Tempe Tavern, a bar and restaurant in Tempe, has closed permanently after 15 years in business, with liquidation listings surfacing this week and state liquor investigators tying the business to a recent deadly crash. The shutdown ends a long run for a college area spot that had also been under scrutiny from regulators over underage drinking and an earlier fatal crash.
In metro Phoenix, restaurant and bar closures often come down to costs or lease fights. This one arrives under far heavier pressure, with an active liquor investigation and a fight over whether the business should have kept serving at all.
Liquidation listings confirmed the shutdown
Tempe Tavern shut its doors and began liquidating its assets in the same week that investigators said they found evidence linking a recent DUI crash suspect to the bar, according to AZFamily. The station reported on September 22 that online auction listings and Craigslist posts advertised a complete liquidation sale, with photos and address details matching the business. Items listed included barstools, tables, commercial refrigerators and beer taps.
The Arizona State Press reported that the auction was scheduled for Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and included furniture, kitchen appliances, Corona signs, cash registers, stools and commercial dishwashers. The paper said the postings pointed to a full wind down rather than a temporary closure…