Exhibit (d)(6)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:           FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                 Paul V. Hongland, EVP Administration
                                 and CFO at (508) 870-9212

                 NE RESTAURANT COMPANY, INC. PROPOSES TO ACQUIRE
                      BERTUCCI'S, INC. AT $10.50 PER SHARE


         WESTBOROUGH,  Mass. - April,  1998--NE Restaurant Company,  Inc. (NERC)
announced  today that it had submitted to the Board of Directors of  Bertucci's,
Inc.  (NASDAQ:  BERT) a  proposal  for NERC to  acquire  Bertucci's  in a merger
transaction  for a cash purchase price of $10.50 per share for each  outstanding
share of  Bertucci's  Common  Stock  other than the  approximately  4.8% of such
shares owned by NERC.

         In February  1998,  Bertucci's  announced  that it had  entered  into a
merger  agreement  with a group led by Bertucci's  Founder,  President and Chief
Executive Officer,  Joseph Crugnale,  pursuant to which the Crugnale group would
take Bertucci's private by acquiring all of the outstanding shares of Bertucci's
(other than the  approximately  24% of such shares owned by Mr.  Crugnale) for a
purchase price of $8.00 per share in cash. On March 18, 1998,  Bertucci's  filed
preliminary  proxy  materials  which are being  reviewed by the  Securities  and
Exchange  Commission  with  respect  to a Special  Meeting  of  Stockholders  of
Bertucci's to be held to vote on that merger proposal.

         The $10.50 per share  price  proposed by NERC  represents  a premium of
31.3% over the $8.00 per share  price  offered in the  pending  merger  with the
Crugnale  group  and a 75.0%  premium  over  the  last  reported  sale  price of
Bertucci's  Common  Stock of $6.00  per share on  February  13,  1998,  the last
trading date before public announcement of the execution of the merger agreement
with the Crugnale group.

         NERC owns and operates 31 Chili's  Grill and Bar  Restaurants  and 2 On
The Border Restaurants throughout the Northeast.  NERC is privately owned by its
management and an investor group led by Jacobson Partners, a New York City based
firm that sponsors various private investment funds. In its proposal,  NERC said
that it had obtained a letter from a leading  investment firm to the effect that
such  firm is highly  confident  of  arranging  debt  financing  of at least $90
million for the transaction  which,  when combined with equity capital committed
by stockholders of NERC and an investor group led by Jacobson Partners, would be
sufficient to consummate the transaction.

         NERC is currently  awaiting a response to its proposal from the Special
Committee  of  Bertucci's  Board of  Directors  that was formed to evaluate  and
consider the offer made by the Crugnale group.