Monti’s La Casa Vieja, the oldest restaurant in Tempe, will close Monday, Nov. 17, after nearly 60 years in business, according to owner Michael Monti.
The original adobe hacienda, built by Charles Trumbull Hayden in 1871, lays claim to being the city’s original pioneer home and the oldest continuously occupied structure in the entire Valley.
By the end of the 19th century, the structure had been used as a hotel, blacksmith shop, post office, and general store.
Leonard Monti Sr., Michael’s grandfather, bought the building in 1954, by which time it had been a restaurant and bar for more than a decade. He renamed it Monti’s La Casa Vieja (“Old House”) in 1956.
Over the years, Monti’s built an iconic reputation among locals and winter visitors alike with its huge steaks, “Roman” bread, and collection of historic photos and memorabilia.
Developers paid a reported $17 million for the 2.5-acre site and plan to build a 15-story office building, a 16-story Kimpton hotel, and 17,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space.
Michael Monti says the developers have promised to preserve The Hayden House, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Monti says he has no plans to open another restaurant.
