Owner’s surgery forces Mark’s Cafe in Tempe to close for 5 weeks

Mark’s Cafe in Tempe will be closed from next Wednesday, July 1, until Aug. 5 so chef-owner Mark Vojtek can recover from shoulder surgery.

Vojtek tore his rotator cuff around Christmas. He’ll have surgery Tuesday and be forced to wear a sling for several weeks.

The cafe usually closes for two weeks every summer.

Mark’s Cafe made local headlines in 2011 when customers banded together to renovate and rebrand the then-struggling Culinary Solutions Cafe.

The small restaurant, which serves breakfast and lunch Wednesday through Sunday, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2013.

When it reopens in August, Mark’s Cafe will offer only a limited menu until Vojtek recovers.