Tempe Public Market Cafe: Aaron and David Chamberlain’s all-day hangout at Rural and Warner closed in January after two years (and is now home to Postino). Its Phoenix sibling shut down in September.
Cantina Laredo: Upscale Mexican chain closed its only Arizona location at SanTan Village in Gilbert in January after 12 years (and scheduled to be home of Bourbon & Bones in January 2021).
Gordon Biersch: National chain of brewery restaurants closed its last remaining Arizona location at SanTan Village in Gilbert after 13 years.
Ella’s Cuisine: Year-old French restaurant at Dobson and Guadalupe in Mesa closed in February (and now is home to Over Easy).
Mark’s Cafe (pictured above): One of Tempe’s most beloved small restaurants for 16 years was one of the Valley’s first covid-19 victims in March.
Dos Gringos: Once-popular local chain of Mexican restaurants and patio bars closed its 11-year-old Chandler location on Alma School halfway between Warner and Ray in March.
Teakwoods Tavern & Grill: Neighborhood hangout, best known for its baskets of free peanuts, closed its flagship location at Ray and Kyrene in Chandler in April after 25 years.
El Zocalo Mexican Grille (pictured above): Family-run fixture in downtown Chandler for two decades closed in May. Two sibling restaurants, El Sol Mexican Cafe & Bakery in Chandler and Mangos Mexican Cafe in Mesa, remain open.
The Harp Irish Pub: Dana Park restaurant and bar at Val Vista and Baseline in Mesa closed in June after 11 years.
McMahon’s Ice Cream: Family-run dessert shop at McQueen and Warner in Chandler closed at end of July after three years.
Oink Cafe: Three-year-old breakfast eatery known for its flights featuring eight different kinds of bacon closed in July at McClintock and Warner in Tempe.
La Bocca Urban Kitchen & Wine Bar: After helping to lead downtown Tempe out of the 2008 recession, this Julian Wright concept (which he sold in 2015) closed after 12 years. A downtown Chandler location shut down after a 2017 fire.
Farmboy Market, Meats & Sandwiches (pictured above): Scratch-kitchen smokehouse, which opened in south Chandler in 2018, temporarily closed in July due to covid-19, then made it permanent in August.
La Calabria Ristorante: Ill-fated Italian restaurant at Val Vista and Williams Field in Gilbert closed in August after 10 years (and soon will be home to a renamed Buddyz Pizzeria). Co-owner Clara Spataro passed away unexpectedly in 2019.
Majerle’s Sports Grill: Former Phoenix Suns star Dan Majerle’s namesake sports bar closed its Chandler Fashion Center location in August after 13 years (and now is home to Howler’s Restaurant & Sports Bar).
Desert Cider House: Arizona’s oldest operating craft cidery closed in September after four years in Chandler.
The Ivy (pictured above): Five-year-old Mediterranean restaurant and wine bar at Dobson and Germann in Chandler closed in October. Its sibling, Cyprus Grill in Chandler, shut down in 2017.
Sherpa Kitchen, the Valley’s first Nepali restaurant that opened in January at Elliot and McQueen in Gilbert, closed just before Thanksgiving, although its Everest MoMo food truck lives on.
Byblos Restaurant: After the death of co-owner Samir Mirza, the Middle Eastern/Mediterranean eatery at Mill and Southern in Tempe closed in December after 36 years.
JC’s Steakhouse: After six years, chef Dennis Petty and his wife, Diana Blewer, sold their restaurant at Gilbert and Ray in Gilbert to TC’s Pub & Grub, which takes over Jan. 1.
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