After being closed for months for renovations in anticipation of a new downtown hotel project, the Cushing Street Bar and Restaurant will not reopen its doors.

Instead, The Coronet, a popular eatery at 402 E. Ninth St., off of North Fourth Avenue, will move into the space at 198 W. Cushing St. this summer.

In a note posted on its website, The Coronet said it would continue serving at its Ninth Street location through June 2 and will β€œreopen at Cushing after the monsoon.” Owner Sally Kane on Tuesday estimated The Coronet at Cushing Street could reopen as early as late August after they make minor renovations that will include adding plants to the courtyard and opening up the restaurant's private dining rooms to make them more inviting.

The original Coronet will be transformed into The Libertine, a casual bar with a kitchen serving small plates, Kane said. It is expected to open June 14.

The Tucson Convention Center hotel project broke ground Monday.

Cushing Street Bar was born in 1972 when Betsy Rollings’ parents, Kelley and Sally, joined three other couples in the venture. Betsy Rollings ran the decades-old restaurant from 2002 until it recently closed, according to Arizona Daily Star archives.

The Cushing Street building was originally a house built by Joseph Ferrin Bloom in the 1860s, archives say. It was later converted to a country store and a tailor’s business.

The patio, with lush greenery lining the walls, used to be a backyard, which was then stacked with nearly 20 junk automobiles.

The Rollingses and friends converted the space into a bar, but much of the history can still be visually seen β€” adobe walls, an antique chandelier and display cabinets.

Kane said she also is teaming up with Chef Erika Bostick, who helmed the kitchen when she opened The Coronet five years ago, to open the patio cafe Fonda de la Hermanita. The cafe will serve breakfast and a limited lunch menu. By limited, Kane said the lunch menu will have one item β€”Β a chef's choice that will change daily depending on how they are feeling.

The Coronet is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 4 to 10 p.m. Fridays; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays; and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through June 2.

22 restaurants that have opened in 2019:


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Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com or 573-4642. On Twitter @Starburch