The chain drive-thrus that shuttered are part of Compadres Group, a Scottsdale-based company owned by John Schwimmer, according to his LinkedIn page. Schwimmer has run Compadres as CEO since 2001, his online resume says.
Schwimmer has not yet responded to requests for comment from Phoenix New Times. Cesar Tenorio, a member of the family that founded Filiberto’s in 1993, said Schwimmer closed the restaurants after experiencing personal “unforeseen medical issues.”
Tenorio says his family hopes to take those locations over.
“We’re working with the owners of the properties to try to take over the lease so we can keep these locations operating,” he says.
The closed restaurants are located in Phoenix, Avondale, Apache Junction, Chandler, Peoria and Scottsdale. Last week, would-be diners were greeted with “closed” signs despite online listings still showing these spots as open. They took to Reddit, Yelp and Google to share their frustration at driving to a restaurant, only to find similar vague notifications of closures.
"Permanently" was scribbled onto an impromptu "closed" sign at a Filiberto's in Gilbert.
Johann Warnholtz
The blinds were drawn tight and the parking lot was empty. Taped to the doors, drive-thru intercom and window were printed pages reading "CLOSED," with no further explanation. In the bushes along the drive-thru, grackles took advantage of the calm to loiter unbothered.
The 42-year-old IT worker said he pops by Filiberto's a couple of times a month on lunch breaks from his office in Scottsdale.
"It sucks that they're closed — I'll have to make other plans," he said. "Filiberto's is not really that great, but it's quick, and the carne asada burrito is $10. It's filling. Me, personally, I have one and don't need to eat for the rest of the day."
Closed signs, with no other information, were seen at Filiberto's around the Valley on Friday.
Sara Crocker
Cones blocked the drive-thru to the Chandler location, while "permanently" was hand-written in black marker underneath a sign hung on the Gilbert drive-thru menu. Filiberto's, in Avondale at 1440 N. Dysart Road, and in Phoenix at 17224 N. 19th Ave., are listed as "temporarily closed" on Google. Staff at nearby Filiberto’s restaurants confirmed those locations have closed.
The Arizona chain opened 32 years ago and has close to 100 locations around the Valley. Today, the restaurants are owned and operated by individuals who are part of the extended family of the founders, Tenorio said, or friends. Those owners sign a licensing deal, he noted, and he estimates 30 to 35% of Filiberto’s restaurants are owned by friends or former employees.
The family is working to take over the eight locations that were part of the Compadres Group and get them back up and running.
“It did catch us all off guard, obviously,” Tenorio said. “But we all respect his wishes.”
Filiberto's is a classic Phoenix rite of passage, whether for picking up a fast meal or visiting a 24-hour drive-thru in the middle of the night to absorb the damage of a night out.
Phoenix New Times will continue to update this story as we learn more. Do you have the scoop on what's going on? Tip us off at [email protected].
