Frank & Lupe’s Old Mexico, a stalwart Mexican restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale, has quietly closed after 30 years in business.
It's unclear when the restaurant served its last meals and margaritas. Yet the hallmarks of Frank & Lupe’s – the cursive sign atop the stucco building, the painted tiles depicting Frank singing to Lupe with a guitar in hand, the chile string lights framing the front windows – are gone.
Frank and Lupe Bernal originally opened Frank & Lupe’s El Sombrero in Socorro, New Mexico, in 1980. Frank & Lupe’s opened in Scottsdale on Marshall Way and Indian School Road in 1995, followed by an outpost in Ahwatukee in 2017. The vibrant Arizona restaurants served hearty Mexican dishes that were often topped with New Mexican red and green chile sauces.
The Bernals’ sons Teddy and Eddie ran the Arizona restaurants until 2020. The year was marked with challenges and tragic loss. In March, the business filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, claiming nearly $292,000 in debts. In July of that year, Teddy died from COVID-19. The Ahwatukee location closed in the same month. The family was dealt a second grievous loss when Eddie died from a brain aneurysm in September 2020.
Piero Aviles took over the Scottsdale restaurant, and the business exited bankruptcy in July 2021. Aviles did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
While the Old Town Scottsdale spot has shuttered, a representative for the restaurant shared via email that there are plans to reopen it in a new location.
Jacob Finley has submitted plans and applied for a liquor license for a restaurant named The Poderosa House. Finley owns Karsen's Grill, a long-running tavern less than a half-mile from Frank & Lupe’s.
In documents provided to the city, Finley describes The Ponderosa House as “‘Arizona born’ food.”
“It will have American and Mexican-styled food, not the fusion of the two, but a representation of both,” Finley wrote, noting the atmosphere will be elevated with a casual feel. “The goal is also to pay homage to Frank and Lupe's as well. This establishment has been an Old Town staple since I was a kid, and I share many fond memories with my family.”
It's unclear when the restaurant served its last meals and margaritas. Yet the hallmarks of Frank & Lupe’s – the cursive sign atop the stucco building, the painted tiles depicting Frank singing to Lupe with a guitar in hand, the chile string lights framing the front windows – are gone.
Frank and Lupe Bernal originally opened Frank & Lupe’s El Sombrero in Socorro, New Mexico, in 1980. Frank & Lupe’s opened in Scottsdale on Marshall Way and Indian School Road in 1995, followed by an outpost in Ahwatukee in 2017. The vibrant Arizona restaurants served hearty Mexican dishes that were often topped with New Mexican red and green chile sauces.
The Bernals’ sons Teddy and Eddie ran the Arizona restaurants until 2020. The year was marked with challenges and tragic loss. In March, the business filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, claiming nearly $292,000 in debts. In July of that year, Teddy died from COVID-19. The Ahwatukee location closed in the same month. The family was dealt a second grievous loss when Eddie died from a brain aneurysm in September 2020.
Piero Aviles took over the Scottsdale restaurant, and the business exited bankruptcy in July 2021. Aviles did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
While the Old Town Scottsdale spot has shuttered, a representative for the restaurant shared via email that there are plans to reopen it in a new location.
Renovations underway for new restaurant
Frank & Lupe’s Marshall Way home won’t stay vacant for long. In July, the city of Scottsdale approved a remodel of the restaurant. The space has been taken down to the studs, with wall insulation and pipework visible from the restaurant’s sidewalk-facing windows.Jacob Finley has submitted plans and applied for a liquor license for a restaurant named The Poderosa House. Finley owns Karsen's Grill, a long-running tavern less than a half-mile from Frank & Lupe’s.
In documents provided to the city, Finley describes The Ponderosa House as “‘Arizona born’ food.”
“It will have American and Mexican-styled food, not the fusion of the two, but a representation of both,” Finley wrote, noting the atmosphere will be elevated with a casual feel. “The goal is also to pay homage to Frank and Lupe's as well. This establishment has been an Old Town staple since I was a kid, and I share many fond memories with my family.”
