Category: Say Goodbye

🍕 La Piazza al Forno, mentioned on nearly every list of the Valley’s top pizzerias, is closing after almost 18 years in Glendale. ‘‘Our lease ends in July and will not be renewing,’’ the restaurant posted on social media. ‘‘We

🍕 Jimmy & Joe’s Pizzeria, which has been slinging its signature Serious Slices for 19 years, abruptly closed all three of its Valley locations over the weekend. No announcement was made, but the restaurants are dark, the phones are no

🍕 SnapBack Pizzeria, a slice shop serving a cross between Neapolitan and New York-style pizza, has closed after two years on the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Fillmore near downtown Phoenix. Chef and owner Ryan Moreno became popular as The Hungry

🥢 Ah-Wok-Tukee Asian Cuisine, a two-year-old restaurant serving Americanized Chinese dishes, is closing today on the northeast corner of Chandler and Desert Hills Parkway in Ahwatukee. ‘‘Your unwavering patronage has been a cornerstone of our success, and we are grateful for

🚫 Level 1 Arcade Bar is shutting down its five-year-old original location in downtown Gilbert on Jan. 18 after it was unable to reach agreement on a new lease. The two-story venue features arcade games, pinball machines, an eclectic food

🚫 Tempe Eats, a food hall featuring 10 concepts under one roof with a drive-through, a pickup window, and curbside service, is closing after just 10 months on the southeast corner of Mill and Southern. Its last day will be next

🚫 Holiday Toast & Tap, a 16-month-old gastropub, has closed on the southwest corner of Greenfield and Warner in Gilbert. ‘‘The reason for this unwanted closure is driven by the overall cost of operations and increasing property expenses,’’ owners Will

🍺 In another indication of the difficulties craft breweries currently are facing, Uncle Bear’s has shut down its six-year-old brewery and taproom near the northwest corner of Lindsay and Germann in Gilbert. The dog-themed brewery’s ales temporarily are being brewed at

🏈 Devil’s Advocate, a large Tempe sports bar popular with ASU students, announced it will close Dec. 28. It has operated for the past 15 years near the southeast corner of Rural and University. ‘‘It’s bittersweet to say goodbye, but

🚫 Bar Cena, chef Dom Ruggiero’s newest restaurant and cocktail lounge in north Scottsdale, is closing Dec. 31. The announcement on social media blamed ‘‘this economic climate’’ for the closure. Bar Cena opened in October 2023 next to Ruggiero’s fiagship

🚫 The Vine Tavern & Eatery has closed after two years in Ahwatukee. The neighborhood sports bar had opened in the former Angry Crab Shack space on the northwest corner of Ray and 38th Street in August 2022, just three weeks

🍱 Bang Bang, a San Diego-based Asian fusion restaurant and techno nightclub concept, has closed in downtown Tempe. It had opened in the former Gordon Biersch Brewing second-floor space on the northwest corner of Mill and Fifth Street last December. A

🌮 Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, a Texas-based chain of fast-casual Mexican restaurants, has closed its downtown Tempe location after 13 years. No explanation was given for the closure. The restaurant near the southwest corner of Mill and Third Street served Baja-style

🌮 Hugo’s, a casual Mexican cantina from the founders of local chain Gadzooks Enchiladas & Soup, has closed after 11 months on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. No reason was given for the closure. Hugo’s had taken over the 1930s

🧇 Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles, the iconic Southern comfort-food restaurant founded by Larry “Lo-Lo” White, closed its nine-year-old location in downtown Gilbert on Sunday. ‘‘If you’re ever looking for that #Loloschickenandwaffles Fix, We Still Going Strong in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Las Vegas

🐓 Full Speed Chicken & Ribs, the fast-casual sibling of acclaimed Little Miss BBQ, has closed after seven months in downtown Phoenix. Full Speed had opened in the former Trapp Haus BBQ space on the southeast corner of Roosevelt and

🕺 Thundercat Lounge, a 1980s- and ’90s-inspired dance club that opened in January, has closed on the southeast corner of Van Buren and Ninth Avenue in downtown Phoenix. ‘‘We have all seen countless restaurants and bars that we love close this

🌭 Short Leash Hotdogs & Taproom, a central Phoenix eatery offering gourmet hot dogs and craft beers, has been sold and will close at Indian School and Seventh Avenue on Dec. 21. On their website, Brad and Katherine “Kat” Moore,

🚫 AZ International Marketplace, the 100,000-square-foot supermarket on the northeast corner of Dobson and Broadway in Mesa, will close Dec. 1 after eight years in business. After a facelift, the space will be divided into two with a grocery store

🥙 Phoenicia Cafe, a popular destination for ASU students for nearly two decades, is closing on the northwest corner of Seventh Street and Forest Avenue in downtown Tempe. A sign in the window of the family-owned Mediterranean eatery and market

🍺 Litchfield Park gastropub Ground Control, a fixture of the West Valley’s craft beer scene since 2007, has learned its lease will not be renewed next month. But there is some good news: Owner Ian Harwell says he’s looking for

🚫 Denver-based chain Teriyaki Madness has closed all of its Valley restaurants – including Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Ahwatukee, and Tolleson – without explanation. The Asian fast-casual restaurants are listed as ‘‘temporarily closed’’ or ‘‘permanently closed,’’ depending on where you

🚫 Disco Dragon, a two-year-old Asian-inspired cocktail bar on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix, has closed. Its across-the-street sibling, upscale restaurant Pretty Penny, will move into the space on Dec. 4. Both concepts are owned by Sam Olguin and Brenon

🍺 Throne Brewing & Pizza Kitchen, a spinoff of Glendale-based Throne Brewing, has closed after three years in downtown Phoenix. According to a notice on the door, the property near the southwest corner of Central Avenue and McDowell Road was

🚫 Seven, the high-end American restaurant and rooftop pool lounge that opened at the Caesars Republic Scottsdale hotel in March, will close in May. The announcement came as the hotel decided to dump the Caesars affiliation and rebrand as a Hilton

🥩 Off 87, a 6,600-square-foot restaurant, bar, and live music venue in south Chandler, has closed after 11 months in business. Former Arizona Diamondbacks pitching coach Mike Butcher and his wife, Tami, opened Off 87 last November in the former Ginger

🍕 Chicago-based Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria has closed its Gilbert location – an 1,800-square-foot space offering takeout and delivery only – on the northeast corner of Val Vista Drive and Pecos Road. No reason was given for the closure. The pizzeria opened

🍺 The Whining Pig, a local craft beer and wine bar concept known for its inexpensive prices, no-frills decor, and laid-back atmosphere, is closing its Ahwatukee location Saturday night. No reason was given for the closure, but the bar’s announcement

🥃 Arizona Distilling Co., the second-oldest craft distillery in Arizona, is permanently closing its Tempe location this weekend. Its final day will be Sunday. The closure comes as the distillery moves its production to its year-old location in downtown Mesa.

🍺 Buqui Bichi, a Mexican craft brewery based in Hermosillo, Sonora, has closed its first U.S. taproom in downtown Chandler. The restaurant and bar opened 15 months ago on the southeast corner of Arizona and Frye roads. The menu offered

🍽 Arboleda, a high-end Mediterranean concept from San Francisco restaurateurs Björn Kock and brothers Mitchell and Steven Rosenthal, has closed after 19 months at the Scottsdale Quarter. No reason was given for the closure. Arboleda’s menu was inspired by the cuisine

🥞 Mr. Zeke’s, a popular all-day restaurant in Pinetop-Lakeside, has closed its second location near the northeast corner of McQueen Drive and Warner Road in Gilbert. The restaurant, whose comfort-food menu featured omelets, burgers, sandwiches, pastas, and steaks, had opened

🚫 Belly Kitchen & Bar, a well-regarded Southeast Asian-inspired concept launched in November 2020, is closing its original location on the southeast corner of Camelback and Seventh Avenue in Phoenix. ‘‘Our last day of service will be October 30,’’ it posted

🍖 Starlite BBQ & Whiskey Bar, an upscale ’cue joint in Old Town Scottsdale, has closed after six years. The smokehouse was launched on the northeast corner of Indian School and Miller roads by Walter Sterling, the restaurateur/chef behind Phoenix’s

🍺 Throne Brewing is closing its four-year-old Peoria taproom on Sunday, Sept. 29. ‘‘Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to overcome the challenges faced by our Peoria location,’’ the brewery posted on social media. The space originally was

🚫 BLD, a comfort food brunch restaurant, has closed after 13 years in south Chandler, and another brunch concept – Brunch Snob – will move into the space on the northeast corner of Germann and Dobson. No reason was given

🚫 Thaily’s, an acclaimed Cambodian-Arabic fusion restaurant, has closed after three years near downtown Chandler. The small eatery was located on the north side of Chandler Boulevard about halfway between Arizona Avenue and McQueen Drive. ‘This is not goodbye so

🌮 Dos Familias Local Mexican, a restaurant launched by two Scottsdale families with a combined 100-plus years of food and beverage industry experience, has closed at the Adobe Ranch Plaza on the northeast corner of Shea and Frank Lloyd Wright

🌮 Casa Ramos Redux, a family-run Mexican restaurant near the northeast corner of Main Street and Stapley Drive in central Mesa, has closed. Casa Ramos had operated at the site from 2011-2017, then reopened in 2023 in a newly constructed

🌮 Illegal Pete’s, a Colorado-based chain of fast-casual Mexican restaurants, has closed its only Valley location on Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe. The restaurant opened in October 2018 in a space formerly home to My Big Fat Greek Restaurant near

🚫 OHSO Brewery & Distillery spinoff Little O’s abruptly closed its original Seventh Avenue location in Phoenix today. What happened? ‘‘Our proprietor Summer has made the difficult decision to leave the desert,’’ the neighborhood hangout posted on social media. ‘‘Without

🚫 Maskadores Taco Shop, a local chain of Mexican wrestling (lucha libre) themed eateries, has closed its Ahwatukee location. The franchise location had opened in 2021 on the southeast corner of Warner Road and 48th Street. No reason was given for the closure. The

🌯 Serrano’s Mexican Food Restaurants has closed its new fast-casual concept Pronto in south Tempe after just 12 months. The history: Pronto had taken over a former Serrano’s sit-down restaurant on the southwest corner of Rural and Guadalupe. Take note:

🚫 Florida-based Italian chain Buca di Beppo has closed its restaurant on the southwest corner of Ray Road and 54th Street in west Chandler after 25 years. Other Valley locations: Buca di Beppo still operates restaurants in Scottsdale, Mesa, and

🍝 Mora Italian, the osteria-inspired Phoenix restaurant founded by celebrity chef Scott Conant, has closed. The announcement: ‘‘Mora Italian has closed its doors after seven incredible years,’’ the restaurant posted on its website. No reason was given. The background: Conant, perhaps best-known as a judge

🍷🍺 The Pairing Room, which took over the former home of The Larder & The Delta on the northwest corner of Central and Portland in downtown Phoenix, has closed after three months. The announcement: ‘‘Thank you everyone for your support but for now

🍺 The Wayward Taphouse, a three-year-old craft beer bar on Grand Avenue in Phoenix, is closing. What happened? ‘We are incredibly saddened to share this news with everyone but we will be closing our doors in September,’’ owners Tyler Goolie and Hilda

🍕 Crust Brothers Pizza has closed its location on the northwest corner of Baseline and McClintock in south Tempe after just 17 months in business. The menu featured what it called ‘‘Midwest-style’’ square-cut pies that were ‘‘crispy on the bottom but soft

🥗 Modern Market Eatery, a Denver-based chain of health-focused fast-casual restaurants, has closed all three of its Valley locations. Known for its mindfully sourced ingredients, Modern Market Eatery eschews the use of artificial flavors or colorings, trans fats, hormones, or

🚫 The Handlebar Diner, a restaurant housed in a vintage red-and-white Valentine diner at the master-planned Eastmark community in southeast Mesa, has closed. ‘‘As of 8am this morning July 12, 2024, Eastmark/DMB/Brookfield/Proving Grounds has chosen to close the diner effective

🍺 Fat Willy’s Sports Grill will close its 12-year-old location on the northwest corner of Gilbert and Chandler Heights in south Chandler on Saturday. MXSW Insider paid subscribers already know the behind-the-scenes story of The Parlay Kitchen & Cocktails taking over the space. Fat Willy’s still

🇲🇽 Chantico, a trendy Mexican restaurant and bar from Valley restaurateur Walter Sterling (Ocotillo, Starlite BBQ, etc.) has closed after three-plus years on the southwest corner of Camelback and 11th Street in uptown Phoenix. Named for the Aztec goddess of the

🍺 Philly’s Sports Grill has closed its location on the southeast corner of McClintock and Baseline in south Tempe. The restaurant had opened last August – less than a year ago – taking over 5 Star Dive Bar & Grill (which had the same

🌮 Tacos & Craft, a quick-casual concept offering 16 kinds of tacos and 10 beers on tap, has closed after four months near the northeast corner of Rural and Baseline in south Tempe. No reason was given for the closure. It’s

🦪 Rockefeller, an elevated seafood-centric restaurant on the northwest corner of Hayden and Via de Ventura in central Scottsdale, has closed. According to a notice posted on its website: ‘‘After two wonderful years of serving our community, Rockefeller in Scottsdale

🍕 Buon Padre Pizza, a neighborhood favorite known for its signature Gourmet Grilled Hot Dog Pizza, has closed after seven years in a strip mall on the northeast corner of McQueen and Pecos in Chandler. According to a notice on the

🍜 Clever Ramen – a sibling of Clever Koi, Across the Pond, and Fellow Osteria & Pizzeria – has closed at SkySong in south Scottsdale. ‘‘After three years of delicious ramen, pillowy buns, and loaded fries with all of you, we’ve made the tough decision to

🌮 Los Taquitos, a Mexican diner that’s been featured on the Food Network’s ‘‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,’’ has closed its 8-year-old location in front of Whole Foods on the southeast corner of the Loop 101 and Ray in Chandler. According to

🍣 Sushi Ramen Go, a well-regarded Japanese eatery on the northeast corner of Higley and Ray in Gilbert, has closed after five years in business. The modern sushi and ramen house announced on social media Saturday morning that it would close

🌮 Acclaimed taqueria Tacos Chiwas is closing its 5-year-old Chandler location today, owners Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin announced on social media. The couple decided not to renew their lease near the northwest corner of Alma School and Warner and instead will

🍸 Another day, another longtime Valley food and drink establishment is closing. This time it’s Merc Bar, the cocktail lounge that’s been pouring drinks at the Esplanade in Phoenix since 1996. This Saturday night will be the upscale bar’s swan

🐓 The Farmhouse, a fixture in Gilbert since 1989, is the latest longtime Valley restaurant to announce its impending closure. Its last day will be Sunday. Owners Sylvia Hilligardt and daughter Milli launched The Farmhouse in a stand-alone building — an

🍣 Sakana Sushi & Grill, which is closing its longtime Ahwatukee restaurant at the end of this month, also will shut down its final location in central Scottsdale on Saturday, June 29, MXSW has confirmed. Sakana, which was founded in 1994