After a little less than four years, Flora’s Market Run permanently closed its doors at 2513 E. Sixth St. on Monday, January 6.
Ares Collective — the team behind Prep & Pastry, Commoner & Co., and August Rhodes Market — opened Flora’s inside the former Rincon Market midway through the year of 2021, offering both a small grocery store and full-service dining room and bar.
“I opened Flora’s Market Run with the same excitement as a kid on Christmas morning,” said Nathan Ares. “Sadly, I also opened Flora’s Market Run during a trying time in groceries. It started with supply chain issues and ended with price increases. As a small independently owned market I had no way to compete with the buying power of the big guys. So, I pivoted. I downsized the market and added a juice bar. When that didn’t take off, I pivoted again — turning the market into an event space. But given the climate of the economy, nothing quite landed.”
“And so here I am, finding myself walking away from what was once my passion project,” Ares added. “I learned a lot along the way! You won’t find me opening a market again, but rather sticking with what I know: restaurants. You’ll find homage to Flora’s Market Run at Commoner & Co with the spinach artichoke dip and The Rachel at Prep & Pastry.”
Commoner & Co. is located at 6960 E. Sunrise Dr. and Prep & Pastry is found in midtown at 2660 N. Campbell Ave. and near the east side at 6450 E. Grant Rd.
“So, I close the doors to Flora’s. I’m grateful for the many memories that have filled the walls and the support of our amazing local Tucson community. As they say, when one door closes, another door opens.”
Before Flora’s, Rincon Market had been in the location since it opened in 1926, but the store shut its doors in June 2020.
For more information about the other concepts, visit prepandpastry.com and commeronandco.com.
Here’s a list of other restaurants that closed last year (2024).
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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.
