Throughout the year, plenty of restaurants welcome their first customers, while others serve their last meals. But when some Phoenix eateries shut their doors for the final time, it sends shockwaves through the community. Customers mourn the loss of their favorite lunch spot or dinner destination, share memories in the comments and go searching for a new spot to fill the gap.
In 2025, some longtime Phoenix staples closed, including a retro Taco Bell that brought fast Mexican food to Valley customers for nearly 60 years and the Valley’s last location of Sizzler, a Maryvale destination for over four decades.
This year also saw the rapid turnaround of some splashy new spots that opened, made their mark quickly, and then closed shortly thereafter. An award-winning chef transformed his restaurant into a fine-dining format, only to close 10 months later. A modern Mexican eatery earned praise from the James Beard Awards as one of the nation’s best new restaurants of the year, before shutting down…