Chef-owner Ken Foy announced that Dante's, long known to Tucson diners for its escargot in a buttery garlic sauce and a chicken marsala with wild mushrooms and truffle risotto, will close its doors on July 19. The restaurant at 2526 E. Grant Road — originally opened as Dante's Fire in 2013 — has been a fixture on the stretch of Grant that saw a revival in the 2010s, and Foy said the combination of mounting costs and looming disruptions made the choice to shutter the dining room necessary.
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A chef at Dante's seasons a dish in the restaurant's kitchen; Dante's is set to close later this month after 13 years.
"We're used to being broke August and September," Foy said, describing his usual seasonal slowdown. "We started getting broke May and June this year." He told customers that merely opening the restaurant costs roughly $10,000 a month — covering rent and utilities — and that the additional expenses of food and staffing have put continued operation under strain. Those financial realities, he said, combined with the uncertainty surrounding the long-awaited Grant Road expansion project and a planned remodel by the building's owners, prompted him to bring the era of Dante's to a close.
Foy made the announcement in a late-Sunday post on Facebook, giving patrons just under two weeks to visit the restaurant one last time. He is planning a final Whiskey Dinner on the Sunday before closing, featuring several hard-to-find, allocated bottles such as Stagg Jr., E. H. Taylor and Elmer T. Lee. "We became really, really known for our whiskey dinners," Foy said, explaining that the restaurant has substantial reserves of high-end allocated whiskeys and wanted to present a memorable final meal for regulars and guests.
Dante's occupied a part of East Grant that had, for years, been overlooked by many Tucson residents. When Foy opened in 2013, Kingfisher Bar & Grill — a 20-year neighbor — still anchored the block, and together those restaurants encouraged diners to return to a corridor that later attracted larger projects. By spring 2020, Dante's and Kingfisher were part of a broader revitalization that included national and regional concepts such as a Culinary Dropout at the former lumber yard and a multi-tenant complex featuring Snooze A.M. Eatery and Postino at Grant Modern.
Like many restaurants, Dante's was forced to close its dining room at the outset of the pandemic. In response, Foy launched a food truck, Sexy Grilled Cheese and Salads, which later became a lifeline through the COVID years. This spring he folded elements of that menu into the brick-and-mortar operation as part of a shift toward a more casual approach and away from the chef-driven menu that had defined Dante's earlier years. Despite those adaptations, the financial and logistical pressures proved decisive.
Foy described mixed emotions about the decision. "It's saddening, but it's liberating at the same time," he said, noting that he will continue other professional endeavors even after the Grant Road dining room closes. He plans to keep operating Tucson Catering Company and to remain active with the Gastronomic Union of Tucson and the Tucson Originals community. Those initiatives, he said, will allow him to maintain a presence in the local food scene while winding down the restaurant.
Tucson Catering Company, Foy confirmed, will continue to run the dining program at Solana Guest Ranch on the far east side of the city, including the ranch's Curated Culinary Tours — ventures that launched this spring. The continuation of those contracts means Foy's culinary work will persist in other forms even as the Dante's dining room closes its chapter.
The closing of Dante's is part of a recent spate of restaurant departures in the city. Since mid-June, two other local establishments have publicly announced closures: Brother John's Beer, Bourbon & BBQ on North Stone Avenue closed June 9, and Tucson Tamale Market on North Oracle Road closed June 14. For reservations or information about the final Whiskey Dinner at Dante's, patrons were directed to call 520-382-9255 or visit dantesfireaz.com.
The Grant Road widening project is also displacing the neighboring American Antique Mall after 33 years, with owners Dwight and Christy Schannep planning a liquidation sale this fall as the city acquires their property. Local outlets including KGUN 9 and KVOA reported the paired closures highlight broader impacts on the midtown corridor.
The City of Tucson’s official Grant Road Improvement Project pages list Phases 3 and 4 as having an estimated construction cost of $63.2 million, note that construction for that segment began May 20, 2024 and is scheduled to run through 2026 (with Phases 3 & 4 on track to finish in October 2026), and describe project features including widening the roadway to six lanes, landscaped median islands, five-foot bike lanes with buffers, and upgraded sidewalks.