Summer has arrived in Tucson and it’s hot and brutal for everyone — including local eateries who struggle to keep their doors open during the city’s slowest months of the year.
Here are 11 local restaurants that have shut their doors in 2023 so far, listed in alphabetical order.
Brawley’s Restaurant
Brawley’s Restaurant located at 7848 E. Wrightstown Road closed in February after 37 years in business.
“There is no one to blame, and really nothing to be done, it's just a simple sign of the times,” Brawley’s wrote on Facebook.
China Phoenix
Tucson has very few options for dim sum and with the apparent closure of China Phoenix, 7090 N. Oracle Road, there are now even less. We hope the closure is temporary, but when we visited on July 1, a sign was taped to the window stating: "Lease expired. Restaurant will be closed." Tables were no longer set up inside and two phone calls to the number on their website went unanswered.
Citizen Hotel
The bar at The Citizen Hotel, 82 S. Stone Ave in Tucson, Ariz. on August 11, 2022.
After a year in business, the Citizen Hotel, located at 82 S. Stone Ave. closed its doors in May. The boutique wine hotel featured a lobby bar, plus a wine cellar in the basement and wine tastings in the mezzanine.
“The closing comes nearly 15 months to the day that the hotel opened and coincides with Tucson businesses bracing for the annual summer slowdown. That’s when tourism dramatically drops, and the city loses its reliable revenue stream from the loss of University of Arizona students and winter residents,” the Arizona Daily Star reported.
Da Boots BBQ Shop
Da Boots BBQ closed its doors earlier this year at 1830 S. Park Ave. but said they are “converting to a mobile operation,” according to a post on their Facebook page.
Deliciocho
Deliciocho, located at 6308 S. Nogales Highway, known for its creative raspados and birria tacos, announced its closure on June 28. The south-side establishment opened in April 2021.
“Due to this economic crisis we are going through. After almost 3 years of keeping our doors open and serving up some of the most unique menu items in Tucson,” they wrote on Instagram.
Fiesta Filipina
Thelma Ward, owner, at Fiesta Filipina, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd. in Tucson, Ariz. on Nov. 30th, 2021.
Fiesta Filipina’s brick-and-mortar location in the food court of Park Place Mall, 5870 E. Broadway, closed on June 18. Fiesta Filipina decided to go down the brick-and-mortar route in 2021 after running a food truck for three years prior.
Thelma Ward, the owner of Fiesta Filipina announced the closure on Facebook on June 19. “I will still be operating the Fiesta Filipina food trailer for special events and catering so watch for our events schedule,” she wrote.
Fullylove’s
Fullylove’s in Main Gate Square, 994 E. University Boulevard, opened its doors in the spring of 2021. After a little over two years of serving up burgers, fries and vegan food, the joint closed in June.
“The love and support we received from our community is unmatched and will be cherished. We will be taking this time to be with our family and prepare for our next chapter and will no longer be on University Blvd,” they wrote on Facebook.
Little Love Burger
Little Love Burger, 312 E. Congress Street in Tucson on April 28, 2022.
Little Love Burger located at 312 E. Congress St. in downtown Tucson opened in the fall of 2021. The fun burger joint was created by the team behind Hub Restaurant and Playground Bar & Lounge.
Little Love Burger officially closed on June 18.
“After serving you with love for several years, we hand the keys to the sacred 312 East Congress space to Gabriel and Vivian Moreno, of Jaime’s Pizza Kitchen. A multigenerational Tucson family business since 1989, Jaime’s Pizza Kitchen will be opening soon, serving amazing traditional pizza, wings, and salads,” Little Love Burger said on Facebook.
Pastiche Modern Eatery
Anthonie Ruinard, Pastiche's most recent owner, was arrested in connection with the June killing of 18-year-old Parker League near Apache Junction.
Ruinard had owned the 25-year-old restaurant since 2021, after buying it from Costas and Judie Georgacas. The Georgacases ran the restaurant for four years after buying it in 2017 from the family of the original owner Pat Connors weeks after Connors died of cancer.
Pastiche, 3025 N. Campbell Ave., last posted on Facebook in February, citing water damage and repairs for a temporary closure. The sign on the building has been taken down and a notice of a landlord's lien, dated in February, was seen hanging in the window.
Ten55 Brewing Company
A streetcar speeds past the new patio area straddling the sidewalk outside the entrance to Ten55 Brewing, 110 E. Congress, one of the local breweries using patios to adapt COVID19 restrictions, Tucson, Ariz., October 15, 2020.
After a decade in business, Ten55 decided to “discontinue all of its operations,” Tucson Foodie first reported earlier this year. The brewery was set to open a new location in midtown after leaving its downtown digs at 110 E. Congress St. last year, but the new place never came to fruition.
The Lobby
The Lobby, located at 811 E. Wetmore Road, closed earlier this year after four months in business. The restaurant sold classic feel-good food like burgers, wings and milkshakes.
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