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While New Mexico diner Poco & Mom’s closed its location at 1060 S. Kolb Rd. in June after a 20-year run, the neighborhood won’t need to wait long for a fun breakfast spot. Sonoran Brunch Company announced it will open on Halloween.
“We kind of straddle that line in Arizona by being close to Mexico while still being American and still charged by those kind of mom and pop breakfast joints,” said Kenny King, chef and partner. “I wanted to be a mom and pop breakfast joint, but I also wanted to be a taco drive-thru. And this location gave us that opportunity.”
Kenny will run the restaurant with his wife Niki King along with general managers and partners Tim Hilkemeyer and Adam Valenzuela.
The southern exterior features a walk-in refrigerator, converted from a shipping container, emblazoned with a Danny Martin mural. The northern exterior features metal flower sculptures.
Inside, the changes are even more dramatic. The walls feature bright orange paint, teal accents, touches of wood and saguaro ribs, and a mural from Jessica Gonzales. White blinds diffuse light softly, perfect for Instagram shots.
“That’s one of the reasons we did the art,” Niki said, “because it’s just a modern age now. Technology rules all. So things like this we just feel are going to bring people in and the food is going to keep them pumped.”
The menu will naturally feature Sonoran-inspired brunch dishes — think corn waffles and chilaquiles. Specials will branch out further.
“We call it Mexizona fusion,” Kenny said. “There’s a lot of Asian influence that have influenced our recipes here. We’ll be making fun things like huli huli chicken and vegetable pad thai. We’ll be doing a variety of things. It won’t just be Sonoran food.”
Kenny said he drew inspiration ranging from childhood comfort food to street food from around the world.
The Kings hope to have a beer and wine license in the next year. In the meantime, enjoy unique creations such as horchata mixed with root beer.
Wings and Waffles ($10) – five Sonoran fried chicken wings, sweet corn waffle, hot honey
Huevos Rancheros ($8) – tostadas dipped in red enchilada sauce, pinto beans, queso blend, two sunny-side up eggs, house salsa, microgreens
The Phoenix ($7) – hand-battered chicken thigh, Chubasco hot sauce, house pickles, morita aioli, brioche bun
Sonoran Dawg ($6) – Nathan’s all-beef hot dog, charro beans, pico de gallo, bacon bits, morita aioli, chopped chili
Cauliflower and Avocado Taco ($3) – tempura-fried pickled cauliflower, avocado, red cabbage, morita aioli
As you may have noticed, none of the menu items are over $10. Kenny plans to keep it that way to make sure that his food is accessible to everyone.
Aside from making the restaurant welcoming, Kenny wants to host pop-up dinners with chefs from around town. He also plans on having a monthly farmers market in the parking lot. He’s also figuring out permitting to have a drive-in movie night along with bringing in a wall for rotating community art.
“We want to be more than just a restaurant for this community,” Kenny said.
Sonoran Brunch Company is located at 1060 S. Kolb Rd. Operating hours are 6 a.m. – 3 p.m. daily. Keep up with Sonoran Brunch Company on Facebook.
Jackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon...
