A downtown restaurant is looking to make a little extra money by doing something unconventional — leasing their building to the competition.
Squash Blossom, located on 705 N. First St., is a local restaurant that serves breakfast from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Afterward, the doors close until the following morning. Brian Lester, the restaurant’s owner, plans on changing that by partnering with a food truck, Luncha Libre.
“The facility was being under-utilized,” Lester said. “We are already working 6 to 3, so there’s no way that we could manage the day and night operation.”
Lester described his partnership with Luncha Libre as a sort of lease agreement. Squash Blossom will close at its normal time. Then, there will be a transition period when Luncha Libre will prepare for the night shift, transforming the space into an entirely different restaurant. Luncha Libre will pay Lester a predetermined amount for the space and keep the rest of their profits.
Tim Cobb, an owner of Luncha Libre, said he was looking to expand the business when he got in contact with Lester. The food truck primarily serves quesadillas and tortas but also changes its menu regularly. With a full-size kitchen, liquor license and bar, Cobb plans on expanding Luncha Libre’s existing menu, adding items like slow-cooked meats and special types of sauces that require a large kitchen to prepare.
“It’s an interesting concept,” Cobb said. “It’s like a restaurant within a restaurant.”
Both Lester and Cobb clarified that the two parties are still in final negotiations and some details have yet to be discussed. For example, when asked about Luncha Libre’s hours of operation, Cobb said he still needed to choose exact hours. The restaurant would open “sometime between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.” and would likely close around 11 p.m. However, if the bar were to be packed with people, Cobb said he would be willing to stay open until 2 a.m.
Journalism student Justin Price said he liked the idea of a food truck moving into a larger space and staying open late. He said there weren’t many late-night dining options in downtown and he was looking forward to having more options.
As for the grand opening, Cobb said he hoped to have things up and running at the new location by Friday night, but he suspected that Saturday would be a more likely possibility.
Both Cobb and Lester don’t expect anything to prevent the deal from going forward, though Squash Blossom’s owner still had his reservations.
“Who knows?” Lester said. “It could all blow up.”
Contact the reporter at perry.vandell@asu.edu
