Agustín Kitchen closes after 13 years, Il Santo to take over space

Agustín Kitchen has permanently closed its doors at 100 S. Avenida del Convento in Mercado San Agustín, ending a 13-year run as one of Tucson's most recognized upscale neighborhood restaurants. The closure was announced Wednesday night on Instagram and confirmed in a formal press release. The space will not sit empty long: the Weinsteins have already connected the address with its next operators, who will open an Italian concept called Il Santo.

"I leave this chapter with mixed emotions as I say goodbye to our friends, patrons and colleagues at Agustín Kitchen," owner Adam Weinstein said in the press release. "It's with gratitude and admiration that I thank our managers, chefs, staff, and purveyors both old and new for their years of collaboration. Agustin Kitchen has meant so much to so many over this time and has been a beloved anchor in the Mercado District community."

Partner Kira Dixon-Weinstein added in an Instagram comment: "It's been a real privilege to be part of the Tucson culinary scene for the last 13 years. We've had an incredible group of people move through the restaurant, staff and customers alike. We will miss it all so much."

From brasserie to Tucson dining institution

Agustín Kitchen traces its roots to March 2012, when Adam Weinstein and Kira Dixon-Weinstein opened Agustín Brasserie in the Mercado San Agustín, a Spanish colonial-style public market they helped develop on the west side of downtown Tucson. The French-inspired bistro struggled through its first season and closed briefly in the summer of 2012 while the founders reconsidered their direction. That fall, chef Ryan Clark, a three-time Tucson Iron Chef champion and Culinary Institute of America graduate who had built his name at Lodge on the Desert, joined as a partner and executive chef. The restaurant relaunched as Agustín Kitchen in December 2013, with a menu focused on New American cuisine built around local Southern Arizona ingredients.

Clark left the restaurant in the years that followed, and the kitchen evolved through several culinary iterations. In November 2022, chef David Solorzano, known for his earlier work at Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, Penca, and other Tucson restaurants, took over as executive chef, injecting new energy into the menu and the kitchen's culture. Under Solorzano, Agustín Kitchen refined its brasserie-style approach and reestablished itself as a destination for refined but unpretentious dining. The restaurant's white walls, marble accents and antler chandelier defined a quietly elegant setting.

Solorzano left his position at Agustin Kitchen mid-2026 to lead the kitchen at Lucky Penny BBQ & Bonanza Coffee Co.

A cornerstone of the Mercado District

For more than a decade, Agustín Kitchen served as an anchor for the Mercado District, sitting at the northwest corner of the Mercado San Agustín courtyard alongside Presta Coffee Roasters, Seis Kitchen, and La Estrella Bakery. Its seasonally rotating menu and courtyard patio seating made it a consistent presence in Tucson's upscale dining guides, including multiple appearances in Tucson Foodie's best date spots and best patios roundups.

The closure follows a longer period of quiet for the brand. Solorzano himself acknowledged at the time of his hiring that Agustín had not broken through as loudly as it once had. "I feel like we haven't really heard from Agustin in a while," he said in 2022. The restaurant responded with sharper cooking and renewed hospitality, but the Mercado District has grown considerably since 2012, and the broader economics of sustaining a full-service fine dining concept in that format appear to have ultimately shifted

Il Santo takes the torch

The space at 100 S. Avenida del Convento will next become Il Santo, an Italian concept from hospitality veteran Vito Prencipe and fifth-generation Tucsonan Bonnie Callahan. Dixon-Weinstein says the pairing felt right immediately.

"When I met Vito and Bonnie I knew instantly that they were a dream addition for the Mercado District," she said. "They embody all the ethos of the district, authentic, local owners, handmade, and experienced. This is an exciting and energizing next step in the story of the Mercado San Agustín which celebrated its fifteenth year in May. They have a strong vision and we can't wait to experience it."

No opening date for Il Santo has been announced. For updates, follow @mercadodistricttucson on Instagram or visit MercadoDistrict.com.

For more on the Mercado District dining scene, see the Tucson Foodie guide to where to eat and drink at the Mercado District in 2026 and the profile of chef David Solorzano joining Agustín Kitchen.