With an anticipated opening as early as Winter 2021, The Baffert at Five Points will open its doors on the corner of Stone and Sixth Avenue.
Aside from the three brand new restaurants and other local businesses, the building will house residential apartments and an underground parking ground.
Commercial tenants include:
- Casa Madre Restaurant – the first restaurant offering from chef Dominique Stoller, which
promises to offer local, fresh ingredients and cocktails in a casual, fine dining
atmosphere. - Forbes Meat Company – the local whole-animal butcher that specializes in charcuterie
and custom butchery in an effort to support local ranchers and serve the community. - Gaji Restaurant – a mother-and-daughter-owned and operated Korean restaurant
featuring authentic and traditional recipes, Korean BBQ, and creative fusion dishes. - Ugly But Honest Pizza – a pizza place and beer garden by local Nick Heddings, owner
of Upper Crust Pizza, which will be operated out of the original Clyde Wanslee Motors
building. - Young Life of Tucson – a non-profit, non-denominational ministry that works with middle
and high school students, teen parents, college students, and students with special
needs throughout Tucson and Sahuarita.
“Gaji Restaurant’s goal is to highlight all of our favorite aspects of what makes Korean food deliciously unique, rich, and earthy,” says owner Jenn Bemis. “We will be using from-scratch, slow-cooked methods, and will feature locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible to bring the flavor of traditional Korean cooking to the neighborhood. With pre-packaged homemade kimchi and other banchan (small side dishes) being offered alongside our lunch, dinner, and weekend brunches, we hope that it will be a memorable and authentic experience for everyone.”
The land that’s being developed for The Baffert, as well as the properties and land of the historic Clyde Wanslee Motors building and “Ugly But Honest” sign, was purchased by Larry and Rebecca Kappler, along with son Karl Kappler, from the Anna Baffert Laos family and the Thomas Epperson family in 2015.
“Our ultimate goal is to have The Baffert connect its residents and merchants to both the excitement of Tucson’s vital Downtown core and the cultural richness of our treasured South Tucson,” said Larry Kappler. “We strive to do this by providing quality builds to small, local businesses at affordable prices and are thrilled for the ones we have going into the property.”
Additionally, the Kappler family worked closely with Anna Baffert Laos and Tom and Dorothy Epperson of Clyde Wanslee Motors to make sure the development of the property benefits the area.
“Clyde Wanslee Motors and the ‘Ugly But Honest’ sign are important pieces of Tucson history,” said Nick Heddings, who also owns Upper Crust Pizza. “Ugly But Honest Pizza is thrilled to be able to carry on a part of that history by using the ‘Ugly But Honest’ tagline in our name.”
In the end, The Baffert is meant to complement the neighboring businesses — 5 Points Market, BON Boutique, Cafe Desta, Philabaum Glass Gallery, and Five Points Flowers — as well as the aesthetic of downtown Tucson’s historic architecture.
The Baffert at Five Points will be located at 747 S. Sixth Ave. For more information, visit bafferttucson.info.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
