Illegal Pete's will open its Tucson restaurant at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, in the former Landmark Clothing & Shoes store, 876 E. University Blvd.
Owner Pete Turner has spent the past several months renovating the historic turn-of-the-last-century building, which originally was a boarding house and later home to several clothing stores before Turner bought it late last year.
Among the renovations was a two-story addition on the side of the building for restrooms and a patio. The main floor and second floor have bars and a stage is set up on the second floor. Illegal Pete's will host local bands, something Turner has done at the other restaurants in Colorado. Turner and the restaurant are champions of local bands and often host touring bands passing through town, Turner said.
The Tucson restaurant is Illegal Pete's eighth since Turner opened the first one in 1995. The restaurant serves Mission-style burritos (think Chipotle) and Southern California fare.
Turner, in a written statement, acknowledged that the restaurant's arrival in Tucson has not been without controversy. A student group from the University of Arizona sent him a letter in November blasting the name Illegal Pete's as being insensitive and inflammatory to Hispanics in light of the hot-button illegal immigration issue. The students also launched a petition drive that garnered 2,500 signatures.
“There has also been a lot of discussion around our name, and we respect every individual’s right to voice their opinion, and to have their opinion heard,” Turner said in the written statement. “As an organization, we have worked very hard to create an environment of acceptance and a culture that embraces differences. The company was named 20 years ago and the idea that it would be offensive to any group or individual was not even in our realm of thinking. We respect all of the discussion around the topic and while we appreciate that it has opened up discussion of an important topic, Illegal Pete’s stands for acceptance and is an antiestablishment place to have fun with friends.”
After Thursday, Illegal Pete's will be open from 7 a.m. to midnight Mondays through Wednesdays, 7 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursday and Friday. 9 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to midnight Sundays, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
