Following Golden Margarita's strife-laden closure in May, another restaurant wrapped in drama, Breakfast Bitch is moving in. Fans can spot the new location thanks to a familiar logo, displaying Rosie the Riveter painted on a black garage door. In it, the bandana-clad woman carries a plate of pancakes in one hand and a piping hot coffee in the other.
Golden Margarita opened on artsy Roosevelt Row in September 2020, serving food and drinks in a raucous atmosphere. It featured televised UFC fight nights, a booming DJ booth, and table service by scantily clad "bottle girls" that went for upward of $1,000.
The restaurant and bar shuttered in May amid reports of gun violence, community complaints, and a months-long liquor license battle. In the midst of the closure, many employees alleged that they were not compensated for their prior work, resulting in a lawsuit against owner Gem Ray for unpaid wages.
Now Breakfast Bitch is moving into the space at 330 East Roosevelt Street. Its owner, Tracii Show Hutsona, doesn't spare the drama, either.
The San Diego-based restaurant chain opened its original Phoenix location a few blocks away inside the modern and funky Cambria Hotel at Second and Portland Streets in November 2020. The cheeky breakfast joint debuted a food truck concept, Bitch on the Run, at the Pemberton PHX in February 2021, but didn't remain at the collective for long.
Breakfast Bitch offers brunch starting at 7 a.m. daily. The hearty menu includes the Boujee Bitch, lobster cakes with a basted egg served on a toasted croissant, the Bitch in a Blanket, chicken apple sausage rolled in pancake batter then deep fried and dusted with powdered sugar, plus health-conscious options such as the Green Bitch, a smoothie made with spinach, apples, and kombucha. Cocktails are also a draw at the well-loved brunch joint, where a DJ spins tunes while customers sip on mimosas, espresso martinis, and Moscow Mules.
The location at the Cambria Hotel will soon close and the restaurant is in talks with the property owner about a termination agreement, according to Hutsona.
"We're not really buying new restaurants; we took over the old Golden Margarita," she tells Phoenix New Times. "It has more space and it's on the next block. It was a great opportunity to sever our relationship with the hotel, which has a more conservative vibe, while we have a big birthday thing happening about 10 times a day, at least."
Owner Facing 20 Years in Prison
Alongside birthdays, bacon, bloody marys, and biscuits, paired with menu categories such as "main bitch," "exxxtra bitch," and "basic bitch," the restaurant's owner also serves up plenty of controversy."We're not really buying new restaurants; we took over the old Golden Margarita," she tells Phoenix New Times. "It has more space and it's on the next block. It was a great opportunity to sever our relationship with the hotel, which has a more conservative vibe, while we have a big birthday thing happening about 10 times a day, at least."
Owner Facing 20 Years in Prison
Hutsona pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge in September. Prosecutors have described Hutsona as a "serial con artist," and The New York Times labeled her a "cautionary tale" in April 2021.
In February 2021, coinciding with her Breakfast Bitch pop-up at the Pemberton PHX, Hutsona was arrested on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. She allegedly stole over $1 million from actress Joumana Kidd, the former wife of retired NBA star Jason Kidd. Prosecutors accused Hutsona of appropriating funds between 2015 and 2019, when she worked as a personal assistant for Joumana Kidd.
Hutsona reportedly siphoned the large sum from Kidd's accounts, including her childrens' college savings funds and spent the money on jewelry, cell phones, restaurants, nightclubs, and high-end hotels, according to The New York Times.
In a September report from 12 News, senior investigative consultant Julie Schwartz, who works for private investigation firm T&M, told the station that Hutsona used the funds to buy licensing and a website for Breakfast Bitch, which she opened in San Diego in 2019.
In 2008, Hutsona was sentenced to more than six years in prison for a separate case which also involved missing money, according to CBS 8. Hutsona pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and tax evasion and was ordered to pay $484,439.79 in restitution, according to court documents.
"It's been pretty tough and I feel sometimes that I have so much to say, but I'm advised not to say anything," Hutsona says. "Things aren't always what they're blown up to be. We've worked really hard on our businesses and we're not operating them out of stolen money by any means. We're operating them out of blood, sweat, and tears."
But the conflict has yet to slow down for the business owner, who plans to debut the Breakfast Bitch on Roosevelt Row on November 11. The new location will also include a sports bar called 4th Quarter, which will offer more of a party vibe, replete with black leather booths and a DJ. Breakfast and brunch will be served on the other side of the space.
Hutsona is facing up to 20 years in prison for the current criminal case. She was scheduled to be sentenced on November 3, just days before her new restaurant is set to open. But earlier this month, her attorneys requested a three-month delay so Hutsona could complete a 90-day treatment for long COVID-19, according to court documents. Hutsona tells New Times that she has respiratory issues requiring a daily injection treatment.
A court document from a family nurse practitioner at Scottsdale Medical Center states that Hutsona's condition is "not conducive to travel" and requests that future court matters be dealt with virtually. But according to a Breakfast Bitch employee, Hutsona regularly travels between Phoenix and San Diego to manage her restaurants.
Hutsona's sentencing has been moved to February 7, which she describes as "the court's decision."
A court document from a family nurse practitioner at Scottsdale Medical Center states that Hutsona's condition is "not conducive to travel" and requests that future court matters be dealt with virtually. But according to a Breakfast Bitch employee, Hutsona regularly travels between Phoenix and San Diego to manage her restaurants.
Hutsona's sentencing has been moved to February 7, which she describes as "the court's decision."
