of money was the investors not wanting to invest more money in this company, because they thought Rustic Crust had no future in the market. Another reason was the rejection of the banks to accept the conditions from negotiations with private investors.
The founder of the company, Brad Sterl, expressed his surprise about the situation, which showed that they weren’t prepared for the closing, but they had no other choice than to close and sell their assets.
Pittsfield community
We tend to focus on what happens to companies when they go bankrupt, but what about the people?
The Rustic Crust closing meant a huge negative impact on society living in Pittsfield. Many citizens depended on it, not only the Rustic Crust workers who had health insurance and economic stability, but also other business near the company. These other businesses like coffee shops, stores, or laundry had a part of their income coming from the activity of the pizza brand company since the people going to work at the plant were clients of the mentioned businesses.
There is no evidence of what the pizza brand will do in the future, but they should have in mind this experience and think about what they could improve in the future. We’ll see if those pizza products will completely disappear from the market or not.
Carol McDaniel is a dedicated and results-driven professional with 5 years of experience and US News. Known for her strong problem-solving skills and collaborative mindset, Carol has built a reputation for delivering high-impact results across diverse teams and projects.
Throughout her career, she has demonstrated expertise in 2 core skills or areas, e.g., client relations and project coordination, and is passionate about continuous learning and meaningful contribution. Carol thrives in dynamic environments and consistently brings professionalism, adaptability, and a focus on growth to every role she takes on.