The family behind El Charro Café, the nation's oldest Mexican restaurant in continuous operation by the same family, is bringing a new neighborhood restaurant to the Catalina Foothills this spring.

El Charro was founded in 1922 by Monica Flin, who, knowing her restaurant was the only one in the area, served a deliberately wide-ranging menu that included Mexican staples alongside breakfast sandwiches, roast beef dinners and French food.

To honor her legacy, Flores Concepts president Ray Flores opened The Monica in spring 2022, a downtown all-day cafe serving breakfast, lunch and dinner at 40 E. Congress. The success of that restaurant inspired Flores to bring something similar to the Catalina Foothills.

"We knew that neighborhood was special," Flores said.

The Hills will be opening on the corner of East Sunrise Drive and North Kolb Road. The restaurant is set to open this month in the space formerly occupied by Commoner & Co.

"The Hills is a nickname given to all the teams up there," Flores said. "If you play for Catalina Foothills High School, you play for the Hills."

Flores is also incorporating local art to give the space a personal and cultural feel, including murals by Tucson artist Joe Pagac and work inspired by DeGrazia.

"We're aiming to pay homage to Tucson and the Foothills," he said.

The Hills will seat 120 people inside and an additional 20 on the patio, with views of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

The decor will feature vintage Tucson items, and Flores said the overall aesthetic will lean shabby boho chic, a departure from The Monica's style. Unlike The Monica, The Hills will offer full restaurant service.

The kitchen will offer everything from pancakes to pizza, with a brick oven, full bar and wine list and coffee service. Mimosas will be priced below what nearby resorts charge. The menu will accommodate gluten-free, vegan, keto and high-protein diets, and will feature the vegan hemp tamales served at all Flores Concepts locations.

Flores described the concept as "a little bit of breakfast, lunch, dinner — available all the time."

Dinner prices will range from $20 to $30, with reduced prices for lunch items.

Flores said the pricing is intentional, designed to fill a gap he sees in the neighborhood.

"Catalina Foothills is a great neighborhood, it's a great community, but they don't have restaurants that serve everything," Flores said. "They don't have a neighborhood cafe."

Lily Cottam is a journalism major at the Universsity of Arizona and intern at Tucson Spotlight.

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