On August 22nd, 2013, Pub 1922 Vintage Flavor Co officially opened for business in the Rancho Sahuarita Marketplace. The new restaurant opened to much anticipation and excitement, drawing customers to its new atmosphere, décor, and menu.
Pub 22, for short, was formerly an El Charro Café, a long time staple in the region. The new eatery offers a variety of both food and beverage choices, and is designed with local residents’ tastes in mind. Ray Flores, owner of Killer Culinary, (the management company behind Pub 22 and Sir Veza’s Taco Garage), wanted to do a concept that would truly fit the needs and desires of the Rancho Sahuarita community. He said of the venture, “We want to be more of a neighborhood concept, and that’s what we’ve come up with.”
In addition to the unique atmosphere and look of the restaurant, the name also attracted a lot of attention; leaving many local residents asking about the significance of the number ‘22’.The number 22 is a common theme throughout many of the aspects of the restaurant, and comes from the year 1922, when the Flores family opened the first El Charro Café in Tucson. There are 22 entrees, 22 beers on draft, (including local craft beers with one rotating every 22 days), 22 beer bottles and cans and even a special dinner for a family of four for $22. This special is available Sunday through Thursday.
The menu includes fish & chips, short rib mac and cheese, fish tacos, flatbread pizzas, beer battered fried pickles, a house burger and tortellini recipes. There will also be a lunch menu available soon. The local community played a vital role in composition of the menu, not only in the variety of choices that it includes, but also in the choice of ingredients. Tortillas, breads and pecans are some of the things that will be locally sourced for use in dishes. Many healthy menu options are offered as well, including both vegan and vegetation items.
Residents of the surrounding community have embraced Pub 22, loving its expansive variety of options and the friendly and welcoming atmosphere. The family-friendly restaurant, which has board games and a ping pong table for residents to enjoy, will also offer a new spot for adults to experience. Staying open late on Friday and Saturday nights, the eatery will feature a DJ, and also live entertainment in the future. With over 10 HD TVs, Dish Network, and the NFL Sunday Ticket, and an interactive trivia game which can be played by customers by simply downloading an app on a smart phone, there is always something exciting for customers to enjoy.
The new restaurant is also dedicated to the community, taking part in important community initiatives and special projects. Events like a special fundraiser for a local student and a food drive for the Green Valley/Sahuarita Food Bank are important to the team at Pub 22, and reinforce its commitment to the area and its residents.
Jeremy Sharpe, Community Liaison for Rancho Sahuarita, is excited about the new member of the Rancho Sahuarita Marketplace, seeing such a positive response from residents of the community. “Part of the long term vision of the Rancho Sahuarita Community is not just to provide an incredible place for families to live, but also an excellent place for them to shop, eat, and do business. Businesses like Pub 22, which are designed and created with our residents in mind, are what help the community to fulfill and surpass that vision each day.”