An upcoming downtown venue, with three concepts under one roof, is under development with hopes of opening by New Year’s Eve.
The yet-to-be-named establishment will open in the former Zen Nightclub at 121 E. Congress St.
A piano bar will be part of a yet-to-be-named three-level venue being developed in the former Zen Nightclub in downtown Tucson.
Brothers Fernando and Geovanny Minjarez, along with their business partner Hector Marin — all Tucson natives — are working on the venture.
The two-story building, with a basement, is being remodeled into an upscale piano bar upstairs, a street-level concert venue and a speakeasy in the basement.
“We’re all from Tucson and have been part of the downtown experience for most of our adult lives,” Fernando Minjarez said.
The two-story building on East Congress Street that once housed Zen nightclub will feature three distinct venues under one roof, developers say.
Marin, who owns a construction company, also has experience coordinating large events and Geovanny Minjarez, who works for Tucson Electric Power Co., has been involved with event operations and in the hospitality industry.
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Fernando Minjarez previously consulted with Zen Nightclub on events and said the uniqueness and layout of the building appealed to him and his partners.
“It’s one of the biggest venues in downtown Tucson,” Fernando Minjarez said of the concert floor that can accommodate up to 500 people.
“It’s more than an average bar,” he said. “We want it to feel like you’re stepping into a club in New York, or Las Vegas or Los Angeles.”
The concept won the approval of the Rio Nuevo board, which voted to reimburse the project up to $400,000 in tax rebates and construction costs, once the work is finished and income starts flowing.
Fletcher McCusker, chairman of the Rio Nuevo board, called the project an “interesting concept,” noting that the upstairs venue will appeal to more adult audiences.
Minjarez said that’s why the team chose to put a piano bar upstairs for customers who might not want to visit a bar or attend a concert that starts at 10 p.m.
A new downtown venue that could be open as soon as New Year's Eve will feature a street-level concert venue.
“It will generate business earlier in the evening and still feed energy into the other businesses,” he said. “It gives us more than one way to win.”
The speakeasy in the basement is intended to add mystique.
“The entrance is going to be closed off, and people have to figure out how to get down there,” Minjarez said. “Even if customers ask staff how to get down there, they’ll say, ‘I don’t know.’”
A basement speakeasy is planned for a new downtown venue being developed alone East Congress Street.
Once they arrive, customers will find a cozy, lounging area with music, soothing lights and the opportunity for conversation.
“We want to create an experience that elevates this site,” Minjarez said. “It’s crazy to think that three kids who grew up in Tucson have this opportunity.”
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