Monti’s La Casa Vieja owner Michael Monti took to Facebook today to explain the sale and Nov. 17 closure of his iconic restaurant in downtown Tempe.
Earlier: Monti’s La Casa Vieja to close Nov. 17 after nearly 60 years in business
Monti’s Facebook post:
It is hard to keep up with all of the posts I have been tagged in today, so please know that I am not ignoring anyone. I think it is time to post this to clarify what is happening:
To all who have loved the food, hospitality and history of Monti’s La Casa Vieja, I would like to share an important message with you. Over the last several years, I have explored a variety of options to fully develop our 2.5 acre property in Downtown Tempe while preserving our historic building and its traditions. Recently we have entered into an agreement that will achieve this goal, and will also trigger several significant changes.
Our property at 100 South Mill Avenue will be developed to its highest and best use, with a well-planned and tasteful mixed-use design including office and hotel buildings, retail and parking. The pioneer Hayden House, a.k.a. “La Casa Vieja”, comprising the North 11,000 square feet of the restaurant, will be preserved and refurbished. The later non-historic additions to the restaurant–those sections built in 1968 and later–will be torn down to make room for the new structures.
Since the current kitchen is located in part of the non-historic structure, restaurant operations will have to cease during demolition, and cannot begin again until a new kitchen is built within the confines of the historic portion of the premises. That means that Monti’s will be closing soon. Although an exciting new restaurant will be occupying historic structure when construction is complete, it will not–and cannot–be Monti’s La Casa Vieja.
Over these past several years, as I have mulled over a number of ideas and proposals to develop the property, Monti’s has also been struggling with a fast-changing economy and a very different local market. The cost of beef recently reached an all-time high. Chicken, pork and fish are all also spiraling upward. Energy has spiked in cost dramatically. And labor cost has been on a steady rise. Recent menu price increases–very reluctantly taken–were not nearly sufficient to fend off the inflation tearing away at our margins. And when even the newest additions to a building date from the 1970s, the cost of upkeep is punishing.
Though past plans for the future development of the property always included a new incarnation of Monti’s, I have now come to the conclusion that to return as “Monti’s” would not be viable. The aforementioned conditions have forced me to conclude that, with or without developing the property, the business will soon need to undergo radical changes that would result in an experience that would be entirely diverse from the long tradition of family-affordable steaks in a casual western environment.
So now it is time for us to accept that while the future of the Mill Avenue District is bright and sure to be thriving, Monti’s must surrender to the transformation. Our tradition will live on in the hearts and minds of our many loyal patrons and past and present crew. The physical structure will remain as a permanent monument to Tempe history, for all to revisit and experience in its re-imagined form. From the depths of my heart I thank all who have kept us in business, both as customers and through the dignity of your labor, all of these years.
Thank you,
Michael Monti & Family
