Tito & Pep owner John Martinez is moving forward in light of a second unfortunate event within a year, after a burglar broke into the midtown restaurant early Sunday.
Martinez said his staff showed up Sunday morning to prepare for brunch but instead found a hole in the ceiling of the building. An office space looked ransacked and when Martinez showed up at the restaurant, he noticed a safe and some laptops were missing, he said.
The restaurant remained closed Sunday morning while the Tucson Police Department investigated the incident but reopened for dinner that evening.
Martinez said his insurance agent is working to figure out the total loss after the burglary, but it’s estimated at around $5,000.
One of the laptops that was taken was his personal laptop, which had recipes from throughout his career and photos, he said.
Martinez had not backed up his computer in a while.
Although he is not worried the person who stole his laptop is someone from the industry who might use his recipes, he said it’s unfortunate he won’t have those files to look back to.
“It sucks that I don’t have them to be able to utilize or to go back and look at,” Martinez said. “They are kind of a touchstone to various parts of my career.”
Weeks after Tito & Pep opened in November 2018, eight of the restaurant’s windows were broken. Martinez hired local artist Ashley White to paint on the wooden panels covering the windows while they got replaced. The artwork is now displayed on the side of the building.
Martinez said the community has been supportive and has reached out to express sympathy.
“It was unfortunate but we’re going to keep going, keep moving,” Martinez said. “We’re still open and looking forward to welcoming people in.”
