Metro Grill at Park Place, owned by local restaurateur Bob McMahon, has closed abruptly after about seven years in the mall.
McMahon, whose company Metro Restaurants owns eight other eateries in Tucson and Green Valley, said the mall location just wasn't working out for Metro Grill. Sunday was the casual, American-style restaurant's last day.
"I just don't know if Metro Restaurants is into the mall scene," he said.
McMahon said that he also wants to focus more of his attention on other changes in his organization — namely a new Italian concept. The restaurant, to be called Italia, is slated to open in September in the location of a current restaurant, City Grill, at 6464 E. Tanque Verde Road.
City Grill will be closed in August to make the change, he said.
McMahon said he has visited Italy several times to do research for his new restaurant, and is planning a menu focusing mainly on authentic Italian dishes. The restaurant will be open only for dinner, and entree prices would likely range from $12 to $24, he said.
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"I've been dying all my life to do an Italian restaurant," said McMahon. "I promise this Italian restaurant is going to be my best effort."
His other restaurants include McMahon's Prime Steakhouse at 2959 N. Swan Road, Firecracker Bistro, at 2990 N. Swan Road, and Old Pueblo Grille at the Foothills Mall.
Metro Restaurants also owns Metropolitan Grill at 7892 N. Oracle Road, which is not closing.
Unlike Metro Grill at Park Place, the location for Old Pueblo Grille works because Foothills Mall is "more of an entertainment venue," he said.
This isn't the first time McMahon has decided to shuffle his restaurant lineup. Old Pueblo Grille in the Foothills Mall was opened in 2003 as a replacement for another restaurant he owned, Keaton's. He also dabbled in quick-service barbecue with the opening of two Smokin' — The Barbecue Place locations. Both were closed within two years.
So far, no new tenant has been found to replace Metro Grill at Park Place, said mall spokeswoman Tami Ivy. The mall, which is owned by Chicago-based General Growth Properties, has not even determined whether the space will be taken by another restaurant, Ivy said. The company is "wide open as to what that use will be," she said.
McMahon said he does not plan to reopen Metro Grill elsewhere. Employees at Metro Grill are being offered jobs at other Metro Restaurants locations, he said.
Did you know...
• Tucson restaurateur Bob McMahon got his start in the meat business, with the purchase of City Meat & Provisions in 1979.
• After spending more than 15 years expanding the meat business, McMahon turned his attention to restaurants with the purchase of City Grill on East Tanque Verde Road. He also formed Metro Restaurants that year.
• Metro Restaurants now owns eight restaurants in Tucson and Green Valley.