During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jo Schneider resisted the urge to shutter her longtime Tucson diner, Bentley’s House of Coffee & Tea, even though the restaurant was temporarily closed and she still had to pay rent on the building at 1730 E. Speedway.
But on Wednesday, Dec. 29, she and her sons, Ben and Eli, made the difficult decision to end Bentley’s 38-year run.
“It just seemed like it was just time,” Schneider said Wednesday before news of the closing had made its way to social media. “We couldn’t bring back the magic after the pandemic. We just couldn’t do it.”
A farewell note is posted from the owners of Bentley’s House of Coffee & Tea.
The family’s downtown restaurant, LaCo Tucson at 201 N. Court Ave., will remain open.
Schneider was 28 when she opened Bentley’s in 1983 in the University of Arizona area, naming it after her one-time business partner and longtime employee/friend Willow Bentley. At the time, Schneider had never worked in a restaurant and had no real clue what she was doing, but the idea of being her own boss and setting her own hours and terms appealed to her and fit in with her plan to have kids.
Schneider and Bentley took a self-taught crash course in all things caffeinated and developed a menu of java drinks that appealed to the businesspeople and students who quickly made Bentley’s a regular morning stop.
Miles Bartlett works the register at Bentley’s House of Coffee & Tea in 2010. The shop had been a staple in the University of Arizona area for nearly four decades.
“I have some customers who have come in nearly every day for 38 years,” Schneider said, recounting how when she started offering internet in the cafe she started getting customers lingering for hours, including University of Arizona students who turned the coffee shop into a study lounge.
“People felt comfortable and they felt safe and they felt it was a place they could be who they are,” Schneider said. “I wanted to create a space where people felt safe and comfortable and that is what the legacy is.”
Kerry Oliver works on his doctoral dissertation regarding the use of "bacteria that mediates interactions between insects" at Bentley's House of Coffee & Tea in 2005. Owner Jo Schneider wanted the shop to be a place where customers felt comfortable and safe.
Not long after the pandemic hit in March 2020, Schneider temporarily closed Bentley’s. Temporary turned into 18 months and by the time they reopened in September 2021, they were bleeding red, said Eli, who has run the restaurant for the past nine years.
“I don’t want to blame the pandemic; it’s just life,” Schneider said. “It didn’t have the kind of energy that it used to have that kind of sustained it for so long. The magic kind of left and once the magic is gone, you cannot re-create it.”
Dennis Riley, right, plays backup to Neal Narcho during open-mic night at Bentley’s House of Coffee & Tea in 2004.
Italian sodas were among the offerings at Bentley’s House of Coffee & Tea in 2007.
Lisa Kipnis of the Bentley's House of Coffee & Tea prepares sandwiches for customers in 1999.
10+ restaurants and bars Tucson said goodbye to in 2021
Bentley's House of Coffee & Tea
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“We couldn’t bring back the magic,” says Jo Schneider of her longtime Tucson diner, Bentley’s House of Coffee & Tea, 1730 E. Speedway.
After reopening in September after an 18-month closure, Bentley's House of Coffee and Tea closed for good on Dec. 29, 2021.
The diner, at 1730 E. Speedway Blvd., was opened 38 years ago by Jo Schneider, whose family also owns LaCo Tucson at 201 N. Court Ave. LaCo will remain open downtown.
In a Dec. 29 Facebook post, Schneider shared the news of Bentley's closure and told the Tucson community "we have loved being a part of your lives and thank you for being a part of ours."
Boulevard Barbecue & Fixins
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Less than a year after opening, Boulevard Barbecue and Fixins at 5737 E. Speedway closed on Sept. 22, 2021.
Boulevard Barbecue & Fixins was opened at 5737 E. Speedway Blvd. in October 2020 by the same minds behind Serial Grillers, brothers Travis and William Miller, and their business partner David Martin.
An increase in meat prices and a staffing shortage led to the trio closing down the restaurant on Sept. 22 this year.
In addition to their four Serial Grillers locations in Tucson, the Miller brothers recently opened Transplant Detroit Style Pizza at 4603 E. Speedway Blvd.
Fronimo’s Greek Café
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Since 1995, George and Tracy Fronimakis have run Fronimo’s Greek Cafe, which has offered dishes like gyros with tart tzatziki drizzled over freshly shaved lamb or beef, or Athenian chicken bursting with bright lemon and Greek spices.
Tracy and George Fronimakis, the owners of Fronimo’s Greek Café, announced New Year's Day that their restaurant at 3242 E. Speedway Blvd. would be closing after 25 years of business.
Fronimo's closure was credited to issues the couple faced trying to renew their lease with the owner of the building the restaurant operated out of.
The longtime Greek eatery stayed open through Jan. 15 this year before closing its doors.
The B Line
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A person walks by 621 N. Fourth Ave., which was once home to the local cafe The B Line that officially closed up shop.
It was announced in March 2020 that The B Line would "suspend operations" as the COVID-19 pandemic began impacting the restaurant industry and warranting business closures.
Owner Peter Wilke planned to reopen the popular Fourth Avenue restaurant, which had been around since 2002, but it never happened.
Frankie's Cheesesteaks
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For 17 years, the original Frankie’s South Philly Cheesesteaks on North Campbell Avenue was a popular destination for authentic Philly fare. The restaurant will close for good at the end of business Friday, Dec. 31.
The original Frankie’s South Philly Cheesesteaks location at 2574 N. Campbell Ave. announced Dec. 31 would be the restaurant's last day of business after the owners struggled to negotiate a new lease.
Frankie's was originally opened in 2004 by Deb and Frankie Santos.
A second Frankie's location opened in September 2020 at 3780 W. Ina Road and will remain in business.
Rigo's Restaurant
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Rigo's Restaurant, along with its mariachi performances and daily Mexican buffet, was a South Tucson hit for over 20 years before it closed for good Jan. 8.
After nearly a year of being hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, owner Rigoberto "Rigo" Lopez said the restaurant had to close after the building, located at 2527 S. Fourth Ave., was bought out by a private lender.
Salted Pig American Barbecue
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Salted Pig American Barbecue opened in February at 11835 N. Oracle Road and offered traditional barbecue influenced by Texas and the Carolinas.
According to a notice posted on Nov. 22, the restaurant's landlord had reclaimed the space and the doors have since been shut.
Bashful Bandit
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Sherri Cole and Cisco Rivera talk about motorcycles outside the Bashful Bandit in 2008.
Since 1980, the Bashful Bandit was a popular hangout and drinking spot for college students and bikers alike.
The iconic 40-year-old Tucson bar, which had a history of fights and noise complaints, closed its doors at 3686 E. Speedway Blvd. in June this year.
Toby Kyte, who bought the bar this year, plans to open a barbeque restaurant there this fall.
Casa Sanchez
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The Sanchez family is the engine behind Casa Sanchez Mexican restaurant. From left, Lilly, Rey Jr., Stevi and Trey.
For 24 years, Casa Sanchez-Mom’s Mexican Food served their signature "Sanchez-style" burritos on Tucson's northwest side at 8320 N. Thornydale Road.
The family-run restaurant was set to close in December 2021 due to a lull in business and loss of staff, but the Sanchez family decided to close early in June due to health concerns.
Senae Thai Bistro
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Amonwadee “Dee” Buizer opened Senae Thai Bistro in 2016 to showcase the upscale side of Thai cooking.
Senae Thai Bistro was opened downtown in 2016 at 63 E. Congress Street by Amonwadee “Dee” Buizer, who permanently closed the restaurant in July.
After temporarily closing and reopening her dining room multiple times over the past year and a half, Buzier decided it was time for her to retire ahead of her 60th birthday this year.
Asian Sofrito
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Asian Sofrito's former sign at 2530 N. First Ave.
This Asian-Caribbean fusion restaurant that sat at 2530 N. First Ave. closed its doors at the end of August after three years of business.
Asian Sofrito's menu blended popular Chinese dishes with Caribbean flavors, from lo mein and chicken chop suey to fried plantains and pork fritas.
The restaurant's owners thanked their patrons in a Facebook post and announced that they would close for good on Aug. 29.
A new restaurant, Buendia Breakfast and Lunch Cafe, opened in the former Asian Sofrito location in early November.
