CLOSED: Matador Restaurant

After 35 years, the Matador Restaurant, a downtown favorite of locals in search of Sonoran Mexican food, has shuttered. On March 12, a fire briefly closed the restaurant located at the southeast corner of First and Adams streets. Less than two weeks later, after re-opening for a few days last...

By Laura Hahnefeld

March 26, 2012

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After 35 years, the Matador Restaurant, a downtown favorite of locals in search of Sonoran Mexican food, has shuttered.

On March 12, a fire briefly closed the restaurant located at the southeast corner of First and Adams streets. Less than two weeks later, after re-opening for a few days last week, an announcement on the Matador's Facebook page stated its last day of business would be Saturday, March 24, and that the city of Phoenix, who owns the building, would not renew its lease despite months of negotiations.

But that's not the whole enchilada.

According to The Republic, the Matador, owned by Alexandra Anagnopoulos and husband Mike, owes around $400,000 in federal, state, and city taxes dating back to 2008, with about $48,000 of the amount owed to the city.

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