Tucsonans will soon have another place to go for their ribs, fried chicken, collard greens and other Southern-style food delicacies.
The Onyx Room proprietors plan to open the doors the first week of April in the old home of El Mariachi at 106 W. Drachman St.
The supper club will serve Southern cuisine for lunch and dinner before turning into an upscale nightclub in the evenings, complete with DJs, dancing and live jazz and R&B. The Onyx Room will be open for business Mondays-Thursdays from 11am to 10pm, and 11am to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.
“There are not a lot of places you can go, sit down, enjoy some really good soul food, but also have it be where you can get dressed up and stay for drinks and dancing,” said Beverly Bryant, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband Johnny Bryant. “We are trying to provide that one-stop shop for entertainment.”
The Bryants do not come from a restaurant background. Mrs. Bryant is the director of human resources for Casa de los Niños and Mr. Bryant ran the Casa thrift store for more than a decade.
This has been a lifelong dream for Johnny, Beverly said. The couple has recruited their three children to help make it a reality. Their oldest son, John Bryant Jr. will serve as chef. Their daughter, Leondria Bryant will handle marketing and their youngest - LeVar Bryant - will help with the front of the house.
Mrs. Bryant said that they hope to provide an atmosphere that appeals to a more mature crowd; downtown businessmen and university students during the lunch rush and an equally upscale clientele at night.
She added that anticipation for The Onyx Room is already building.“We go places and people already know about us,” she said. “We are already getting calls to see if we are open.”
For more information, visit TheOnyxRoom.net or call 620-6699.
