CATALINA FOOTHILLS, Ariz. (KGUN) — Teaspoon, a Tucson restaurant that leans into the city's UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation, is marking one year at its second location near River Road and Craycroft Road in the Foothills.
Owner Teresa Cheung and her sister first opened Teaspoon in 2017 along Oracle Road, building a menu around modern-style favorites including sandwiches and steaks and brunch.
The Foothills location followed, and with it came a new culinary direction.
"And immediately we thought brunch so that's when we started compiling the menu and creating the concept," Cheung said.
Being part of Tucson's food community carries real meaning for Cheung.
"It is such an honor to be a part of that community," Cheung said.
The growth has not come without challenges. Cheung has had to balance serving a different clientele at the second location while also navigating the rising costs of ingredients and operations. Still, she has held firm on the restaurant's core identity.
"We still choose not to make pre-packaged stuff because we want to maintain that integrity part of our story which is to create a scratch concept as best as we possibly can," Cheung said.
Cheung's love of food traces back to her family. She moved to Tucson from New York many years ago, attended the University of Arizona and studied journalism before transitioning into the food industry.
As Teaspoon marks the milestone, Cheung is encouraging the community to keep supporting local businesses.
"Really go out and support local as I think it makes such a big difference," Cheung said.
Despite the adversity, Cheung hopes to keep bringing UNESCO-inspired dishes to Tucson for years to come. The support she has received from the community has fueled that drive.
"We love that the Tucson community embraced us, really, truly in this way and they've come out to support us for both locations," Cheung said.
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Marc Monroy joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist after moving from KGUN 9’s sister station, KXXV, in Waco, Texas. He graduated from California State University, Northridge, in 2024 with a degree in journalism. A native of Southern California and a bilingual reporter, Marc is excited to serve Southern Arizona and looks forward to connecting with neighbors in the community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Marc by emailing marc.monroy@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
