TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Plans are underway to bring new life and new visitors to the Presidio San Agustin, the birthplace of modern Tucson, through the addition of a tea house and brandy bar aimed at a younger crowd.
The Presidio Museum, located in the oldest part of downtown, typically closes its grounds at 4 p.m. That is expected to change with the arrival of Brandylion, a new concept from Zocalo Hospitality co-founders Elliott Morse and Kellner Brown. The business will operate out of a historic house built in 1907 on the Presidio grounds.
“This will also be the larger element of the venue that is adjacent and run by the zocalo team as part of the Brandylion bar program,” Morse said.
Morse said a shared appreciation for Tucson’s history drew the partners to the site.
“We approached the museum about how they were activating this particular location and what they were doing as far as their bar programming,” he said.
Brandylion is designed to complement the museum’s mission while attracting visitors who may not typically engage with historic sites.
“We can draw a new demographic to see the absolutely incredible El Presidio museum,” Brown said. “So much time and care and effort has been invested to give the city this amazing gift.”
Presidio Executive Director Amy Hartmann-Gordon said the partnership aligns with the museum’s goals of making history accessible and engaging.
“We’re so excited to have Brandylion coming into the space,” Hartmann-Gordon said.
She added that the collaboration goes beyond food and drink.
“They understand that everything we do is about interpreting history, whether it’s the food, the drinks, the motifs,” Hartmann-Gordon said.
Brown shared that the motif of the establishment will be Sonoran Deco, a sub-genre of the Art Deco movement, with examples of the style in Tucson being the lobbies of the Fox Theater and Hotel Congress.
Brandylion is expected to employ up to 15 people initially, with plans to add more staff as the business grows. Supporters say the project could help transform the surrounding area into a recognized district within downtown Tucson.
“In the same way someone in Tucson might say ‘let’s go out, let’s go to fourth or let’s go to congress,’” Brown said. “And they don’t specify where they’re going because they’re going to a district. We want people in the next 2-3 years to say ‘Let’s go to the Presidio.’”
According to representatives for both the museum and the bar, Brandylion is scheduled to open Feb. 14 — Valentine’s Day — which also coincides with Arizona Statehood Day.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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