Restaurants don’t just pop out of nowhere and become overnight sensations. Things take time.
Sometimes they get their start in a mall food court, working hard to ensure their menu stands out among the better-known chains.
Other times, they start in their own home kitchen, waking up at 4 a.m. to freshly bake treats and spending hours driving around town to drop them off at local coffee shops.
They can even start as a simple idea inside someone’s head. That small idea then blooms into a full-fledged plan and before you know it, a former party store is being renovated into a community hub that serves creamy iced vanilla lattes.
It takes a lot of hard work to get a restaurant off the ground, but these eight Tucsonans are rolling up their sleeves and making their dreams come true in the new year.
From pizza to hand pies to blueberry matcha lattes, below are a few restaurants coming in 2025 that we are excited for.
Antojitos comes from the folks behind The Neighborhood next door.
Antojitos
Is there anything Jessica and Daniel Cordova can’t do? The couple is behind some of Tucson’s tastiest restaurants: La Chingada, RealGood Brunch Co., Cruda and The Neighborhood.
They’ve tackled mariscos, French toast, wings and quesabirria tacos, and now they are moving onto delicious snacks.
Antojitos is their newest venture coming to downtown Tucson, where they will be offering Mexican street snacks. The former home of Ezbachi has been transformed into a colorful, bright space complete with aqua-blue striped walls and orange accents. According to their Instagram, they will be announcing a soft opening date soon.
For more information, check out their Instagram page.
Cal’s Bakeshop has a menu of baked goods including conchas and doughnuts.
Cal’s Bakeshop
It was a dark day when Caleb Orellana posted on Instagram that he would be closing his beloved home bakery, Cal’s Bakeshop. Where else would Tucsonans get their chocolate-dipped conchas, pumpkin cheesecake doughnuts and gingerbread Abuelita croissants?!
Thankfully, he only meant that the *home* bakery would be closing. Cal’s Bakeshop isn’t closing forever — in fact, Orellana is taking a huge step forward.
In the new year, Cal’s Bakeshop will open their first brick-and-mortar in the former Rocco’s Chicago Pizza (if you missed it, Rocco's moved down the street in 2024). I’m already saving up my money because I know I’ll be there almost everyday for their fluffy doughnuts.
For more information, check out their Instagram page or read our story.
Cornish Pasty Co. specializes in the English pasty and will open in downtown Tucson in 2025.
Cornish Pasty Co.
In downtown Tucson we can get tacos, pasta, burgers and tikka masala. Soon, we'll add English food to the list. Dean Thomas is bringing his hand-held pot pies to the former Indian Village Trading Post in the new year.
Cornish Pasty Co., which got its start in Phoenix, specializes in the centuries-old delicacy, a pot pie pastry made with a thick, crimped edge that wives and mothers used to prepare for miners in the 1200s. Cornish Pasty Co. serves more than 40 varieties filled with different meats and veggies. The spot will also include a basement bar and a second bar on the top floor with pool tables and darts.
For more information, check out their website or read our story.
Espressoul Cafe is home to a number of fall drinks, including the pictured Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Espressoul
The days of hunting down the Espressoul truck will soon be over. This spring, Espressoul will open their very first brick-and-mortar, serving up all their beloved vegan espresso drinks and matcha lattes.
Owner Eris Movahedi’s creations have taken the city by storm. Peanut butter lattes with banana cold foam, iced blueberry matcha lattes that taste like Fruity Pebbles and s'mores lattes topped with fluffy cold foam, crushed graham crackers and a toasted marshmallow are just a few of the delicious drinks Movahedi has made — all from the back of a food truck!
When I heard the news of their brick-and-mortar, I fell to my knees. Espressoul makes me favorite coffee in town and I can’t wait to see their new space. I’m anxiously counting down the days till they open.
For more information, check out their Instagram page.
Expect Mediterranean-inspired wine when La Esquina opens.
La Esquina
Another cool bar is coming to town! La Esquina is a bar and gallery that will open in the historic Iron Horse neighborhood in winter 2025, their Instagram page says.
While there are limited details about this new bar, the brick building already has their name painted on the walls. A post on their Instagram also shares a little insight on what you can expect to see: Mediterranean-inspired wine, local and imported beer, plus snacks. Just based on their logo, I know this spot will be eye-catching!
For more information, check out their Instagram page.
Abraham and Selina Barajas plan to open Luna y Sol Cafe in the property that was most recently home to Balloon Land. The South Tucson shop is named after their daughters, Mia Sol, lower left, and Sofia Luna.
Luna y Sol Café
One of Tucson’s most-anticipated cafes is looking to open in 2025. Selina and Abraham Barajas bought the old Balloon Land building on South Sixth Avenue and have been hard at work renovating it to transform into the Luna y Sol Café. The space will serve as a place for the community to come together and catch up over great coffee and pastries.
The café also plans on having food trucks on their property, an indoor meeting space and outdoor seating with a play area. Most recently, they unveiled a new mural at their spot and gave us a little glimpse of what to expect when they served coffee during Cyclovia.
For more information, check out their Instagram page or read our story.
Pictured are sweet chili chicken tenders from Oh My Chicken at Park Place Mall.
Oh My Chicken
Oh My Chicken captured our hearts with their crispy, juicy Korean fried chicken, with many of us making the trip to Park Place Mall's food court just to get our fix. In the new year, they are expanding and opening a second location on Campbell Avenue!
Chef and co-owner Myungjin Choi has perfected his secret chicken recipe — in fact, it’s so secret he’s the only one who knows it. At their new location, you’ll be able to enjoy their classic tenders smothered in the sauce of your choice. My favorite is their sweet chili.
For more information, check out their Instagram page or read our story.
Not pictured: the iconic Ugly but Honest sign standing tall in the patio.
Ugly but Honest Pizzeria
A pizzeria and beer garden is coming to the Five Points area.
Nick Heddings, the man behind Upper Crust Pizza and Arizona Pizza Company, is now adding another delicious pizza spot to his list. Ugly but Honest Pizzeria is taking over the old Wanslee Auto Sales building, paying homage to the iconic Ugly but Honest sign standing tall outside the dealership. (And yes, the sign is still there!)
While there is no opening date yet, their menu can now be found on their website. They will be selling slices and whole pies, as well as specialty pizzas like chicken pesto or the carnivore, which comes with pepperoni, meatballs, bacon, sausage and salami. Calzones, wings, garlic knots and salads are all also on the menu. With Heddings leading the project, I’m sure the pizza will be everything BUT ugly!
For more information, check out their website.
