Eegee’s, Tucson’s iconic icee and sandwich chain, will close its location at South Craycroft Road and East 22nd Street on Tuesday, Sept. 19, the third Tucson location to close since late August.
The closures come on the heels of record summer sales companywide and in the shadow of Eegee’s establishing a foothold in the Phoenix market after New York investment firm 39 North bought the Tucson chain in late 2018.
In the span of a year between spring 2021 and summer 2022, Eegee’s opened five restaurants in the Valley, bringing the company’s total to 35 statewide, including a location in Casa Grande.
CEO Jason Vaughn said closing the Tucson stores is part of Eegee’s growth strategy that could include expanding its footprint in the Phoenix area, adding stores to Tucson and expanding the brand out of state.
Eegee’s officials have been working on the strategic plan since January, when they decided to shutter three Tucson stores that were located too close to other Eegee’s locations, Vaughn said. Other factors in deciding which stores to close included looking at the changing demographics of the area, such as population patterns, and when the leases were set to expire.
“When we kind of used that lens and that filter, this is how we arrived at these three locations,” he said, adding that the closures will “help strengthen our portfolio.”
“It certainly wasn’t done quickly or without a lot of thought,” he said.
The last day for the store at 1105 S. Craycroft Road will be Monday, Sept. 18.
On Aug. 29, Eegee’s shuttered its restaurant at 7102 E. Broadway Blvd., near Kolb Road, followed two weeks later, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, with closing the store at 2470 N. Campbell Ave., north of Grant Road. Vaughn said employees at the affected stores have been offered positions at other Eegee’s restaurants.
The closures come as Eegee’s reported record summer sales including in August, when it launched its mid-month Flavor Pop program to complement the iconic flavor of the month. Flavor Pop brings back fan favorite flavors and introduces new combos like this month’s Watermelon Cucumber Cooler.
Eegee’s also brought back the pretzel that was a menu favorite for years before it was shelved a year ago, and introduced two new chicken subs — the Chicken Parm and the Blazing Buffalo Chicken.
“We are very excited about what’s going on,” Vaughn said. “We are preserving the heritage of Eegee’s and introducing new menu items.”
With the closings, Eegee’s, which started in Tucson as a frozen lemonade vending truck in 1971, now has 25 Tucson stores.
Watch now: New downtown pizza restaurant Jaime's Pizza Kitchen was named after owner Gabriel Moreno's grandfather, Jaime, who owned the popular Fourth Ave. bar and grill through the 80s and 90s. Here's vintage photos from the now-closed bar. Video by Ellice Lueders / This Is Tucson. Photos courtesy of Jaime's Pizza Kitchen.
