17 July 24th - July 30th, 2025 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Last Goodbyes The 13 biggest restaurant closures of 2025 so far. BY TIRION BOAN E very month, we publish a list of the Valley’s most recent restau- rant closures. Those lists include spots big and small, including local eateries, chains, bars, breweries, coffee shops, cafes and everything in between. But now, just over halfway through the year, we’re pausing to take stock and to look back on some of the biggest closings of the past six months. When some restau- rants close, they leave a hole in the metro Phoenix food scene that is hard to fill. When other spots shutter, it comes as a shock. Here are the biggest Phoenix restaurant closings of 2025 so far. Tres Leches Cafe Downtown Phoenix coffee shop and colorful hangout, Tres Leches Cafe, was known for its creative coffee drinks and pan dulce. After a long legal battle between the business owners and their landlord, the cafe closed in January. It was a community hub for nearly seven years. Tres Leches’ second location, a drive-thru in South Phoenix, remains open. SnapBack Pizzeria When Grand Avenue Pizza Co. closed its shop in 2022, pizza fans were excited to see SnapBack Pizzeria move in and step up to the oven. The new shop served customers from its pizza window and on the colorful patio for just over two years. But in mid-January, the pizzeria closed. Noble Ground Coffee An abrupt closure shook the local coffee scene when the handful of Noble Ground Coffee shops throughout the state locked their doors in January. Notices posted at the locations said the closures were temporary. But staff were immediately laid off and the coffee shops never reopened. Lou Malnati’s One of the most prominent tenants of Uptown Plaza closed in February. The large restaurant with its signature mar- quee moved out of the Camelback Road shopping center and closed another takeout-only location in Mesa. The chain is reshuffling its Arizona presence and has plans in the works to open new loca- tions in different Valley neighborhoods. The Beer Research Institute The Mesa brewery known as B.R.I. poured pints for 10 years before closing at the end of March. The Mesa Grand shopping center location was a taproom and brewpub, serving the company’s craft brews along with a menu of bar staples with a Southwest spin. Its sister concept, the B.R.I. Taproom & Arcade in downtown Mesa, remains open. But the longtime neighborhood spot said its goodbyes. Sorso Wine Room Another longstanding Valley spot closed this spring. Sorso Wine Room served sips and bites for over a decade in Scottsdale. The wine bar and restaurant offered a selection of more than 150 wines along with bruschetta, flatbreads, sandwiches and snacks from its Scottsdale Quarter home. Walter Station Brewery Soccer fans were left to find a new spot to catch the game after Walter Station Brewery closed its dining room and bar in April. The brewery is still crafting fresh beer, but customers can no longer belly up to the bar and order a cold one at the fire- house-turned-taproom near downtown Phoenix. What was once a restaurant serving pizzas and pub food is now closed to the public. Taco Bell Why are we sad about a Taco Bell closing? Well, this wasn’t just any drive-thru. The Taco Bell on McDowell Road was the last remaining Mission-style Taco Bell in Arizona, and one of fewer than 10 nationwide. The restaurant served customers for nearly 60 years, and during that time, made very few upgrades. The retro dining room, patio and even the old- school sign drew customers looking for a taste of nostalgia. That all came to an end when the spot closed in April. Gertrude’s Restaurant and Patio Cafe Gertrude’s Restaurant was a staple of the Desert Botanical Garden and felt as permanent as the Phoenix destination itself. But at the end of May, the restaurant closed its doors. Visitors to the garden stopped by for brunch at Gertrude’s for 13 years, so the announcement of its closure came as a shock to many. The Patio Cafe, operated by the same owners, also closed. New tenants for the garden’s restaurant spaces have yet to be announced. Santo Arcadia Santo Arcadia has made headlines twice this year so far. In January, it was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for the best new restaurant in the country. But then on May 31, it closed. Santo Arcadia was part of the growing restaurant empire behind Tacos Chiwas, Espiritu, Main Burgers and more. According to the chef, the Arcadia space was simply too big. So there’s hope for Santo to return, on a smaller scale, soon. CRUjiente Tacos The closure of the popular Arcadia-area eatery CRUjiente Tacos felt particularly sad. After they couldn’t reach an agreement with the building’s landlord, the restaurant’s owners announced that it would close at the end of April. The announcement garnered such an outpouring of support, the restaurant was able to stay open for another month. But when May 31 came around, time was up for the Mexican-fusion spot. It served its last Korean fried chicken tacos and creative margaritas. Chart House Chart House was a staple in Scottsdale for 35 years. It was the chain’s last remaining Arizona location and was sold to Prime Steakhouse Concepts earlier this year. Prime also runs Steak 44 and 48, Ocean 44 and 48, and Dominick’s Steakhouse. The company recently acquired Durant’s, which it plans to reopen. The Larder & The Delta Chef Stephen Jones delighted diners when he moved his downtown Phoenix restaurant into the former home of Binkely’s Restaurant with a new fine-dining concept. His creative take on Southern cooking was elevated to new heights in a 12-course tasting menu. The restaurant also debuted a bar and brunch events. But in June, the award-winning chef shocked fans again, when he announced that less than a year after opening, the latest iteration of The Larder & The Delta was done. Santo Arcadia put a global spin on classic Mexican flavors, creating unique dishes including the lamb and grits. (Tirion Boan) SnapBack Pizzeria served slices and pies from its small kitchen and pizza window on Grand Avenue. (Aaron Shottenstein) The retro-inspired neon sign for Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria in Central Phoenix has gone dark. (Benjamin Leatherman) The Scottsdale Taco Bell was store No. 31. It was the last in Arizona and among fewer than 10 in the U.S. with Mission-style architecture. (Sara Crocker) ▼ Food & Drink
