Brace yourselves — hip brunch is coming to east Tucson.
Prep & Pastry will open a second location Tuesday, July 5 at 6390 E. Grant Rd., next door to the newly-opened Sauce Pizza & Wine and neighboring Zinburger.
“The menu will be exactly the same as the original location,” co-owner Nathan Ares said. “We’re continuing our relationships with local suppliers such as Ten Fifty-Five Brewing and Exo Roast Co., who have been with us since the beginning.”
Diners can expect the same Prep & Pastry feel with clean white walls, shades of cobalt blue, and rustic woods. Signature brunch quotes adorn the walls as well. However, the new building comes with a few distinct differences.
“Instead of the chalkboard walls, specials will be written directly on the bar’s tile walls,” Ares said. Since chalkboards have become more common in restaurants, Ares drew inspiration from some of the newest San Francisco restaurants.
While the charming skylights aren’t present at the new location, the large north and northeast-facing windows bring in plenty of natural light.
The bakery will be a focal point upon entry with the tiered glass display case at the bar. A large painting of Prep’s winged pig “mascot” – which happens to be Ares’ latest tattoo on his right arm – is the other focal point at the entrance.
With 120 seats, there’s quite a bit more space than the original location’s 84 seats on Campbell. But, don’t be surprised if they still fill up fast. Prep & Pastry is one of Yelp’s most reviewed Tucson restaurants, with over 800 reviews to date. They’re also a top pick among multiple chefs we interviewed for the Nine on the Line series.
“Prep and Pastry is a favorite if I want a late brunch on my day off,” said Tanner Fleming, chef at Dante’s Fire. “They make up for the wait with delicious food and drink and I also like how passionate and involved the owners are.”
“My wife and I routinely cross our fingers that our baby’s nap schedule syncs up so that we can get over to Prep and Pastry on one of my days off,” said Devon Sanner, executive chef at the Carriage House.
For more information, visit prepandpastry.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.
