After 10 years, a beloved Tucson restaurant known for its thoughtful comfort food plates has closed its doors. But the story is not over for Commoner & Co., as the restaurant is relocating to the Valley.
Commoner & Co. served the last diners at its Ventana Canyon spot in northeast Tucson on July 19. It’s slated to reopen in early 2026, at the Verde at Cooley Station shopping plaza on the southwest corner of Williams Field and Recker roads.
The opportunity to offer lunch, dinner and brunch on the weekends was among the motivators for the move, says owner Nathan Ares. The location in Tucson did not lend itself to lunch or daytime traffic, so he could only operate four hours a night, even though he wanted to do more.
“We love what’s happening in Gilbert, and some of my favorite spots are opening around us,” Ares says. “We wanted to get our feet in Gilbert early, before everyone else does.”
A partner with Ares Collective, Ares’ restaurant group is also responsible for Prep & Pastry, which operates locations in Tucson and Old Town Scottsdale. A Gilbert location recently closed to make way for another project Ares has in the works called Clare House Social.
The new Commoner & Co. location will offer 3,600 square feet of indoor dining and bar space, and the 1,500-square-foot patio will be developed into an inviting hub for relaxing and lingering.
After developing a loyal fan base and fine-dining reputation in Tucson over the last 10 years, Commoner & Co. is moving to Gilbert.
Commoner & Co.
“I wouldn’t classify it as fine dining in Phoenix,” Ares says. “But, we want people to be able to come in and celebrate anniversaries, and come in after a round of golf.”
The menu will undergo a lot of changes but some of the popular attractions will stay. Customers can expect hand-cut pastas, the Commoner Burger adorned with chipotle aioli barbecue sauce and shredded iceberg lettuce, and Fried Chicken Tuesdays, a weekly event featuring chicken that undergoes a 24-hour brine and 24-hour buttermilk soak before getting fried to perfection.
A wood-fired oven will be used to finish hearty items such as dry-aged steak, brick chicken and Brie Wellington with vanilla-spiced apples.
Another alluring attribute of moving north was the opportunity to play on the wild side, Ares says, noting that he looks forward to taking chances with dishes that he didn’t feel confident would fly in the 520 area code.
“Steak tartare may work in Gilbert, but it wouldn’t work in Tucson,” Ares estimates. “You don’t have to play it safe. We could be a little more exciting and creative with what we want to do.”
Ares launched Commoner & Co. in 2015, a year before opening the first location of breakfast and brunch eatery Prep & Pastry in Tucson, and four years before opening one in Scottsdale in 2019.
As he plans for Commoner and Co.’s Valley debut, Ares admits expanding into a different and larger market stirs up excitement along with some nerves.
“We were a good-sized fish in a small pond in Tucson. We’re a small fish in a big pond up there. The excitement around the company right now… I haven’t had butterflies in my stomach like this in a long time,” Ares says. “We want to be the perfect neighborhood spot.”
Commoner & Co.
Opening early 20262472 S. Recker Road, #104, Gilbert
