| NEWS | Natasha Yee Boxed from p 9 the ground floor of the historic Luhrs Building. The Moxy Downtown Phoenix, a hip and sleek hotel with a Tempe location near Arizona State University, is being constructed on the floors above the bar, and is set to open in May 2023. PEG Companies, the commercial real estate investor behind the new hotel, recently temporarily bought out the bar to facilitate construction, according to Bitter & Twisted in an October 4 Instagram post. Prior to its most recent shutdown, the cocktail bar closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic, reopening for carry-out orders in September of the same year. Bitter & Twisted invited guests back inside with a socially-distanced space come October 2020, but the construction has dampened sales. Simon estimated that the business has lost 20 to 30 percent of its revenue since construction began. And though he may have considered applying for the SBFAP, the bar does not qualify for the program since its annual revenue is too high, Simon said. Businesses must make less than $750,000 per year to qualify. “We might make more than other busi- nesses, but we also have more bills to pay,” he said. He explained that he has to pay staff, order ingredients, a cost which has dramatically increased, and keep the lights on. “Nobody who has been affected within these city blocks would get a penny of the funding,” Simon said. “But you better believe that anytime I see an excavator kick dust or my sidewalk being blocked, I’m on Twitter tagging city officials so that they know what’s going on here. This isn’t just about me as a bar owner. I have staff who I care deeply about, and they have bills to pay as well.” Orange blockades restrict access to Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlor. Aaron DeFeo co-owns the neighboring bar Little Rituals with Simon. Located inside the Residence Inn by Marriott Phoenix Downtown, the cocktail destina- tion has won multiple accolades, including a James Beard Award nomination for outstanding bar program. But that doesn’t make it immune to the disarray, DeFeo said. “When the access to the business is gone, I have to ask how to navigate the area. And I’m here almost every day,” DeFeo said. “This is a walk-up destination in the middle of an entertainment district. We’re just glad to be nearing the end of this mess.” Ansari said that she hoped for the construction to end by the summer of 2024, though the work in downtown Phoenix should be completed by the time the Super Bowl comes to the Valley in February 2023. The game will be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, coinciding with the dates for the 2023 WM Phoenix Open golf tournament in Scottsdale. The two events are forecast to bring thousands of visitors to the Valley, with many hotels already booked up. Available rooms are on the market for upwards of $1000 per night. Though downtown construction may be complete by then, the area south of the city along the Central corridor still has a long way to go. “I just wish the city would do more to help us,” Martinez Saenz of Tres Leches said. “It has received billions in funding for the light rail. If they would just ask small business owners what we need, we might tell them we need help with rent or signage. Instead, they take their best guess while our business suffers the conse- quences of all this construction. It is so difficult out here, but we are trying our absolute best.” 11 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES OCT 20TH–OCT 26TH, 2022
