After being open for less than two years, breakfast and brunch eatery Squash Blossom announced Friday that it would be closing, a decision that surprised employees and patrons alike.
The restaurant, located near First and Pierce streets, closed for ASU’s spring break and didn’t reopen, according to the restaurant’s Facebook page.
Debbie Fredricksen, a Squash Blossom customer who said she had been there just a week ago for Sunday brunch, said that there was no indication Squash Blossom would close.
“There was no hint at all that they were closing,” she said. “This was a great little mom and pop type restaurant that will surely be missed.”
Co-owners Carrie and Brian Lester did not return multiple calls for a comment.
Ernie Lara, co-owner of nearby breakfast joint Matt’s Big Breakfast, said the closure was upsetting.
“Personally, it always makes me sad when I see a restaurant close because I know the hard work they put into it,” Lara said. “I know they put in all their money, all their resources.”
This is the second consecutive restaurant in this location to go out of business in less than two years after opening. In January 2011, Italian restaurant Pasta Bar closed, with surrounding businesses at the time blaming the recession.
Lara said she considers downtown Phoenix one of the toughest places for businesses to survive. And while Matt’s has been open for 10 years, “it hasn’t been easy,” she said.
Squash Blossom employed several ASU students during the last 20 months. In December, the restaurant started a new ad campaign and offered discounts to attract more students.
While many knew Squash Blossom as a breakfast and lunch spot, it shared its space with Flor de Calabaza, a latin lounge that filled the evening hours with a much different atmosphere.
Every morning, Carrie Lester placed fresh flowers on the tables, which were covered with black tablecloths at night to create a more appropriate atmosphere for the lounge.
According to former employee Savannah Bever, the relationship worked despite the unusual pairing. However, she said tensions did exist between the owners of Flor de Calabaza and Squash Blossom, which seemed to get worse in recent weeks.
“It seemed to be putting a lot of strain on Carrie and Brian,” she said.
The owners of Squash Blossom had been trying to find another partner to operate the evening hours since the restaurant opened. The restaurant had previous partnerships with the P. Joseph Project, a collaboration that lasted only three weeks, and food truck Luncha Libre. The venture with Flor de Calabaza started about six months ago.
According to Squash Blossom’s Facebook page, there was an open mic event scheduled to be held at the restaurant on Sunday. That event has been moved to the Herberger Theater from 4-7 p.m.
Contact the reporter at Stephanie.M.Holland@asu.edu.
