19 Tucson restaurants that served their last meal in 2016
- Updated
New restaurants and longtime fixtures that didn't make it through the year.Β
After 13 years of serving up eggs Benedict with handmade hollandaise and ribs slathered in the house special chipotle prickly pear barbecue sauce, Toddβs Restaurant at Ryan Airfield in Three Points is officially closed.
The restaurant, 9700 W. Ajo Way at the edge of the airfield, has been unofficially closed since late September. Thatβs when owners Todd and Shari Scott moved everything out of the building, from the kitchen equipment to the artwork on the walls, to make way for a $120,000 Tucson Airport Authority renovation project.
Work β which included a new roof, new booths and maintenance on the air conditioning and heating systems β stretched through the month of October and into early November, when the couple had anticipated signing a new lease and reopening. But the Scotts and the TAA couldnβt come together on one issue: operating hours.
The airport wanted the restaurant to be open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; the couple wanted to continue opening at 8 a.m.
βThey just didnβt want to (open early). From all indications we have, that is a big deal with people who want to use that restaurant,β said TAA spokesman David Hatfield, the senior director of business development and marketing.
Shari Scott said the extra two hours wouldnβt have done much for the restaurantβs bottom line. She and her husband had been struggling since the economic downturn, which was partly to blame for the loss in 2008 of one of Ryan Fieldβs biggest tenants β a flight school with 250 students from around the globe.
βIt was a bit challenging,β Scott said. βTheyβve never replaced any of these tenants, but we managed to get through.β
The TAA has received three inquiries from Tucson restaurant operators interested in the space. Hatfield said the agency hopes to have a restaurant open again in January.
Scott said she and her husband have no immediate plans to open a restaurant, but they are considering working on bottling their barbecue sauce, which was a hit with diners.
βWeβre just taking some time to re-evaluate and decide what to do next,β she said.
Chris Bianco didnβt want to close his namesake pizzeria in downtown Tucson, but on Saturday night thatβs exactly what he did.
Just over two years after opening a restaurant many viewed could be a game changer for downtown, Bianco pulled out.
Bianco said he is looking for a new Tucson location either in an old building that he can rehab as he did the 2,000-square-foot space at 272 E. Congress St., or build new on a vacant lot. He said he has not determined where he will go, but he wants a space where he can create a complete Pizzeria Bianco experience that would include more accessible parking and patio dining β two things that Bianco said he could not accomplish at the downtown location.
Bianco on Sunday said closing was one of the hardest decisions he has had to make in his 30-plus-year restaurant career that started with his flagship downtown Phoenix restaurant that he opened in 1994. This is the first time heβs ever had to close a restaurant.
βFor us, I think that the challenges that were presented were a little bit much to overcome,β Bianco said, citing construction of the downtown AC Hotel by Marriott on East Broadway and South Fifth Avenue, behind the pizzeria. Biancoβs landlord Scott Stiteler is developing the hotel project.
βI understand the progress of construction. I think the hotel is going to be great when itβs built, but for us I didnβt feel that we were capable to deliver the experience that I wanted to,β Bianco said.
Bianco said he and Stiteler mutually agreed to allow Bianco to exercise an early exit from his lease agreement for the 2,000-square-foot space thatβs next to Stitelerβs restaurant The Hub Restaurant and Ice Creamery and adjacent Playground Bar and Lounge. Bianco would not specify the terms of the original lease and Stiteler could not be reached to comment on Sunday.
He said none of his 10 employees are affected by the closing. Most will continue working with Bianco in Tucson catering jobs using a portable wood-fired oven.
Bianco announced in April 2013 that he planned to bring Pizzeria Bianco to Tucson at a time when East Congress Street was undergoing the beginnings of a major resurgence. New restaurants, including Flagstaff-based Proper and Diablo Burger, and several businesses including The Cadence student housing complex were driven by the prospect of the Sun Link streetcar, which was in the final stages of construction when Bianco started renovating the historic space in summer 2013. At the time he had anticipated opening that November or December.
The restaurant, specializing in wood-fired artisan pizza, opened seven months later, in late July 2014.
βI am so grateful for all the support,β said Bianco, 54, the James Beard Award-winning chef who operates several restaurants in the Phoenix area. βI hate letting even one person down. I understand if people are disappointed; I know I am. We did all that we could do in that location.β
Pizzeria Bianco is the second restaurant to leave Congress Street this summer. Flagstaff-based Proper, 300 E. Congress St., closed in June, with the owner citing personal reasons.
World of Beer, the 3,000-square-foot pantheon to craft beer anchoring the east end of Congress Street downtown, is set to close.
No date has been announced, but the closing is imminent, said Terry Haley, World of Beerβs corporate vice president of marketing.
Two other World of Beer locations in Arizona β all operated by the same franchisees β also will close, Haley said. All have been open since late 2013; the Tucson store opened days before Halloween of that year.
An official with the Arizona franchise group who would not give his name said the owners are in talks with another beer-centric concept operator to take over the store at 350 E. Congress St. and their stores in Tempe and Gilbert. He said they anticipate that the closing will coincide with the opening of the new brand.
He would not release any details, saying negotiations are ongoing.
He also would not discuss his groupβs contract with World of Beer because he and his partners are in legal talks with the Florida-based company. Haley, speaking from the companyβs headquarters in Tampa, Florida, said the Arizona closures are due in large part to the evolution of the 9-year-old companyβs mission.
βThe World of Beer concept has evolved significantly. Over the last couple of years weβve added in full kitchens with an elevated menu of tavern fare,β he said. βThose particular sites with the square footage couldnβt make the adjustments that we felt were in the best interest of the longterm future of the brand.β
The Arizona closures follow eight other World of Beer closings in the past year, several of them coming this summer, including three in Florida. Three stores closed in the month of July alone, including one in New Orleans and another in Albany, New York.
Haley said the closings were unrelated and a couple were for the same reasons that the Arizona stores are shuttering β the operators could not convert the stores into the more restaurant-oriented concept.
World of Beer has 75 locations around the country and one in Shanghai that opened this summer. Six new locations are set to open this month in the U.S., Haley said.
Employees of the Tucson World of Beer have been notified of the pending closure. The local franchise operator said he hopes those employees will continue working at the store under the new owners.
- Andi Berlin / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Downtown Tucson has lost another quick and reliable lunch place this summer, now that Bernardo's is closed. The fast-food Mexican restaurant had been at 17 N. Stone Ave. nearΒ Congress Street for more than five years.Β
The restaurant sits empty with a "for lease" sign on the door, and the phone number has been disconnected. Bernardo's was owned byΒ Bernardo Acosta who served cheap eats and homey recipes from his native Magdalena, Sonora.
Bernardo's is the eighth Tucson restaurant to close this summer, according to Star records.Β
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
People went to this east-side restaurantΒ Sam-Witches and Such for its creative burgers and giant bloody Marys stacked with half a dozen vegetables.Β
But not anymore ... The restaurant announced early this morning it was closing its doors permanently. A post on the company's Facebook page has this to say:Β
"It is with a heavy heart that I report, our doors will remain closed. The last 3 1/2 years have been amazing. Unfortunately there have been some health issues within our family that need our full attention. We are grateful to all of our customers and we will truly miss each and every one of you.
Thank you all for your support and we wish you all a happy, healthy and amazing future."
Sam-witches opened at 6502 East Tanque Verde Road in 2013. It's the fourth east-side restaurant to close this summer, after Joe's Crab Shack, Buddy's Grill and Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant.
Also today, the trendy breakfast diner Prep & Pastry opened its second restaurant just a few blocks away at 6450 E. Grant Road.
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Around here, bad news comes in fours ... After the closure of Proper, Buddy's Grill and Sir Veza's on Speedway, I just got word that yet another restaurant has fallen victim to the Tucson summer.Β
Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant, which has been in business since 1977, served its last meal on May 21. Owned byΒ Harry and Irene Katerelos from the Greek island of Kefalonia, Dolce Vita served Italian classics like pasta primavera and spaghetti with a chunky meat sauce.Β
The restaurant had moved around over the years, but had been in the same east-side location at 7895 E. Broadway since 1997. The Katerelos family decided to call it quits after the entire Broadway Plaza shopping center was sold to national firm Phillips Edison and Company, threatening a rent increase.
The couple's son John who owns Greek House at 1710 E. Speedway, said that rather than renewing the lease, the two decided to take a break for the summer and look for someplace new. The lagging economy was also a factor in the decision. John said that he thought the east side still hasn't fully recovered from the recession.Β
Harry and Irene haven't decided if the new spot will be a Dolce Vita, another Greek House or perhaps a breakfast restaurant, John said. Β
Here is Dolce Vita's parting Facebook message:
"To our valued customers, friends, and family,
We regret to inform you that as of May 21st, Dolce Vita will be closing its doors. Over the past 20 years, we've worked hard to serve quality Italian cuisine to Tucson. In doing so, we've made friends with some incredibly kind and generous people. This is a business that has thrived due to the patronage of our regular customers and to those people we are eternally grateful. So from the Katerelos family, myself and the rest of the Dolce Vita staff, we'd like to say thank you.
Sincerely,
-Stephen
PS
The owners have every intention of starting a new business sometime in the near future. When and where has not yet been decided, but we will do our best to keep everyone in the loop. Keep following this page for updates."
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
June hasn't been kind to the Tucson restaurant scene. This month we've seen the closure of two popular spots, Proper and Sir Veza's Taco Garage on Speedway. (And as long as we're counting,Β Joe's Crab Shack.)
And now you can add Buddy's Grill to the list, an American restaurant that served Tucson for almost three decades. The large space at 7385 S. Houghton Road sits empty with the blinds drawn up and a sign on the door saying it closed "due to past and current business climate ..."Β
While the original Buddy's Grill at 4821 E. Grant Road opened in 1989 and closed in 2011, this location has been in business since 2008, according to Star records. Buddy's was known for its old school ambiance and its faithful rendition of the classic New Orleans dish, baked oysters Rockefeller.Β
Here is Buddy's parting message in full:Β
"Buddy's Grill Patrons,
Due to past and current business climate, we made a decision to close the doors. The Owens' family and staff thank you for your continued loyalty and patronage. We are so thankful to have served multiple generations for the past 27 years. Thank you all so much for your loyalty through the years. Cheers.Β
Buddy's Grill Family"Β
Downtown Tucson is losing a popular dining destination.
Proper, the New American eatery from Flagstaff, served its last meal Saturday evening. In a Facebook message, a restaurant official confirmed the closing but could not be reached for additional comment.Β
But ownerΒ Paul Moir of Flagstaff told Tucson FoodieΒ last week that he was leaving Tucson to focus more on his Flagstaff restaurants, which include Proper Meats + Provisions and the Latin inspired Criollo Latin Kitchen.
A Flagstaff import, Proper opened in the early wave of downtown Tucson's resurgence in spring 2013, settling into 300 E. Congress St., on the corner of East Congress Street and South Fifth Avenue.
The open-air bar was a novelty downtown, a chance for patrons to soak in the Congress Street vibe and passersby to peek into a hip-and-happening New American eatery known for its craft cocktails and weekend brunch.Β
The restaurant received mostly positive and sometimes gushing reviews from patrons on Yelp, the crowd-source website.Β
In an emotional Facebook postΒ addressed to employees, managerΒ Tafao FaumuinaΒ broke the news of the closing.Β
"(Proper) wasn't just a job, it wasn't just a restaurant, it was my heart," he said.
Proper is the second Tucson restaurant to close last week. Sir Veza's Taco Garage atΒ 4699 E. Speedway β the flagship of Ray Flores's four Sir Veza restaurants including at Tucson Mall β closed last Saturday, June 11.
Restaurants traditionally brace for a dramatic slowdown through summer in Tucson with the loss of the University of Arizona student population and the winter visitors.Β
Sir Vezaβs Taco Garage on East Speedway closed on Saturday, ending a seven-year run that gave birth to three other locations including two in the Phoenix area.
Owner Ray Flores said the lease at his Sir Vezaβs flagship, 4699 E. Speedway, was up at the end of summer so he decided to close before the traditional seasonal slowdown kicked in. The Speedway location, which he converted in 2009 from an old El Charro Cafe owned by his family, was converted to look like a garage with car-themed posters on the walls, a menu that divided items into car-themed categories (βSweet Rides,β βIgniters and Starters,β βBackseat Driversβ) and actual garage doors that opened up and looked out onto Speedway, which was once the cityβs main drag for weekend cruising.
But the design quickly became outdated when he opened his second Sir Vezaβs in a shuttered Marie Callenderβs restaurant at Tucson Mall in 2011. He expanded on his original garage theme, knocking down walls and creating exposed brick and the concrete floor to give the restaurant more of an authentic auto shop feel. The counter on the bar, where he serves 31 draft beers on tap including several local craft brews, looks like an asphalt road.
βWe had a nice run (on Speedway). ... Weβre proud of where Speedway led us to,β Flores said Monday. βWe just couldnβt see investing in (the Speedway) location to fit our model. It just didnβt fit our needs anymore.β
Flores followed the Tucson Mall template when he opened Sir Vezaβs in Sky Harbor International Airport in 2011 and when he brought it to Chandler Fashion Center in 2014. But he said the investment to update the Speedway restaurant to match the others was not worth it given that the location in a plaza on Speedway and North Swan Road catered mostly to a daytime clientele; Sir Vezaβs relies on more customers at night.
Most of the Speedway Sir Vezaβs 15 mostly part-time employees were notified of the closing Saturday. Many of them will go to work for his other restaurants.
Flores said he is looking into possible locations for Sir Vezaβs downtown or on the cityβs southwest side, near the bustling Interstate 19 and West Irvington Road or West Valencia Road corridors. He hopes to have a location pinpointed by summerβs end.
Floresβ family owns El Charro Cafe downtown on North Court Avenue β the oldest continually run family Mexican food restaurant in the country. The family opened Charro Steak at 188 E. Broadway downtown in April.
In addition to its downtown location, El Charro Cafe has two other Tucson area locations: 6910 E. Sunrise Drive in the foothills and 7725 N. Oracle Road in Oro Valley.
Joe's Crab Shack's latest drool-inducing "Taste of Summer" specials pair a whole lobster with Corona beer, or Corona-lime peal-and-eat shrimp that slide down with sunny ease when you order the watermelon sangria or the mango Coronita Rita cocktails.
Eat and drink at Joe's and you could pretend like you were sitting on a tropical beach with a cool ocean breeze blowing away your cares.
Nice fantasy that will now require a two-hour drive from Tucson. Joe's quietly pulled up anchor on its east side Tucson restaurant on Tuesday, closing with little if any notice. There was no word from corporate on Wednesday about the chain looking for a new Tucson location and officials at the Tempe restaurants had no information.
Joe's had been in Tucson since the late 1990s at 410 N. Wilmot Road, serving the chain's signature crab legs, lobster, shrimp and crab cakes. The beach-themed restaurant was founded in Houston, Texas, in 1991, and has more than 135 restaurants in 35 states including Arizona, which has two: 1604 E. Southern Ave. and 1606 W. Baseline Road, both in Tempe.
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
- 1 min to read
After 23 years in business, Little Luke's at 101 E. Fort Lowell Road has shut its doors. The restaurant, which now sits empty with the furniture still inside, is the latest in the family-owned Luke's sandwich chain to close, just more than a year after Jason AmadoriΒ closed his Speedway location.Β
Little Luke's was owned by Gregg Del Principe, son of Luke's founderΒ Luke Del Principe. A message posted on the door states that the property has been sold and that the owners are "moving on to a new phase of life." Β
Employees at the Grant location said that the space will eventually become a donut shop. The Chicago fast food chain still has three Tucson-area locations at 1615 S. Alvernon Way, 4444 E. Grant Road and a franchised spot at 6741 N. Thornydale Road.
Here is the message in full:Β
"To our valued customers,Β
Thank you so much for the last 23 years of business at Luke's on Ft. Lowell. We have sold our property and building, end of an era! We are moving on to a new phase of life. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support over the past two decades. It was a pleasure serving you!!
With gratitude and peace,Β
Gregg, Patti, Jon, Tony & Mark"
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
After two decades of doing kitschy fun Japanese food in the desert, Sushi Hama closed its doors at 3971 N. Oracle Road sometime last month.Β
The large restaurant space tucked back into a shopping center near the Tucson Mall sits vacant. All the furniture has been stripped out, and a small piece of paper scribbled with the word "closed" has been taped to the door. Β
Since sushi chefΒ Bo H. KimΒ opened the restaurant in the late '90s, Sushi Hama had introduced raw fish to countless Tucsonans and University of Arizona college students. The colorful restaurant was well known for its techno themed happy birthday song, dramatic towel tossing and all-you-can-eat sushi for $18.95.Β
Kim, who went by the nickname "Pancho," sold the restaurant about a decade ago to open up Mido Sushi in Chandler. Since then the restaurant has gone through a couple different owners including Ramon Rafael Tovar, who was unable to reach by phone.Β
Meanwhile ...
Just a block up the road in the Home Depot shopping center, a new sushi joint called IOU SushiΒ is slated to open in the next few months. The name sounds like it's a reference to "Dumb and Dumber," but it's actually a foreign wordΒ from the tiny island PohnpeiΒ in the South Pacific. (In theΒ Pohnpeian language, it's pronounced e-yo and means "delicious," according to IOU's website.)
IOU Sushi's owner Rocketchun Holden was raised in the South Pacific, but currently operates two of these sushi restaurants in Boise, Idaho. The restaurant is going in here at 4280 N. Oracle Road, Suite 180.Β
IOU will serve sushi rolls from the South Pacific, which apparently can be little bit sweeter than the Japanese kind. And if the restaurant here is anything like the ones in Idaho, it also has an all-you-can-eat menu!Β
The Hopyard Deli and Market on North Fourth Avenue is apparently closed.
The space at 210 N. Fourth Ave. was vacant last week and the phone has been disconnected. However there is no mention of the closing on the store's Facebook page and its website, thehopyardaz.com, is still up and running.
Hopyard, owned by Connecticut transplant Allison Crist, opened in March 2014. In addition to serving sandwiches and New England deli fare, the shop served as a small neighborhood market.
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
China Thai, the east side mainstay known for its eclectic menu of chop suey and panang curry dishes, appears to have closed.
Although the furniture is still inside, chairs have been put up on tables and a lock box has been secured to the door. Multiple calls to the restaurant have resulted in a busy signal.Β
The Chinese and Thai fusion restaurant had been in business on Tanque Verde for over a decade, and moved to a larger space at 6546 E. Tanque Verde Road in 2013.Β
In other news: A second Chinese Thai combo restaurant, Rice House China Thai also closed its doors this month.Β
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Shortly after I posted the news today that China Thai restaurant had closed down, a coworker shared with me this news: Rice House China Thai at 54 W. Congress St. is also no more.Β
Rice House was well known with the downtown lunch crowd for its inexpensive lunch specials from both China and Thailand. As of now, the furniture is still inside the building but a sign on the door says the tenants were locked out by the landlord. Β
The message dated April 25 reads the restaurant owners were locked out due to "uncured defaults" under the lease and that the landlord has placed a lien on all property inside the building. Rice House's phone number has also been disconnected.Β
Some silver lining: Downtown Tucson is getting a new Thai restaurant in the coming months called Senae Thai Bistro. It will serve gourmet Thai dishes at a slightly higher price point than Rice House.Β
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Lo Esencial, a casual Mexican restaurant in the former home of Dove Mountain Grill, has shut down its kitchen while it considers a complete concept change. The staff is bouncing around several ideas and will decide what the concept is going to be in the next few weeks, said Manager Christopher Leonard.Β
[Update: The new concept will be a brewpub calledΒ Dove Mountain Brewing Company, which will open in the next few months.]Β
In the meantime, the bar will stay open during its regular business hours, 3 p.m. through dinnertime. This is the second concept change for the restaurant in just over two years. OwnerΒ Kinney Johnson ran the space as Dove Mountain Grill for nearly five years, until he transformed it into Lo Esencial in December of 2013.Β
Lo Esencial is located in Marana at 12130 N. Dove Mountain Blvd.
Eleven years after he opened his first AAA Four-Diamond gourmet restaurant, chef Albert Hall has decided to call it quits.
His renowned Foothills restaurant Acacia Real Food & Cocktails will hold a reservation-only grand finale May 15. Hall notified staff members of the closure last week at the restaurantβs current location, an airy hillside spot on Skylineβs Gallery Row.
βTo limp along is just not our style,β Hall said. βItβs just not how we do it. We would rather go out on a good note.β
Hall said that while the gem shows helped give the restaurant some of the best weekends theyβd had, business in general suffered from low profit margins that come with purchasing high-quality ingredients. While the restaurantβs 2011 rebranding and move to 3001 E. Skyline Drive from St. Philipβs Plaza was ultimately a good thing, it still wasnβt enough βto pay the bills.β
βSomeone is going to pick this place up and do a concept change, and itβs gonna be great,β he said. βI just donβt have a hundred thousand dollars to do a redo of the restaurant.β
Once considered one of Southern Arizonaβs premier gourmet restaurants, Acacia became an instant hit in 2004 with its playful fusion of European technique and Southwestern dining. The original location at St. Philipβs Plaza earned a host of honors including the coveted AAA Four Diamond award.
Shortly after opening the St. Philipβs restaurant with his wife, Lila Yamashiro, Hall was named chef of the year for Southern Arizona by the American Culinary Federation of Chefs Association. The lifetime cook had his hand in several projects over the years including the Tohono Chul Tea Room and a casual sandwich shop, the Marketplace at Acacia.
Citing a struggling economy, in 2011 Hall moved his elegant white tablecloth restaurant up the road to the smaller space on Skyline, opening for business the very next day. The new Acacia sought to provide a more casual experience with an emphasis on nightlife, but without losing that sense of farm to table lifestyle.
βWe were doing the local thing before it was fashionable ... the organic thing before it was fashionable,β he said Wednesday. βIβve been doing this way too long to do something less than what I really believe in.β
Hall said that he has plans for a new βmodernβ concept, but isnβt ready to discuss it yet.
βI donβt think Iβm gonna just disappear. (The Acacia family) has too much good stuff about us to do that.β
[Update: Hall recently announced on his Facebook page that he's moving to Bend, Oregon to head up the kitchen at the boutique Oxford Hotel.]Β
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Lani's Luau had served traditional Hawaiian plate lunches in a strip mall on Golf Links and Harrison roads for almost a decade. That seems to have come to an end ... The little restaurant sits empty with a "landlord's lien" sign posted on the door.
The sign, written by Tucson Realty and Trust Co. Management Services LLC, states that a lien has been placed on "all personal property" on the premises "due to tenant's default of the lease agreement." Β Β
Tucson Realty "hereby locks these premises and notifies everyone that it is unlawful to enter ..."
When it opened at 2532 S. Harrison Road in late 2006, Lani's was the only place in town for the traditional Hawaiian plate lunch of grilled meats with rice and macaroni salad. (Mama's Hawaiian BBQ came along in 2010.) Hawaii transplantsΒ Zane and Leilani DowlingΒ offered a list of hard to find items including laulau pork wrapped in a taro leaf and the addicting passionfruit orange guava soda called POG.Β
The Arizona Daily Star reported that Lani's held a fundraiser in 2011 to keep its doors open. At the time, the restaurant was reported to have owed roughly $10,000 to Arizona Restaurant Supply.
- Andi Berlin | This Is Tucson
- Updated
Unplugged Wine Bar closed its doors Jan. 1, and was replaced by a new concept called Batch, which brings together small-batch whiskies and doughnuts. Unplugged's owners announced they sold the space on FacebookΒ in December.
Here is the Facebook postΒ closing announcement in fullΒ
"UNPLUGGED IS CLOSING! On January 1st, unplugged will be closing its doors and handing the keys over to Batch. Weβve decided to sell the space, but itβs been a great two years, βͺ#βTucsonβ¬, and thanks to all the patrons, musicians, and friends for your support! And donβt forget to stop by on New Years for half off all drinks! (Don't forget to redeem your gift cards!)"
- Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
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Photos of Mission San Xavier del Bac taken by the National Park Service for theΒ Historic American Buildings Survey in 1940 and taken again from the same vantage points by Arizona Daily Star photographer A.E. Araiza in 2015.
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Over 54 million U.S. households own at least one dog, according to a 2015-2016 survey by the American Pet Products Association.
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Step Up to Justice will serve Pima County residents living in poverty.
After 13 years of serving up eggs Benedict with handmade hollandaise and ribs slathered in the house special chipotle prickly pear barbecue sauce, Toddβs Restaurant at Ryan Airfield in Three Points is officially closed.
The restaurant, 9700 W. Ajo Way at the edge of the airfield, has been unofficially closed since late September. Thatβs when owners Todd and Shari Scott moved everything out of the building, from the kitchen equipment to the artwork on the walls, to make way for a $120,000 Tucson Airport Authority renovation project.
Work β which included a new roof, new booths and maintenance on the air conditioning and heating systems β stretched through the month of October and into early November, when the couple had anticipated signing a new lease and reopening. But the Scotts and the TAA couldnβt come together on one issue: operating hours.
The airport wanted the restaurant to be open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; the couple wanted to continue opening at 8 a.m.
βThey just didnβt want to (open early). From all indications we have, that is a big deal with people who want to use that restaurant,β said TAA spokesman David Hatfield, the senior director of business development and marketing.
Shari Scott said the extra two hours wouldnβt have done much for the restaurantβs bottom line. She and her husband had been struggling since the economic downturn, which was partly to blame for the loss in 2008 of one of Ryan Fieldβs biggest tenants β a flight school with 250 students from around the globe.
βIt was a bit challenging,β Scott said. βTheyβve never replaced any of these tenants, but we managed to get through.β
The TAA has received three inquiries from Tucson restaurant operators interested in the space. Hatfield said the agency hopes to have a restaurant open again in January.
Scott said she and her husband have no immediate plans to open a restaurant, but they are considering working on bottling their barbecue sauce, which was a hit with diners.
βWeβre just taking some time to re-evaluate and decide what to do next,β she said.
Chris Bianco didnβt want to close his namesake pizzeria in downtown Tucson, but on Saturday night thatβs exactly what he did.
Just over two years after opening a restaurant many viewed could be a game changer for downtown, Bianco pulled out.
Bianco said he is looking for a new Tucson location either in an old building that he can rehab as he did the 2,000-square-foot space at 272 E. Congress St., or build new on a vacant lot. He said he has not determined where he will go, but he wants a space where he can create a complete Pizzeria Bianco experience that would include more accessible parking and patio dining β two things that Bianco said he could not accomplish at the downtown location.
Bianco on Sunday said closing was one of the hardest decisions he has had to make in his 30-plus-year restaurant career that started with his flagship downtown Phoenix restaurant that he opened in 1994. This is the first time heβs ever had to close a restaurant.
βFor us, I think that the challenges that were presented were a little bit much to overcome,β Bianco said, citing construction of the downtown AC Hotel by Marriott on East Broadway and South Fifth Avenue, behind the pizzeria. Biancoβs landlord Scott Stiteler is developing the hotel project.
βI understand the progress of construction. I think the hotel is going to be great when itβs built, but for us I didnβt feel that we were capable to deliver the experience that I wanted to,β Bianco said.
Bianco said he and Stiteler mutually agreed to allow Bianco to exercise an early exit from his lease agreement for the 2,000-square-foot space thatβs next to Stitelerβs restaurant The Hub Restaurant and Ice Creamery and adjacent Playground Bar and Lounge. Bianco would not specify the terms of the original lease and Stiteler could not be reached to comment on Sunday.
He said none of his 10 employees are affected by the closing. Most will continue working with Bianco in Tucson catering jobs using a portable wood-fired oven.
Bianco announced in April 2013 that he planned to bring Pizzeria Bianco to Tucson at a time when East Congress Street was undergoing the beginnings of a major resurgence. New restaurants, including Flagstaff-based Proper and Diablo Burger, and several businesses including The Cadence student housing complex were driven by the prospect of the Sun Link streetcar, which was in the final stages of construction when Bianco started renovating the historic space in summer 2013. At the time he had anticipated opening that November or December.
The restaurant, specializing in wood-fired artisan pizza, opened seven months later, in late July 2014.
βI am so grateful for all the support,β said Bianco, 54, the James Beard Award-winning chef who operates several restaurants in the Phoenix area. βI hate letting even one person down. I understand if people are disappointed; I know I am. We did all that we could do in that location.β
Pizzeria Bianco is the second restaurant to leave Congress Street this summer. Flagstaff-based Proper, 300 E. Congress St., closed in June, with the owner citing personal reasons.
World of Beer, the 3,000-square-foot pantheon to craft beer anchoring the east end of Congress Street downtown, is set to close.
No date has been announced, but the closing is imminent, said Terry Haley, World of Beerβs corporate vice president of marketing.
Two other World of Beer locations in Arizona β all operated by the same franchisees β also will close, Haley said. All have been open since late 2013; the Tucson store opened days before Halloween of that year.
An official with the Arizona franchise group who would not give his name said the owners are in talks with another beer-centric concept operator to take over the store at 350 E. Congress St. and their stores in Tempe and Gilbert. He said they anticipate that the closing will coincide with the opening of the new brand.
He would not release any details, saying negotiations are ongoing.
He also would not discuss his groupβs contract with World of Beer because he and his partners are in legal talks with the Florida-based company. Haley, speaking from the companyβs headquarters in Tampa, Florida, said the Arizona closures are due in large part to the evolution of the 9-year-old companyβs mission.
βThe World of Beer concept has evolved significantly. Over the last couple of years weβve added in full kitchens with an elevated menu of tavern fare,β he said. βThose particular sites with the square footage couldnβt make the adjustments that we felt were in the best interest of the longterm future of the brand.β
The Arizona closures follow eight other World of Beer closings in the past year, several of them coming this summer, including three in Florida. Three stores closed in the month of July alone, including one in New Orleans and another in Albany, New York.
Haley said the closings were unrelated and a couple were for the same reasons that the Arizona stores are shuttering β the operators could not convert the stores into the more restaurant-oriented concept.
World of Beer has 75 locations around the country and one in Shanghai that opened this summer. Six new locations are set to open this month in the U.S., Haley said.
Employees of the Tucson World of Beer have been notified of the pending closure. The local franchise operator said he hopes those employees will continue working at the store under the new owners.
Downtown Tucson has lost another quick and reliable lunch place this summer, now that Bernardo's is closed. The fast-food Mexican restaurant had been at 17 N. Stone Ave. nearΒ Congress Street for more than five years.Β
The restaurant sits empty with a "for lease" sign on the door, and the phone number has been disconnected. Bernardo's was owned byΒ Bernardo Acosta who served cheap eats and homey recipes from his native Magdalena, Sonora.
Bernardo's is the eighth Tucson restaurant to close this summer, according to Star records.Β
People went to this east-side restaurantΒ Sam-Witches and Such for its creative burgers and giant bloody Marys stacked with half a dozen vegetables.Β
But not anymore ... The restaurant announced early this morning it was closing its doors permanently. A post on the company's Facebook page has this to say:Β
"It is with a heavy heart that I report, our doors will remain closed. The last 3 1/2 years have been amazing. Unfortunately there have been some health issues within our family that need our full attention. We are grateful to all of our customers and we will truly miss each and every one of you.
Thank you all for your support and we wish you all a happy, healthy and amazing future."
Sam-witches opened at 6502 East Tanque Verde Road in 2013. It's the fourth east-side restaurant to close this summer, after Joe's Crab Shack, Buddy's Grill and Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant.
Also today, the trendy breakfast diner Prep & Pastry opened its second restaurant just a few blocks away at 6450 E. Grant Road.
Around here, bad news comes in fours ... After the closure of Proper, Buddy's Grill and Sir Veza's on Speedway, I just got word that yet another restaurant has fallen victim to the Tucson summer.Β
Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant, which has been in business since 1977, served its last meal on May 21. Owned byΒ Harry and Irene Katerelos from the Greek island of Kefalonia, Dolce Vita served Italian classics like pasta primavera and spaghetti with a chunky meat sauce.Β
The restaurant had moved around over the years, but had been in the same east-side location at 7895 E. Broadway since 1997. The Katerelos family decided to call it quits after the entire Broadway Plaza shopping center was sold to national firm Phillips Edison and Company, threatening a rent increase.
The couple's son John who owns Greek House at 1710 E. Speedway, said that rather than renewing the lease, the two decided to take a break for the summer and look for someplace new. The lagging economy was also a factor in the decision. John said that he thought the east side still hasn't fully recovered from the recession.Β
Harry and Irene haven't decided if the new spot will be a Dolce Vita, another Greek House or perhaps a breakfast restaurant, John said. Β
Here is Dolce Vita's parting Facebook message:
"To our valued customers, friends, and family,
We regret to inform you that as of May 21st, Dolce Vita will be closing its doors. Over the past 20 years, we've worked hard to serve quality Italian cuisine to Tucson. In doing so, we've made friends with some incredibly kind and generous people. This is a business that has thrived due to the patronage of our regular customers and to those people we are eternally grateful. So from the Katerelos family, myself and the rest of the Dolce Vita staff, we'd like to say thank you.
Sincerely,
-Stephen
PS
The owners have every intention of starting a new business sometime in the near future. When and where has not yet been decided, but we will do our best to keep everyone in the loop. Keep following this page for updates."
June hasn't been kind to the Tucson restaurant scene. This month we've seen the closure of two popular spots, Proper and Sir Veza's Taco Garage on Speedway. (And as long as we're counting,Β Joe's Crab Shack.)
And now you can add Buddy's Grill to the list, an American restaurant that served Tucson for almost three decades. The large space at 7385 S. Houghton Road sits empty with the blinds drawn up and a sign on the door saying it closed "due to past and current business climate ..."Β
While the original Buddy's Grill at 4821 E. Grant Road opened in 1989 and closed in 2011, this location has been in business since 2008, according to Star records. Buddy's was known for its old school ambiance and its faithful rendition of the classic New Orleans dish, baked oysters Rockefeller.Β
Here is Buddy's parting message in full:Β
"Buddy's Grill Patrons,
Due to past and current business climate, we made a decision to close the doors. The Owens' family and staff thank you for your continued loyalty and patronage. We are so thankful to have served multiple generations for the past 27 years. Thank you all so much for your loyalty through the years. Cheers.Β
Buddy's Grill Family"Β
Downtown Tucson is losing a popular dining destination.
Proper, the New American eatery from Flagstaff, served its last meal Saturday evening. In a Facebook message, a restaurant official confirmed the closing but could not be reached for additional comment.Β
But ownerΒ Paul Moir of Flagstaff told Tucson FoodieΒ last week that he was leaving Tucson to focus more on his Flagstaff restaurants, which include Proper Meats + Provisions and the Latin inspired Criollo Latin Kitchen.
A Flagstaff import, Proper opened in the early wave of downtown Tucson's resurgence in spring 2013, settling into 300 E. Congress St., on the corner of East Congress Street and South Fifth Avenue.
The open-air bar was a novelty downtown, a chance for patrons to soak in the Congress Street vibe and passersby to peek into a hip-and-happening New American eatery known for its craft cocktails and weekend brunch.Β
The restaurant received mostly positive and sometimes gushing reviews from patrons on Yelp, the crowd-source website.Β
In an emotional Facebook postΒ addressed to employees, managerΒ Tafao FaumuinaΒ broke the news of the closing.Β
"(Proper) wasn't just a job, it wasn't just a restaurant, it was my heart," he said.
Proper is the second Tucson restaurant to close last week. Sir Veza's Taco Garage atΒ 4699 E. Speedway β the flagship of Ray Flores's four Sir Veza restaurants including at Tucson Mall β closed last Saturday, June 11.
Restaurants traditionally brace for a dramatic slowdown through summer in Tucson with the loss of the University of Arizona student population and the winter visitors.Β
Sir Vezaβs Taco Garage on East Speedway closed on Saturday, ending a seven-year run that gave birth to three other locations including two in the Phoenix area.
Owner Ray Flores said the lease at his Sir Vezaβs flagship, 4699 E. Speedway, was up at the end of summer so he decided to close before the traditional seasonal slowdown kicked in. The Speedway location, which he converted in 2009 from an old El Charro Cafe owned by his family, was converted to look like a garage with car-themed posters on the walls, a menu that divided items into car-themed categories (βSweet Rides,β βIgniters and Starters,β βBackseat Driversβ) and actual garage doors that opened up and looked out onto Speedway, which was once the cityβs main drag for weekend cruising.
But the design quickly became outdated when he opened his second Sir Vezaβs in a shuttered Marie Callenderβs restaurant at Tucson Mall in 2011. He expanded on his original garage theme, knocking down walls and creating exposed brick and the concrete floor to give the restaurant more of an authentic auto shop feel. The counter on the bar, where he serves 31 draft beers on tap including several local craft brews, looks like an asphalt road.
βWe had a nice run (on Speedway). ... Weβre proud of where Speedway led us to,β Flores said Monday. βWe just couldnβt see investing in (the Speedway) location to fit our model. It just didnβt fit our needs anymore.β
Flores followed the Tucson Mall template when he opened Sir Vezaβs in Sky Harbor International Airport in 2011 and when he brought it to Chandler Fashion Center in 2014. But he said the investment to update the Speedway restaurant to match the others was not worth it given that the location in a plaza on Speedway and North Swan Road catered mostly to a daytime clientele; Sir Vezaβs relies on more customers at night.
Most of the Speedway Sir Vezaβs 15 mostly part-time employees were notified of the closing Saturday. Many of them will go to work for his other restaurants.
Flores said he is looking into possible locations for Sir Vezaβs downtown or on the cityβs southwest side, near the bustling Interstate 19 and West Irvington Road or West Valencia Road corridors. He hopes to have a location pinpointed by summerβs end.
Floresβ family owns El Charro Cafe downtown on North Court Avenue β the oldest continually run family Mexican food restaurant in the country. The family opened Charro Steak at 188 E. Broadway downtown in April.
In addition to its downtown location, El Charro Cafe has two other Tucson area locations: 6910 E. Sunrise Drive in the foothills and 7725 N. Oracle Road in Oro Valley.
Joe's Crab Shack's latest drool-inducing "Taste of Summer" specials pair a whole lobster with Corona beer, or Corona-lime peal-and-eat shrimp that slide down with sunny ease when you order the watermelon sangria or the mango Coronita Rita cocktails.
Eat and drink at Joe's and you could pretend like you were sitting on a tropical beach with a cool ocean breeze blowing away your cares.
Nice fantasy that will now require a two-hour drive from Tucson. Joe's quietly pulled up anchor on its east side Tucson restaurant on Tuesday, closing with little if any notice. There was no word from corporate on Wednesday about the chain looking for a new Tucson location and officials at the Tempe restaurants had no information.
Joe's had been in Tucson since the late 1990s at 410 N. Wilmot Road, serving the chain's signature crab legs, lobster, shrimp and crab cakes. The beach-themed restaurant was founded in Houston, Texas, in 1991, and has more than 135 restaurants in 35 states including Arizona, which has two: 1604 E. Southern Ave. and 1606 W. Baseline Road, both in Tempe.
- Andi Berlin Arizona Daily Star
- 1 min to read
After 23 years in business, Little Luke's at 101 E. Fort Lowell Road has shut its doors. The restaurant, which now sits empty with the furniture still inside, is the latest in the family-owned Luke's sandwich chain to close, just more than a year after Jason AmadoriΒ closed his Speedway location.Β
Little Luke's was owned by Gregg Del Principe, son of Luke's founderΒ Luke Del Principe. A message posted on the door states that the property has been sold and that the owners are "moving on to a new phase of life." Β
Employees at the Grant location said that the space will eventually become a donut shop. The Chicago fast food chain still has three Tucson-area locations at 1615 S. Alvernon Way, 4444 E. Grant Road and a franchised spot at 6741 N. Thornydale Road.
Here is the message in full:Β
"To our valued customers,Β
Thank you so much for the last 23 years of business at Luke's on Ft. Lowell. We have sold our property and building, end of an era! We are moving on to a new phase of life. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support over the past two decades. It was a pleasure serving you!!
With gratitude and peace,Β
Gregg, Patti, Jon, Tony & Mark"
After two decades of doing kitschy fun Japanese food in the desert, Sushi Hama closed its doors at 3971 N. Oracle Road sometime last month.Β
The large restaurant space tucked back into a shopping center near the Tucson Mall sits vacant. All the furniture has been stripped out, and a small piece of paper scribbled with the word "closed" has been taped to the door. Β
Since sushi chefΒ Bo H. KimΒ opened the restaurant in the late '90s, Sushi Hama had introduced raw fish to countless Tucsonans and University of Arizona college students. The colorful restaurant was well known for its techno themed happy birthday song, dramatic towel tossing and all-you-can-eat sushi for $18.95.Β
Kim, who went by the nickname "Pancho," sold the restaurant about a decade ago to open up Mido Sushi in Chandler. Since then the restaurant has gone through a couple different owners including Ramon Rafael Tovar, who was unable to reach by phone.Β
Meanwhile ...
Just a block up the road in the Home Depot shopping center, a new sushi joint called IOU SushiΒ is slated to open in the next few months. The name sounds like it's a reference to "Dumb and Dumber," but it's actually a foreign wordΒ from the tiny island PohnpeiΒ in the South Pacific. (In theΒ Pohnpeian language, it's pronounced e-yo and means "delicious," according to IOU's website.)
IOU Sushi's owner Rocketchun Holden was raised in the South Pacific, but currently operates two of these sushi restaurants in Boise, Idaho. The restaurant is going in here at 4280 N. Oracle Road, Suite 180.Β
IOU will serve sushi rolls from the South Pacific, which apparently can be little bit sweeter than the Japanese kind. And if the restaurant here is anything like the ones in Idaho, it also has an all-you-can-eat menu!Β
The Hopyard Deli and Market on North Fourth Avenue is apparently closed.
The space at 210 N. Fourth Ave. was vacant last week and the phone has been disconnected. However there is no mention of the closing on the store's Facebook page and its website, thehopyardaz.com, is still up and running.
Hopyard, owned by Connecticut transplant Allison Crist, opened in March 2014. In addition to serving sandwiches and New England deli fare, the shop served as a small neighborhood market.
China Thai, the east side mainstay known for its eclectic menu of chop suey and panang curry dishes, appears to have closed.
Although the furniture is still inside, chairs have been put up on tables and a lock box has been secured to the door. Multiple calls to the restaurant have resulted in a busy signal.Β
The Chinese and Thai fusion restaurant had been in business on Tanque Verde for over a decade, and moved to a larger space at 6546 E. Tanque Verde Road in 2013.Β
In other news: A second Chinese Thai combo restaurant, Rice House China Thai also closed its doors this month.Β
Shortly after I posted the news today that China Thai restaurant had closed down, a coworker shared with me this news: Rice House China Thai at 54 W. Congress St. is also no more.Β
Rice House was well known with the downtown lunch crowd for its inexpensive lunch specials from both China and Thailand. As of now, the furniture is still inside the building but a sign on the door says the tenants were locked out by the landlord. Β
The message dated April 25 reads the restaurant owners were locked out due to "uncured defaults" under the lease and that the landlord has placed a lien on all property inside the building. Rice House's phone number has also been disconnected.Β
Some silver lining: Downtown Tucson is getting a new Thai restaurant in the coming months called Senae Thai Bistro. It will serve gourmet Thai dishes at a slightly higher price point than Rice House.Β
Lo Esencial, a casual Mexican restaurant in the former home of Dove Mountain Grill, has shut down its kitchen while it considers a complete concept change. The staff is bouncing around several ideas and will decide what the concept is going to be in the next few weeks, said Manager Christopher Leonard.Β
[Update: The new concept will be a brewpub calledΒ Dove Mountain Brewing Company, which will open in the next few months.]Β
In the meantime, the bar will stay open during its regular business hours, 3 p.m. through dinnertime. This is the second concept change for the restaurant in just over two years. OwnerΒ Kinney Johnson ran the space as Dove Mountain Grill for nearly five years, until he transformed it into Lo Esencial in December of 2013.Β
Lo Esencial is located in Marana at 12130 N. Dove Mountain Blvd.
Eleven years after he opened his first AAA Four-Diamond gourmet restaurant, chef Albert Hall has decided to call it quits.
His renowned Foothills restaurant Acacia Real Food & Cocktails will hold a reservation-only grand finale May 15. Hall notified staff members of the closure last week at the restaurantβs current location, an airy hillside spot on Skylineβs Gallery Row.
βTo limp along is just not our style,β Hall said. βItβs just not how we do it. We would rather go out on a good note.β
Hall said that while the gem shows helped give the restaurant some of the best weekends theyβd had, business in general suffered from low profit margins that come with purchasing high-quality ingredients. While the restaurantβs 2011 rebranding and move to 3001 E. Skyline Drive from St. Philipβs Plaza was ultimately a good thing, it still wasnβt enough βto pay the bills.β
βSomeone is going to pick this place up and do a concept change, and itβs gonna be great,β he said. βI just donβt have a hundred thousand dollars to do a redo of the restaurant.β
Once considered one of Southern Arizonaβs premier gourmet restaurants, Acacia became an instant hit in 2004 with its playful fusion of European technique and Southwestern dining. The original location at St. Philipβs Plaza earned a host of honors including the coveted AAA Four Diamond award.
Shortly after opening the St. Philipβs restaurant with his wife, Lila Yamashiro, Hall was named chef of the year for Southern Arizona by the American Culinary Federation of Chefs Association. The lifetime cook had his hand in several projects over the years including the Tohono Chul Tea Room and a casual sandwich shop, the Marketplace at Acacia.
Citing a struggling economy, in 2011 Hall moved his elegant white tablecloth restaurant up the road to the smaller space on Skyline, opening for business the very next day. The new Acacia sought to provide a more casual experience with an emphasis on nightlife, but without losing that sense of farm to table lifestyle.
βWe were doing the local thing before it was fashionable ... the organic thing before it was fashionable,β he said Wednesday. βIβve been doing this way too long to do something less than what I really believe in.β
Hall said that he has plans for a new βmodernβ concept, but isnβt ready to discuss it yet.
βI donβt think Iβm gonna just disappear. (The Acacia family) has too much good stuff about us to do that.β
[Update: Hall recently announced on his Facebook page that he's moving to Bend, Oregon to head up the kitchen at the boutique Oxford Hotel.]Β
Lani's Luau had served traditional Hawaiian plate lunches in a strip mall on Golf Links and Harrison roads for almost a decade. That seems to have come to an end ... The little restaurant sits empty with a "landlord's lien" sign posted on the door.
The sign, written by Tucson Realty and Trust Co. Management Services LLC, states that a lien has been placed on "all personal property" on the premises "due to tenant's default of the lease agreement." Β Β
Tucson Realty "hereby locks these premises and notifies everyone that it is unlawful to enter ..."
When it opened at 2532 S. Harrison Road in late 2006, Lani's was the only place in town for the traditional Hawaiian plate lunch of grilled meats with rice and macaroni salad. (Mama's Hawaiian BBQ came along in 2010.) Hawaii transplantsΒ Zane and Leilani DowlingΒ offered a list of hard to find items including laulau pork wrapped in a taro leaf and the addicting passionfruit orange guava soda called POG.Β
The Arizona Daily Star reported that Lani's held a fundraiser in 2011 to keep its doors open. At the time, the restaurant was reported to have owed roughly $10,000 to Arizona Restaurant Supply.
Unplugged Wine Bar closed its doors Jan. 1, and was replaced by a new concept called Batch, which brings together small-batch whiskies and doughnuts. Unplugged's owners announced they sold the space on FacebookΒ in December.
Here is the Facebook postΒ closing announcement in fullΒ
"UNPLUGGED IS CLOSING! On January 1st, unplugged will be closing its doors and handing the keys over to Batch. Weβve decided to sell the space, but itβs been a great two years, βͺ#βTucsonβ¬, and thanks to all the patrons, musicians, and friends for your support! And donβt forget to stop by on New Years for half off all drinks! (Don't forget to redeem your gift cards!)"
Photos of Mission San Xavier del Bac taken by the National Park Service for theΒ Historic American Buildings Survey in 1940 and taken again from the same vantage points by Arizona Daily Star photographer A.E. Araiza in 2015.
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Tucson show Sunday was the finale for Kalin and Myles.Β
Truland Burgers & Greens has both chopped salads and grassfed burgers, plus alcohol.
Restaurant going in near the Tucson Mall will serve rolls from the South Pacific.Β
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