On Wednesday, July 24, the team behind Alejandro, “Serious Mexican, Mariscos, & Fusion Food” at 7850 N. Silverbell Rd. #156 announced that they are permanently closing.
Owner Alejandro Diaz, who was serving a diverse menu ranging from seafood to enchiladas and tacos, shared the following message on Instagram, announcing the closure:
“After much consideration and speaking with my family, I have decided to close Alejandro. I opened our family restaurant as a way to honor my brother and my two cousins who passed away in 2021, months apart from each other. I believe I have accomplished that and am very proud of it.
“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.”
Diaz went on to say that, even if they remain busy, the restaurant will still struggle due to high costs. “Good quality ingredients, high labor, delivery, and tax costs” are making it difficult for his restaurant and others “to thrive.”
“While I could continue running the location, I foresee overall costs increasing. This makes it nearly impossible to run the business as I would want without incurring heavy debt. I have decided not to continue the business. This decision, of course, is not easy, but it is necessary for our family’s well-being. We have poured our heart and soul into this venture — literally blood, sweat, and tears. We are so incredibly proud of our amazing and hardworking staff, loyal customers, and our food, service, and presentation that has been second to none.”
Diaz opened the restaurant in the Fry’s Shopping Center at Cortaro Road and Silverbell Road in July 2022. Since then, the restaurant had been a business that many in Marana and the surrounding area frequented over the last couple of years.
Back in May, Discover Marana handed out its first Taste of Marana STANDOUT Restaurant Award of the year to Alejandro, recognizing the business for its food, service, and community involvement.
“The Diaz family wants to express our heartfelt gratitude to you and the Marana community for your unwavering support. We apologize to our customers and employees for having to make this difficult decision. We also want to extend our sincerest thanks to our landlords who have worked with us since we opened to try to make this location work. Your support and understanding have meant the world to us.”
Alejandro, “Serious Mexican, Mariscos, & Fusion Food” is located at 7850 N. Silverbell Rd. #156. For more information, follow Alejandro on Instagram.
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.
