Over at 505 W. Miracle Mile, there’s a lot going on. Live music, food, cocktails, and plenty of good vibes spread around at Monterey Court.
In 2022, the owners, Greg Haver and Kelly McLear, announced that they were ready to retire and decided to sell the business. They were looking for a buyer with a like-minded vision — someone to keep Monterey Court alive on the corner of Miracle Mile and Oracle Road.
“It has been no secret that Kelly and I have been contemplating retirement for several years now,” said Haver.
Fast forward to today and they’re still excited about retiring but now instead of selling Monterey Court as a whole entity (real estate and all), they’ve pivoted and are now only selling the cafe.
“We’ve decided to shift a bit away from that vision,” said Haver. “We are selling/leasing just the cafe/bar business to someone who wants to work with us to keep the music alive. This would mean a much smaller commitment on the restaurateur monetarily.”
Originally opened in 1938 as Monterey Motel, the space was procured in 2011 by Haver and McLear. Together, they transformed the exhausted motel into a vivacious destination consisting of a cafe, bar, music venue, and artisan shopping with all the desert feels.
“We would prefer an owner who is or has recently been in the restaurant business so they know what to anticipate,” Haver added. “Many of our employees would be ready to go to work for the new entity.”
If you’ve never paid a visit to Monterey Court, there’s a cafe with indoor seating and outdoor seating in the courtyard, which seats roughly 225 with an additional 50 seats available at the bar.
All around the courtyard are 12 units, which previously served as the drive-up motel rooms. These units are now being rented out to local businesses.
“If you are interested, or might know someone who would be, we’d be happy to talk,” said Haver. “Inquiries should go to Kelly at (520) 207-2429 or office@montereycourtaz.com.”
Monterey Court is located at 505 W. Miracle Mile. For more information, visit montereycourtaz.com.
Read our September 2023 article, “Dancing, Dining & Shopping on Miracle Mile.”
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.
