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Tucson’s culinary scene was rather busy in 2024. Several (more than 65) restaurants opened their doors for the first time, while others reopened after being closed for a while. However, like anything, nothing lasts forever and a handful of local restaurants and businesses permanently closed their doors this year.
Some local businesses, like Johnny Gibson’s Downtown Market and the Saddlehorn Saloon, have closed temporarily for remodeling, so we’re excluding them from this list.
Here are a few locations that are no longer serving hungry Tucsonans (permanently closed).
“After carefully reviewing current conditions and conducting in-depth calculations, I have come to recognize and accept that even when our location is full of customers and thriving, a small strip mall restaurant is not sustainable in the long term, whereas the results allow for family time and life.”
This barbecue concept moved into the former Mama’s Hawaiian Bar-B-Cue and hosted its grand opening in late December. Their social media accounts have since been removed from the internet and a lock-out notice was left on the window back in March.
Jonathan Homan, the owner of Blush, let us know that there were multiple reasons why they decided to close. For one, Homan is relocating out of state to address increased family commitments, and another is due to some undisclosed concerns associated with the Fourth Avenue location.
Over on the northwest side of town, High 5 Grille got polished up a bit in November 2023 and became Cinco Cantina for the remainder of the year at 3682 W. Orange Grove Rd. However, on Wednesday, January 3, the restaurant permanently closed its doors after Jon Taffer, the food and beverage industry consultant on the TV show, lent a hand.
After nearly 40 years in business, Johnson closed her namesake café and art gallery that had been open since 1986 at 16140 N. Oracle Rd. It’s a moment to celebrate, though! It’s about time Johnson takes it easy and enjoys retirement.
“The time has come, we at Copper Mine are sad to announce that we will be closing our doors,” the team shared. “We thank all of you and the craft beer community for the last seven-and-a-half years, we’ve truly enjoyed it.”
“We are very sad with the sudden closure of our Oro Valley restaurant,” said Taylor Carter, current co-owner of FireTruck Brewing and former firefighter. “Over the years, with the help of the Oro Valley and Tucson community, we raised and donated thousands of dollars for local disabled veterans, firefighters, children, and needy families.”
“It is with a sad heart that Saturday, March 30 will be our last day at our Tanque Verde location,” the FireTruck Brewing team announced on Facebook. “We have been blessed with wonderful customers for the last five years at FireTruck East.”
The original midtown location (4746 E. Grant Rd.) is still open.
The plant-based restaurant temporarily closed in late 2023 and then never reopened. But wait! The same owners opened a brand-new concept named Casa Asada — top-notch tacos, caguamas, and housemade salsas!
“Thank you, Tucson for the support over these last few years. We’ll miss you. It was a wild ride — we learned a lot. It was a great few years. We were glad you were able to come get some drinks you enjoyed.”
On Friday, May 3, the family-owned business announced that they’re going back to what’s proven to be most successful: operating out of a food truck only and serving some of the best churros in Tucson.
Therefore, you can find them at 5075 N. La Cañada Dr., dishing out recipes that have been circulating within the family for more than 40 years. Plus, the family is excited to join more events and food truck rallies in the future.
The restaurant that had been around since the ’80s sold the building back in April. New ownership is bringing a brand-new brewery to town — Unicorn Zebra Brewing. They’ll be serving South African-inspired beers and seltzers sometime soon (the grand opening is TBD).
It’s not a full-on goodbye, though!
Think of it more as a “see ya later” because they’ll still be operating their food truck.
“We are beyond grateful for the love, support, and memories you’ve shared with us along the way. As we step into this new chapter, we’re excited to announce that our food truck will continue to operate in some capacity (stay tuned for updates!).”
“It has been our pleasure serving the North Tucson and Marana communities these past 10 years,” they shared. “Our customers at La Mesa Tortillas NW have become our friends and we will deeply miss our daily interactions with you. We do hope you will continue to visit us at our midtown location at Pima and Alvernon, and our eastside store at Broadway and Pantano.”
“From the very beginning, The Low Down was more than just a bar and restaurant; it was a gathering place for friends, a stage for local talents, and a home for unforgettable culinary experiences. Each dish served, every drink poured, and all the laughter shared have woven a rich tapestry that, though no longer continuing, will remain a cherished part of Fourth Avenue’s storied fabric.”
It’s sad to see the Fourth Avenue location close — a spot that typically hosted live music on the patio during the weekends — but there are still two more Magpies spots in Tucson. Keep supporting the 6342 N. Oracle Rd. location on the north side of town as well as the restaurant found at 105 S. Houghton Rd.
“Good morning Tucson. It’s with a heavy heart that we have to tell you Monsoons is closing its doors after 10-plus years. We want to thank all the friends we have made throughout the years for your support. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
We were unable to reach anyone from the Oralia team to ask about the reason behind the closure. However, at the time, we confirmed with Righteous Realty, LLC that the space was available. Just a few months later, Chez Peachy took over the spot, turning it into a pink wonderland full of tasty baked goods and creative coffee drinks.
The bottle shop, owned and operated by Patricia Schwabe, went out with a bang — hosting a wine clearance sale back in August. The shop closed but you can find a lot of the same bottles and more at Schwabe’s new concept right around the corner: National at 50 E. Broadway Blvd.
It’s been a sweet run for PopHeads at 845 E. University Blvd. Brother-in-laws Scott Harrison and Jim Roberts opened the popsicle stand on Main Gate Square as Peace, Love & Pops nearly two years ago in June 2022. They changed the name to PopHeads a little less than a year later.
Before the summer season rolled in, Robert’s Restaurant temporarily closed its doors at 3301 E. Grant Rd. for renovations. It turns out that the restaurant that had been in business for decades is never reopening.
However, there’s some good news! The local meat market and restaurant Rancheros Carniceria is moving in.
“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we have to announce we will no longer be operating in the mall food court,” he said. “The overhead has proven to be too high for us to continue going down that path to build our brand. We love and appreciate every single one of you who has supported us along the way these first two years. As you all know the first two are the hardest and location is a big deal when it comes to being able to get by each month.”
“It’s been my honor to serve you. I have loved sharing my culture with many of you, serving a warm, tropical hug disguised as a quesito or a tembleque,” The Sweet Coqui shared on Instagram. “I have proudly served a memory, a piece of home, a bittersweet smile to my fellow homesick Boricuas, in the form of a cookie or a bite of flan. I hope I represented our people, our culture, our flavors, our island, with the monumental respect and honor that it so deserves. Boricua hasta en la luna.”
“I opened Tran’s Fats as a quirky little food truck with my take on Asian street food,” said Tran. “With the two-year anniversary right around the corner, our team has folded over 60,000 dumplings individually by hand. Guests have visited from across the country, and seeing the smiles on their faces as they taste their first dumpling has been priceless.”
Brittany Gudino, a Filipino-American veteran and home-based baker, took her talents to new heights!
“It’s with a heavy heart that I share some bittersweet news,” Gudino shared. “I’ve been selected for a commission as an officer in the U.S. Space Force and will move to Colorado Springs! While I’m incredibly excited about this new chapter, it means Ube Bae Desserts will pause operations after September.”
First, the Tucson tasting room closed in August, and then all operations closed in December.
“The last 15 years have been wonderfully full — full of hard winery work, long days, sweat and tears, and many cups of coffee; they have also been full of excitement, cool quiet mornings in the vineyards, celebratory joy in the tasting room,” they shared. “We have met and made meaningful connections with so many of you, and have been honored with beautiful professional and personal relationships. We’ve cherished our time with you in the vineyards and winery and tasting room, and strove to express the beauty of Cochise County in every bottle of Sand-Reckoner wine.”
For a list of restaurants that opened in 2024, check out our interactive guide.
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