More Filiberto's locations reopen after abrupt closures

The recognizable red lights that spell out where diners can find fast, late-night eats went dark earlier this summer. But a handful of those signs have been turned back on. Five of the eight Filiberto’s Mexican Food restaurants that abruptly closed in June reopened this month.

Filiberto’s restaurants in Phoenix, at 91st Avenue and Thomas Road, in Apache Junction, near Signal Butte Road and Main Street, and in Peoria, off 83rd Avenue and Thunderbird Road, began welcoming customers on Aug. 7, said Luis Espinoza, a commercial real estate broker who represents the restaurant group.

Two additional locations, in Chandler, at Pecos and McQueen roads and in Gilbert, on Williams Field Road near Val Vista Drive, have now reopened, Espinoza confirmed.

The eight restaurants were owned and operated by a franchisee, Compadres Group. The restaurants were shuttered because Compadres Group CEO John Schwimmer experienced personal "unforeseen medical issues," Cesar Tenorio, a member of the family that founded Filiberto's, told Phoenix New Times in June. Since the restaurants closed, the Tenorio family has been working with Espinoza to take over the leases of those locations.

These Filiberto’s locations are now open:

• 2955 N. 91st Ave., Phoenix
• 13972 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria
• 10749 E. Apache Trail, Apache Junction
• 930 E. Pecos Road, Chandler
• 1397 E. Williams Field Road, Gilbert
  

These locations will return soon:

• 17224 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix
• 1440 N. Dysart Road, Avondale
• 9150 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale

What happened?

The restaurants, known for their 24/7 drive-thrus and carne asada burritos, quietly closed in June. Six of the eight locations, however, were still marked as open online. That left many would-be customers confused and frustrated when they pulled up expecting to order, and were greeted with “closed” signs instead.

Some users took to social media to vent. Once news broke of the closures, readers sounded off with their own theories.

Diners weren’t the only ones surprised by the news. The Tenorio family, which founded Filiberto’s in 1993, was caught off guard, too. "But we all respect (Schwimmer's) wishes," Tenorio told New Times in June.

A week after the closures, Espinoza confirmed that GILE Commercial Real Estate was in the process of securing leases on the locations spanning the Valley from Peoria to Gilbert and Scottsdale to Avondale. Members of the family will run these locations going forward, Espinoza said.

Initially, the real estate broker estimated all of the restaurants would reopen in July. Since then, that timeline has extended, and each restaurant will open as it's ready, Espinoza says. He anticipates that all eight of the Filiberto’s restaurants will be up and running by September.