Zachary's Pizza, the once popular eatery across from the University of Arizona, will close for good on July 29, ending a 24-year run as one of Tucson's most enduring pizza restaurants.
The closing comes as Zachary's is caught in a perfect storm of bad economic conditions - four years of declining revenues coupled with increased food costs.
On top of that, the restaurant's building at 1028 E. Sixth St., owned by the University of Arizona, has fallen into severe disrepair, from chipped paint and worn carpets to holes in the wall and ceilings that look ready to cave in beneath big swaths of patchwork. The majority of the repairs are the responsibility of the tenant, according to the lease, said Jessica Ellis, daughter of Zachary's owner David Ellis.
"Unless a miracle happens along the lines of winning the lottery … we're closing," she said Tuesday. "With the economy crashing, it's been a really rough last three or four years. He should have closed two years ago and he's been trying to keep it artificially inflated for employees and customers in hopes things would turn around."
Since the recession began in 2008, Zachary's has seen a 30 to 40 percent drop in business. Its once bustling lunch rush is more of a drizzle and the evening crowd is a fraction of what it had been.
Ellis said she thinks people aren't eating out as much, but she also blames the neighborhood, which has become blighted in recent years. Back in the 1980s when her father and his partner opened Noodles & Crust across the street on East Sixth, businesses lined the street and attracted enough foot traffic to keep restaurants like Ellis' humming along.
When his partner died in 1987, Ellis left the business for a year, returning in 1988 to open Zachary's in the same spot. He moved the pizzeria across the street in 2000.
Two weeks ago, diners who had seemingly forgotten Zachary's returned as word began to spread that the restaurant would likely close. On Tuesday, a crowd packed into the steamy restaurant at lunchtime, filling both dining rooms and the bar that divides the room. A group of academics huddled over a large pepperoni pie and iPads on one table, while another group of six twentysomethings sipped a pitcher of beer while waiting for their food at the bar. A young couple with a toddler waited for about 25 minutes before leaving. Their table was quickly filled by another young couple just as a second server arrived to take their order.
The restaurant was out of sausage Tuesday; Ellis said they have been running out of ingredients almost daily since business surged.
"It's great to have people coming out and supporting us," she said, noting that the restaurant is accepting only cash payment. "We've had really loyal customers over the years and it's nice to see that burst of support.
"It is bittersweet," she added. "(David Ellis) has been thinking about this for a long time, but he was trying not to give it up. But it's gotten to the point that he can't do it any more financially and emotionally."
If you go
Zachary's Pizza, 1028 E. Sixth St., will close for good July 29. Until then, it's open from 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from noon to 9 p.m. Sundays. You can phone in pizza orders at 623-6323 to avoid a long wait in the dining room. Payment is by cash only.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@azstarnet.com or 573-4642.
