We know a couple of ASU students who were seriously devastated when they heard the 24-hour IHOP located on Apache Boulevard closed its doors earlier this summer. Was the pancake house a culinary destination? Hell no. But it was a convenient, cheap dining option for a lot of students.
The only consolation as we head into the fall semester may be that two new restaurants will open inside the new hotel planned for the former site of the Twin Palms Hotel. The new lodging option, which will be called Graduate Tempe, will include both a "diner-chic restaurant" and a "Mexican street food outpost."
See also: IHOP and Sacks to Close: Downtown Tempe Loses Two Longstanding Restaurants
The first dining option at the Graduate Tempe will be The Normal, a diner-style restaurant. The Normal will serve breakfast all day, as well as soups, sandwiches, and shakes. Expect "signature menu items such as the Minimum Wage Meal and Hayden Mills Blue Corn Pancakes," according to a press release.
Tapacubo, a "Mexican street food outpost," will be a second option. The restaurant's design will include a bar made from 38,000 Mexican pesos, mid-century garage-inspired furniture, and margaritas served from gas pumps (we still can't decided how we feel about that). The menu will include items such as tacos, arepas, and guacamole with drink options including Mexican craft beers, margaritas, and micheladas.
The Graduate Tempe will also offer a rooftop bar on the fourth floor of the hotel.
The hotel, which is expected to open in late September, is one of two projects to come from a new hotel brand called Graduate Hotels. The brand is focusing on college markets across the country, opening hotels "that celebrate each respective town's local culture and history."
For more information about the hotel visit the Graduate Tempe website.
