Janos Wilder will close his La Paloma restaurants

The celebrated chef, who also owns Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails, will serve his last meal May 26 at the restaurants, 3770 E. Sunrise Drive.

"It's time for us to do new things," Wilder said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Those "new things" include opening another restaurant, though his plans are in the preliminary stages.

"We are looking at several different places in various locations, including downtown," he said.

Wilder operated the twin restaurants at La Paloma since 1998, and quickly reaffirmed a reputation and critical acclaim established when he first opened Janos in downtown Tucson in 1983. In 2000, Wilder won the prestigious James Beard Award, given to the nation's best chefs.

Wilder said that while the unrelenting faltering economy has made it challenging to run an upscale dining room, it was not what drove his decision to close.

Wilder had complained for some time about declining conditions at the Westin La Paloma, going so far as to put his complaints in a court filing that was made public in January.

Shortly after that, Southwest Value Partners - a San Diego-based real estate company co-founded by Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver - purchased the Westin from Starwood Resorts and Hotels International Inc.

Wilder stressed that his relationship with the new Westin owners is strong and played no role in his decision to pull out of the resort.

"I think there are better opportunities elsewhere," Wilder said. "It's a good opportunity for us to close, given where we are in the lease (which was about to expire)."

Jonathan Litvack, La Paloma's general manager, said the resort is considering its options, which could include adopting a corporate dining concept or inviting an outside concept. He said no Tucson chefs have approached him about the space, but the resort is open to working with local restaurateurs.

"We need to find that right concept, that right brand, that right operator that can bring value to our guests and the property … and creates a vibe as we move forward," Litvack said.

Wilder told his 40 employees about the closing Tuesday night. He said he expects to be able to fold some employees into Downtown Kitchen, and that there will likely be opportunities when the Westin opens the new restaurant.

He said he also anticipates that he will hire more than 40 employees when he opens the yet-to-be-decided new restaurant.

While he won't be tied to a timeline for opening, Wilder has a vague idea of what he will do - and it won't be a re-creation of Janos, which served upscale French-influenced Southwest fare, or J Bar, which served Latin American fare with a local twist. Nor does he plan to open another high-end restaurant.

"Pieces of each might show up in the future," he said. "They probably will, but I don't know for certain."

Wilder has been a fixture in Tucson's restaurant scene for nearly 30 years. He opened Janos in the Stevens House at the Tucson Museum of Art in 1983 and it became instantly popular because of its historical location and his French-influenced Southwestern fare. No one at the time was doing something so culinarily daring and it became Wilder's calling card.

He moved to the Westin in 1998 after the TMA evicted him; the museum needed his space in the historic home to expand. A year later, Wilder opened the more casual J Bar.

Wilder said he feels he "fully expressed" both restaurants during his Westin tenure.

"We fully, fully drank from the cup. We left no opportunity unturned," he said. "We created a culinary identity, and a culinary lexicon that's complete, and I don't feel there's any unfinished business."

La Paloma has several other dining options at the resort, including the Mediterranean/Asian-inspired Azul and in-room dining.

La Paloma will launch its $30 million resort "rejuvenation" this summer, starting with the guest rooms and meeting rooms, Litvack said. The project will take 18 months and be conducted in phases, he said.

Contact reporter Kathleen Allen at kallen@azstarnet.com or reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@azstarnet.com