Charro Vida, the plant-forward Tucson restaurant known for blending Sonoran and Mediterranean cuisines, will officially close on Sunday, May 25. The team at Flores Concepts made the decision after over five years of operation.
A Pandemic-Era Journey
Charro Vida opened in 2019, just months before the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the hospitality industry.
Flores Concepts noted, “challenging unit economics over the last five years” and the impact of pandemic shutdowns as key reasons for the closure.
The restaurant struggled to regain traction, especially with rising food costs and labor challenges.
“While we had high hopes for Charro Vida, and our family’s dietary concerns were something that motivated us to create such a diverse menu, the reality of operating during a global pandemic and the subsequent shifts in consumer behavior proved to be more than we anticipated,” said Stacy Ethington, area manager.
Since day one, Charro Vida offered a unique concept. The restaurant featured vegan, plant-based, keto, and gluten-free options, aiming to be inclusive for all dietary lifestyles.
However, customer confusion and inconsistent dining habits made the vision difficult to sustain.
“We made mistakes along the way trying to cater to so many diets and lifestyles, from our inability to attract the same folks to dinner who were buying dinner at our neighboring Whole Foods, to not having a menu that was profitable as it was trying to meet the many preferences of our guests,” Ethington said.
Why Now?
Ethington emphasized that the combination of newness, post-pandemic consumer habits, and today’s cost ratios led to the decision.
“As the restaurant industry always faces challenges, including labor shortages and supply chain disruptions, our challenge was that, once the pandemic fog was lifted, many dining customers wanted to return to their favorite experiences and Charro Vida simply was too new to ever get the type of traction a restaurant needs when met with the higher costs of operations that we have today,” he said.
“This decision was not made lightly,” Ethington said. “We are grateful for our loyal customers and the support we’ve received from the community. We hope to take the lessons learned from this experience into our future endeavors, and we hope we can do that right here in this location.”
The restaurant will serve its final guests until 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 25. Charro Vida encourages fans to return for one last meal.
Gift cards will be honored until closing day. Staff will cancel any outstanding reservations after the closure announcement.
Charro Vida is located at 7109 N. Oracle Rd. For more information, visit charrovida.com.
Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed 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 Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
