TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tuesday, KGUN 9 was the first to tell you that Eegee's is coming out of bankruptcy with a new owner.
Today, Eegee's CEO Chris Westcott sat down with me to talk about the future of the beloved Tucson fast food chain:
He says Eegee's is now well-positioned for the future, and reassures fans of the eatery that, "we are local through and through."
For Westcott, "local" doesn't just mean serving their popular cool treat. He also talked about the continued employment of nearly 500 workers at the 20 locations throughout the Tucson area.
Now that Eegee's has come out of bankruptcy with a new owner, Eegee Acquisition Corp., Westcott says its
"It's enabled us to reorganize ourselves so that we don't have the weight of the business dragging us down," Westcott said.
Westcott was brought on as CEO to help lead Eegee's through the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy process in late 2024. During his time at the helm, Westcott says he quickly learned the importance of Eegee's in Tucson, where it began 54 years ago.
"I'm treating it like an ultra-local brand. This is not, we don't envision this becoming national anytime soon," Westcott said. "We're not making the decisions at some board room clear across the country, we're making decisions here."
Westcott admits mistakes were made with the Eegee's brand. The four Eegee's restaurants opened in the Phoenix area after the pandemic were not as successful as the owners at the time had hoped.
"People that are in Tucson love Tucson. There's not a lot of migration to Phoenix. So, brand awareness wasn't as strong as we believed it to be."
Westcott tells me they are committed to the Phoenix-area locations, in addition to the Tucson restaurants.
He says, while there are no guarantees, he believes the 25 remaining locations are now well-positioned to succeed.
"The brand has too much fan power, it has too much of a popular, positive reputation. It just needs some TLC and some guidance and some direction."
Westcott says now that the company has come out of bankruptcy, reinvesting in local charities will be one of the priorities. Today at their location by the airport, Eegee's hosted 'The Long Walk Home,' a nonprofit focused on supporting veterans and their families, led by Vietnam Veteran Ron Zaleski.
That reinvestment in the community is another sign, Wescott says, that Eegee's isn't going anywhere.
"I want to make sure people realize that those roots are firm," Westcott said.
Westcott also tells me they are exploring new menu options in the future, including hot sandwiches and soups. He also hints that they have some fun flavors coming up as Eegee's Flavors of the Month.
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Pat Parris is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. He is a graduate of Sabino High School where he was the 1982 high school state track champion in the 800 meters. While in high school and college, he worked part-time in the KGUN 9 newsroom. Share your story ideas and important issues with Pat by emailing pat.parris@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
