Slice & Ice opened their second location at 6810 E. Tanque Verde Rd., inside the former eegee’s space. The address carries weight for Tucson diners. Notably, it also carries weight for Ed Irving.
Irving co-founded eegee’s in 1971 with Bob Greenberg. Together, they built a local institution around frozen fruit drinks, sandwiches and crinkle-cut fries. Now, Irving runs Slice & Ice. He brings that original DNA back to the property on Tanque Verde, which he has owned since 1978, even after he sold the eegee’s business in 2006.
A familiar menu, plus pizza
Irving launched Slice & Ice in 2020 at 1905 W. Grant Rd.
Slice & Ice leans into nostalgia, but adds fast-fired pizza to the mix. Additionally, the shop pushes Italian ice flavors with a lighter sweetness.
Meanwhile, the value pitch still lands. The Original Snack Box features a slice of cheese pizza and fries for $8.50. Sandwiches range from $6.50 to $8.99, with the exception of the $24.00 Super Hero meant for five to eight servings.
From a truck in 1971 to a Tucson icon
Eegee’s began as a vending truck in September 1971. Irving and Greenberg sold frozen lemonade around town, including at schools and events. Eegee’s own company history still points to that origin story, though the “about” page no longer mentions the duo by name.
Irving and Greenberg sold eegee’s in 2006. In October 2018, eegee’s changed hands again. A partnership led by 39 North Capital and Kitchen Fund purchased the chain.
At the time, leadership talked about expansion, remodeling and new technology. Still, the ownership shift landed in a different era. Consequently, eegee’s entered the pandemic with higher costs and new pressures.
Closures, bankruptcy, and a new owner in 2025
By early December 2024, eegee’s closed several locations and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, tying the filing to post-pandemic conditions. The chain said it faced “unprecedented challenges” and called the process a “restructuring” to strengthen operations.
Notably, the company listed the Tanque Verde Road and Sabino Canyon area store among closures. That closure ended the eegee’s run at 6810 E. Tanque Verde Road.
Afterwards, an affiliate of Gladstone Capital acquired eegee’s after the Chapter 11 process.
For more information, visit sliceandicetucson.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.
