After Nearly 60 Years, Monti's La Casa Vieja in Tempe to Close Later This Month

When it comes to Arizona landmarks, you can hardly ignore Monti's La Casa Vieja. Located in the historic adobe Hayden House on Mill Avenue, the restaurant is not only the oldest eatery in Tempe, but also the oldest continually occupied building in metro Phoenix. The steakhouse been open since 1956...

By Lauren Saria

November 4, 2014

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When it comes to Arizona landmarks, you can hardly ignore Monti's La Casa Vieja. Located in the historic adobe Hayden House on Mill Avenue, the restaurant is not only the oldest eatery in Tempe, but also the oldest continually occupied building in metro Phoenix.

The steakhouse been open since 1956 but soon, after nearly 60 years of business, Monti's La Casa Vieja will close its doors for good.

According to the Arizona Republic, Monti's owner Michael Monti says the restaurant will close on Monday, November 17.

Rising beef costs and other business costs are to blame, Monti says.

The decision comes after the announcement that the Hayden House property on which the restaurant sits has been sold to new owners. The new owners plan to build high rise towers on the site.

One of the towers will be a 16-story, 247-room Kimpton hotel and the other will be 15-story office tower. The Hayden House, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, will be preserved.

Leonard F. Monti, Sr. purchased the Hayden House in 1954 and opened the neighborhood steakhouse that has since become a local landmark. The restaurant, which is comprised of 14 different dining rooms, is known for serving steaks, ribs, and chops, as well as its signature Roman bread.

This post has been edited from its original version.

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Lauren Saria

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