The Bidwill family, owners of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, have bought the recently closed Tom’s Tavern in downtown Phoenix and plan to reopen the 80-year-old restaurant.
Tom’s most recent owner, Michael Ratner, put the restaurant up for sale last year as he battled esophageal cancer.
Ratner died in November, and Tom’s was forced to close its doors.
Tom’s was a favorite spot for Cardinals CE Michael Bidwill (pictured) during his six years as a federal prosecutor in Phoenix:
It’s been a downtown Phoenix tradition. Too often, we see these kind of places close. I didn’t want to see Tom’s close. There’s too much history there.
A Cardinals official says the plan is to preserve the cachet of Tom’s while updating its look and menu.
Arizona Cardinals owners buy Tom’s Tavern [AZ Central]
Tom’s Tavern [restaurant website]
