SOUTH TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucson Tamale Market has been a go-to spot for family meals and holiday traditions for many Tucsonans. Now, the last remaining location on Oracle Road is closing its doors, and many customers say they were surprised by the announcement.
READ MORE | Tucson Tamale Market announces closure
Todd Martin, co-founder of Tucson Foods, says rising costs made it difficult for the independently owned and operated Oracle Road location to stay open—including a recently broken air conditioning system.
"A lot of people don't know our whole story. They still think of us as just the restaurant." Martin said.
Martin reflects on where it all started for him and his wife and co-founder, Sherry.
"The seed was planted 31 years ago when I moved to Tucson to be with Sherry and her family. She grew up making tamales. Every September, they'd make the green corn tamales," he said.
Martin says he and Sherry knew they had something special and couldn't pass up on a major opportunity.
"Sherry and I at the time, we started working for Intuit. So we were in tech, but we wanted to get into the food business and we wanted to do something that nobody else was doing." said Martin.
After some time, the couple opened their first location.
"We opened a little takeout restaurant on Broadway and Tucson Boulevard and that was in December of 2008, and it just really took off. That place was just magical. In 2013, we opened another restaurant on Tanque Verde, and then we opened in 2014—the one on Oracle," he said.
As time passed and with growth on the manufacturing and e-commerce side, Martin says both Broadway and Tanque Verde locations closed.
He tells me the original location closed because the city purchased the property to widen Broadway. Martin adds that the company decided not to renew the lease at the Tanque Verde location. Then, once the lease at the Oracle location was up, Martin says the general manager purchased it.
"Frank wanted to keep it going. So, he purchased it and he had the lease. Then just tough economic times happened and he wasn't able to see it through," Martin shared.
While the Oracle location is closing, Tucson Foods—the manufacturer and distributor behind the Tucson Tamale brand—is continuing to move the company forward independently through its manufacturing facility and national retail presence.
"While it is sad that the restaurant did need to close down, we're still thriving and doing really well." Martin said.
Products made at the facility are sold across the country.
"We got into about 5,000 grocery stores around the country, including Hawaii and Alaska" he said.
For Tucsonans wondering where they can still find the tamales, Martin says they won't have to look far.
"Right now in Tucson, we're in Fry's, Safeway, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Bashas', Aquavita, the Food Conspiracy Co-op, Costco." Martin said.
Martin says the company is also exploring holiday pop-up events later this year.
"We just want to say to the people of Tucson that have supported us all these years is we really appreciate all the support," Martin said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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