There’s change afoot in Tucson’s historic heart. The restaurant in the shady oasis of Old Town Artisans is under new management.
A trio of local women is re-imagining La Cocina, 201 N. Court Ave., with modifications to the three-decade-old downtown institution slated to unfurl throughout the fall.
JoAnne Schneider, the owner of Bentley’s House of Coffee & Tea, is the restaurant’s new general manager. She teamed up with Lori Ryder, a caterer, pastry chef and cooking instructor who will take over as executive chef, and Allie Baron, former hotel manager of Hotel Congress will be the manager.
They plan to serve “fresh and eclectic” sandwiches and appetizers made with local ingredients, as well as fair-trade coffee at the espresso bar. There will also be a full bar serving, among other things, local beer and wine.
The master lease holders of Old Town Artisans, Mary Lou and Charles Focht, are looking forward to the revamp. “We needed a change,” Mary Lou Focht said. “We wanted new energy and a new look. We approached (Schneider) when we realized the current management was totally burned out. We’ve been friends for 20 years, and it just seemed like a perfect fit.”
Beginning September 7, the courtyard and cantina hours will be extended to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday with the restaurant opening at 9 a.m. on Saturdays. The full dining room will open in October.
For more information, call 622-0351 or visit OldTownArtisans.com.
