TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — After nearly two decades serving Sonoran hot dogs from a cart at the corner of Alvernon Way and Lee Street, the owners of El Sinaloense are preparing to expand their longtime Midtown business into a permanent kitchen and takeout location just down the street — El Sinaloense Market.
Beto and Egla Gutierrez have operated the El Sinaloense hotdog cart for nearly 18 years in Tucson's Garden District, building a loyal customer base while becoming fixtures in the neighborhood.
"Garden District? This is our home," co-owner Egla Gutierrez said. "We spend most of our days here, and our kids went to John B. Wright for elementary school."
Last fall, the couple purchased two commercial buildings about two blocks south of their hot dog cart with plans to establish a headquarters for the business. The new space will allow them to prepare food more efficiently while expanding their offerings beyond the popular street cart.
"It would be the headquarters for El Sinaloense," Gutierrez said. "We would be prepping, it would also help us for catered business. At the same time, we can sell to-go food there."
Sonoran hot dogs — bacon-wrapped hot dogs typically served in a bolillo-style bun and topped with pinto beans, onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise, mustard and jalapeño sauce — have become one of Tucson's signature foods. In 2023, UNESCO recognized Tucson's rich culinary traditions as part of its designation as a City of Gastronomy, with the Sonoran hot dog considered among the region's iconic dishes.
The expansion has required significant investment beyond purchasing the properties. Gutierrez said the couple has installed fencing around the buildings and added surveillance cameras while working through the redevelopment process.
Neighborhood residents have welcomed the project, viewing it as an opportunity to improve a long-troubled commercial corner.
"It's been a Speedy Mart, it's been a Quick Mart," said Meg Johnson, secretary of the Garden District Neighborhood Association. "It's always been a convenience store and it's always been a hot spot for crime."
Gutierrez said encouragement from neighbors has helped sustain the project despite its challenges.
"Every time someone asks about it … I feel like a pat on my shoulder," she said. "Like I'm doing something, I'm doing something good."
The owners said they hope to open the expanded kitchen and takeout location by late fall or early winter, creating a new home for a Tucson institution while continuing to serve customers from the neighborhood they have called home for nearly two decades.
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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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