With monthly lists, we keep track of restaurants that close around the Valley. Now that we’re six months into 2026 — already! How did that happen?! — we’re taking stock of the spots that have said goodbye.
While every restaurant that closes creates a gap in the local food scene, some iconic eateries leave a lasting legacy. Other new spots made a big splash when they opened, only to quickly close their doors.
Here are the eight biggest restaurant closures of the year, so far.
El Chullo
In January, the original location of El Chullo closed after 12 years. The restaurant was a pioneer in Peruvian food, where Esperanza Luzcando and Jose Ramirez Sanchez brought their heritage and cooking to the Valley. The owners opened their restaurant three years after they moved to Arizona from Peru and served classic dishes, including lomo and pollo saltado, anticuchos, multiple varieties of ceviche and classic Peruvian drinks, such as pisco-based cocktails and purple corn chicha morada. The tiny Seventh Street restaurant suffered a fire in 2022 and was closed for months before reopening. But in January, the restaurant shuttered for good, as the owners shifted their focus to their larger second location on Seventh Avenue…