When Illegal Pete’s first opened just outside of Arizona State University, it made waves regarding its name. However, the restaurant had already existed previously down in Tucson, as well as in Colorado. After the brief uproar, the noise turned from disgruntled to college students enjoying burritos and sipping on beverages. Almost overnight it became a popular hangout destination for students and locals alike. And yet, just days before the start of the ASU calendar year, Illegal Pete’s announced its unfortunate closure.
The announcement of the restaurant’s closure at 525 South Mill Avenue in Tempe came suddenly. There was no preemptive run-up to the closure, nor was there any real warning. Hopefully, the staff was given some kind of advanced insights into the eventual closure, but for the greater public, there wasn’t any kind of heads-up.
The restaurant did not post on social media, but instead, the front doors were locked and a sign was placed on the door. The notice said the restaurant was closed and that patrons should visit one of the other locations. Of course, the nearest restaurant is 90 minutes away (without traffic), so, that’s a little more difficult than going to the other side of town.