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Big Changes Coming: Hub & Playground To Merge for New Dining Experience

Playground and HUB to merge (Photo by Hannah Hernandez)

Big Changes Coming: Hub & Playground To Merge for New Dining Experience

May 17, 20242 min read

Big changes are on the horizon for HUB Restaurant and Playground in downtown Tucson!

Beginning Monday, May 20, HUB, located at 266 E. Congress St., will be operating out of Playground, 278 E. Congress St. In other words, the two restaurants will become one, and all of the dining locations on both properties, including the first-floor outdoor patio known as Playground’s Bar Cinema Patio, will be HUB.

Construction begins this month and then HUB will then have a reopening in September of this year. Therefore, there’s going to be even more seating at HUB when the two spaces are connected.

HUB Restaurant (Photo by SWOON Media)

“This summer, HUB will be going to ‘summer camp’ next door at Playground, while the original downtown restaurant HUB gets refreshed,” said Regan Jasper. “We will be moving our menu, team, and ice cream next door, and when we reopen after 100 days, we will have a new, larger bar, all new booths, complimentary valet courtesy of AC Marriott. We will incorporate the beautiful patio from Playground into our everyday dining space.”

HUB will have complimentary valet parking for the summer, meaning folks can valet at the AC Hotel and get their ticket validated when they dine in. Additionally, there will still be valet and self-parking when HUB officially opens its brand-new dining room in September.

For fans of Playground, it’s still sticking around. Playground will still run the nightclub on the rooftop every Friday and Saturday night. The rooftop will also serve as a private event space.

HUB’s ice cream is here to stay, too!

“We can’t wait to show Tucson what this new HUB will look like — and to showcase our elevated food and bar menu,” said Jasper.

So, just to recap:
  • HUB will never be closed during the construction process
  • The restaurant will be operating out of Playground’s space throughout the summer
  • Construction should wrap up in September 2024
  • Playground will still be a nightclub on the rooftop Friday and Saturday
people, crowd, Playground, Film Fest Tucson, downtown Tucson
(Photo courtesy of Film Fest Tucson)

Think of it as one big hub for dining, dessert, cocktails, and dancing.

For more information, visit hubdowntown.com and keep up with the latest by following HUB Restaurant on Instagram. 

Article written by:

Matt Sterner

Matt Sterner

More about Matt

At 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.

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