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Longtime Tucson restaurant Lerua's last day open

Lerua's by Guillermo Delacruz.JPG
Posted at 11:45 AM, Jan 19, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-19 13:55:42-05

TUCSON, Ariz. — Tucson's longstanding and renowned Mexican restaurant Lerua's will finally be closing its doors on Saturday, January 19 on its 2005 E Broadway location. The restaurant's closure is due to a long-anticipated road widening project on East Broadway.

Today, Lerua's Fine Mexican Food, located near Campbell Avenue, opens at 11 a.m. and closes sometime this afternoon. To find out more details about seating and food available, we recommend calling the restaurant. (520-624-0322)

The Arizona Daily Star reported that Owner Mike Hulquist and the City Attorney's office, after much deliberation, finally reached a settlement that the city would pay him slightly over $600,000. That offer was $200,000 more than the city's offer in 2017, and Hultquist said that offers began in 1987, decades ago.

Tucson Foodiereported that this doesn't mean the famed restaurant is closing for good, just until they find a new location or they re-open their sister restaurant, El Torero.

However, longtime customers are reacting to the closure:

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The widening project will extend Broadway Road to be six lanes wide, starting the Country Club Road and Euclid Avenue intersection.

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