Crave Espresso Bar, 4530 E. Broadway, has closed its doors — at least for now.
From its Web site, craveespressobar.com: "Crave will be closing its doors on Sunday, July 20. Check back soon for reopening date."
Owner Kim Sciabica said that she was negotiating with another potential owner and predicted Crave would reopen in August.
— Valerie Vinyard New sommelier named at Hacienda del Sol's Grill
The Grill at Hacienda del Sol didn't look far for its new sommelier.
Christoffe Huser has been working at the upscale Foothills restaurant for four years.
Resort officials described Huser as "a very down-to-earth guy with a great recall memory," which serves him well with the Grill's extensive wine list.
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Huser, who has no formal education in the art of recommending wine, learned through experiences growing up with his father on the Sterling Vineyards near Napa in California.
— Cathalena E. Burch Guadalajara moves down the road to its new digs
Guadalajara Grill has opened in its new digs, a block away from its birthplace on East Prince Road and North Mountain Avenue.
The six-year-old restaurant took up residence earlier this week in its new location at 1220 E. Prince Road. It's an expansion from 110 tables to 150.
Guadalajara is owned by husband and wife Seth Holzman and Emma Vera-Holzman.
— Cathalena E. Burch Bye-bye Bennigan's; Terrace takes its place
Tucson's only Bennigan's Grill & Tavern — indeed, the only one in the state — is no more.
The restaurant, housed at the Riverpark Inn, 350 S. Freeway Road, will be converted into additional banquet space for the hotel, said food and beverage manager Adam Yeager. The extra space also will come in handy during the annual gem and mineral shows, he added.
Bennigan's closed July 7, and Terrace Cafe and Bar opened the next day, Yeager said. As the name suggests, the eatery is on the hotel's terrace.
"We serve elegant American food," he said. "Simple sandwiches, salads, meatloaf, ribs, lasagna."
Bennigan's, which has about 200 locations in the United States, was "losing money hand over fist," said Yeager, in part because of the ongoing Interstate 10 widening project. "The clientele just wasn't there."
— M. Scot Skinner World Sports Grille here; bakery coming in 2009
Sega Entertainment isn't kidding when it says, on its Web site, that "The World Has Come to Tucson." The company's World Sports Grille had a soft opening at the Foothills Mall earlier this month.
It comes packed with the latest in rare Japanese arcade games and a gigantic dinner menu teeming with international cuisine from Italian pastas to Moroccan tagine dishes.
That's in addition to the multiple pool tables, traditional and state-of-the-art arcade games, 25 high-definition televisions and a monstrous 103-inch flat-panel TV, according to its Web site.
The Grille has a Dave & Buster's feel to it, which is cool because we don't have a Dave & Buster's here. It's the first free-standing Sega concept restaurant of its kind and, if it works here, plans are to open a hundred more throughout the country.
It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and will have its grand-opening weekend Aug. 1-3.
●Coming early next year a few blocks away: Grains of Montana, a bakery-themed casual restaurant hailing from Billings, Mont.
Tucson is one of three cities — the others are Biloxi, Miss., and Boise, Idaho — getting the franchise. The fledgling family-owned company opened its flagship store in 2005.
The Tucson location will be in a 3,600-square-foot space at Villa Toscana, under development at West Magee Road and North La Cholla Boulevard just north of the Foothills Mall.
— Gerald M. Gay and Cathalena E. Burch Canadian pizza franchise is coming — you betcha
Marana will be the first home in the Tucson area of the Canadian pizza giant Boston's the Gourmet Pizza.
Calgary, Alberta, businesswomen Marnie Fredericks and Marlene Egeland hope to open the sports bar and family restaurant Oct. 28 at 5825 W. Arizona Pavilions, next to Tower Theatres.
The restaurant, whose menu will include sandwiches, fresh pizzas, wings, pasta and salads, will seat up to 275.
This is the pair's first restaurant venue. Fredericks said they looked at Sedona, Nogales and Tucson, in addition to Montana, before deciding on the Continental Ranch area of Marana.
Boston's has hundreds of locations in Canada and has just entered the United States, where the company plans to open about 60 franchise locations this year. There are two in the Phoenix area.
— Cathalena E. Burch Taco platter returns
Zivaz Mexican Bistro, 4590 E. Broadway, is bringing back its taco platter at 5 p.m. today and Friday.
Each $14 platter features seven tacos. And these aren't your average tacos. We're talking fish, steak, shrimp, tofu and vegetables.
— Valerie Vinyard
