Diner coming to Tucson's Sunshine Mile

Tucson residents who have watched the former Welcome Diner sit closed at Broadway Boulevard and Euclid Avenue will soon have a reason to return. Howdy Diner is planned for the 3,929 square foot space at 902 E. Broadway, on the western end of the Sunshine Mile. The restaurant will preserve the building’s recognizable exterior while adding a patio, bar and walk up counter, creating another all day food option for families, office workers, University of Arizona students and people traveling through central Tucson.

The project comes from Sally Kane, owner of Coronet Restaurant at 198 W. Cushing St. Kane leased the Broadway property after spending about two years searching for a location for another restaurant. She said she wanted a more family friendly concept than Coronet, which she described as a destination restaurant affected by seasonal business. The opportunity to take over the former Welcome Diner space appealed to her because it matched what she had been seeking, including a classic Tucson setting and a centrally located diner format. Dave Hammack and Rob Tomlinson of Picor handled the lease.

Howdy Diner will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Kane described the menu as traditional diner food, with items expected to include silver dollar pancakes, pigs in a blanket treats for children, pastrami sandwiches, burgers and meatloaf. The restaurant is being designed to provide different ways to dine. Guests will be able to receive traditional table service inside, or order at the counter and take a burger and beer to the patio. The full menu will be available at both service areas.

Construction and interior improvements are underway. Existing booths will receive updates, while the previously unused back room will be converted into space for the walk up counter and bar. The patio and additional interior area are expected to raise seating capacity to 130 customers. The property has about 36 parking spaces. Kane said she envisions the restaurant serving a broad mix of customers, including business groups meeting for lunch, families eating dinner and students looking for cocktails and a burger.

The building has a long history as a Tucson restaurant landmark. It was constructed in 1964 and first operated as a Sambo’s Pancake House, which remained open until the mid 1980s. The location later became the Country House and then Chaffin’s Diner. In 2016, the mid century building was restored and reopened as Welcome Diner. Welcome Diner closed in 2020, and has remained out of operation since then. Although the dining room has been empty, the structure has remained part of the Broadway historic and architectural landscape, making the decision to retain the facade significant for the Sunshine Mile.

Kane’s connection to Tucson also influenced the restaurant’s direction and name. A native Tucsonan, she said the city’s classic restaurants and diners are part of what draws her in. The name Howdy came from her father’s guest ranch, where she regularly greeted visitors with that word. She developed the concept with business partner Chris Hallverson and operations manager Guy Torey. The new diner will bring activity back to a property that has been unused for years, while maintaining a link to the site’s earlier restaurant identities.

Howdy Diner will join a broader effort to make the Sunshine Mile a food and gathering destination. The Broadway corridor has long included restaurants, bars and cafes, and recent improvements have helped reshape the area after years of construction connected to the Sunshine Mile project. Nearby businesses have included Barrio Bread, Bisbee Breakfast Club, Falora, Kimchi Time, Rocco’s Little Chicago, Tooley’s Cafe, Zemam’s and other restaurants and food businesses. The corridor also has gathering places such as Sidecar and the Silver Room, along with specialty food retailers including Roma Imports and Desert Island Records nearby.

Another planned project is Tucson Gastropark, a proposed culinary hub on Broadway between Cherry and Warren avenues. Developer Peter Anadranistakis envisions the site as a welcome center for Tucson’s food culture, drawing on the city’s designation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. The project centers on seven preserved, century old homes that are being restored as casitas. One would serve as a visitor center, while the others would host food events involving local restaurants. The park also plans gastro lounges, expanded kitchen facilities, collaborations with Mission Garden and a recording studio for food related podcasts or traveling culinary programs.

Tucson Gastropark is expected to open in phases, beginning with smaller mobile food events such as Taco Tuesdays, followed by larger community gatherings and eventually a formal opening. The final phase depends on approvals from Rio Nuevo and the City of Tucson for remaining permits. The larger Broadway parcel surrounding Howdy Diner has its own development history. It was once the site of a Volvo dealership and was considered for an apartment complex with a courtyard for farmers markets and art fairs. Those plans were put on hold for economic reasons, although the property could be developed in the future. For now, Howdy Diner’s return gives the Sunshine Mile a new restaurant in a preserved building, while adding to the corridor’s continuing evolution as a place to eat, meet and spend time in Tucson.