Nathan Ares had been hinting for months about moving his upscale foothills restaurant Commoner & Co. before he finally pulled up stakes for Gilbert last July.
That's when Ray Flores stepped in.
The president of his family's Flores Concepts/Si Charro (El Charro Café, Charro Steak & del Rey, The Monica) saw the 3,500-square-foot space on the corner of East Sunrise Drive and North Kolb Road as a smart business move on what he described as "one of the best looking corners" in the Tucson market.
The space at 6960 E. Sunrise Drive also is at the same intersection as the family's El Charro Ventana restaurant at 6910 E. Sunrise.
"As important as that store is to us at Kolb and Sunrise and as vital a business as it is, we wanted to be more in sync on that corner," Flores said. "And I just want to take advantage of opportunities that are intelligent. We felt that this was an intelligent move."
In April, Flores will open The Hills by Monica, a neighborhood cafe with a menu inspired by The Monica, the family's homage to El Charro founder Monica Flin that opened downtown in spring 2022.
The Hills by Monica will offer casual service at breakfast and lunch and elevated dinner service, with "center of the plate" options including poultry, seafood and "simple meats."
Dominic De La Ossa, left, and Joey Matalone wipe down mirrors that lead to the bathroom as construction work continues in preparation for the opening of the new restaurant from Si Charro, The Hills by Monica. It will be located at 6960 E Sunrise Drive.
"We're putting a brick oven pizza program in there that'll have ... pizzas and focaccia and sandwiches of the like," Flores said. "We'll have a pasta program, a good salad program, obviously a coffee program, full bar, with a focus on value."
Flores said the goal is to "give the neighborhood a cafe that serves a wide variety of fare that is approachable, economical."
"We're not trying to be high end. We want to be in that $20 to $30 plate range if not even less for lunch and brunch," he said. "The menu will be derived from some of The Monica's most successful recipes, as well as evolutions to fit the neighborhood's needs."
The Hills by Monica will seat a combined 140 inside and on the patio, which has a view of the towering Santa Catalina Mountains.
The restaurant will host a job fair from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. March 5-6 and March 9 at 6960 E. Sunrise. Flores said he hopes to hire as many as 60 employees to fill front- and back-of-house positions.
Sean Likout adds wax to a piece of wood on a cart as construction work continues in preparation to open The Hills by Monica, a the new restaurant from Si Charro.
The corner spot at Sunrise and Kolb has been devoted to restaurants since 2010, when The Abbey moved in. It was there four years before shuttering, opening the door for Commoner & Co., the upscale sister to Nathan Ares's breakfast and brunch spot Prep & Pastry, in 2015.
