Tucson boba shop The Korean Rose and Korean BBQ restaurant Taegukgi permanently closed Wednesday, leaving staff, vendors and a tight-knit community of regulars blindsided by the sudden shutdown.

The businesses, located next to one another near the intersection of Speedway and Wilmot, opened in late 2020 in the former Fuddruckers space.

The Korean Rose had become a hub for art and cultural markets, hosting anime cafes, artist alleys and cosplay contests.

The boba shop confirmed the news on Instagram Wednesday afternoon, hours after the K-Pop in Tucson account posted about the closure and the cancellation of a market scheduled for that evening.

"Things occurred very suddenly, so we ask for your patience at this time. For now, we would just like to confirm: yes, the cafe is closing effective immediately and all upcoming events have been cancelled. We are so sorry to our amazing community that we've built here," according to a story on The Korean Rose's Instagram page. "We love you all and have truly enjoyed getting to be a space for everyone to gather and have so much fun."

The story said The Korean Rose would issue a formal statement soon.

"Staff members here at (The Korean Rose) found out about the closure this morning," the story said. "All of our staff here are heartbroken, not only about the loss of the cafe, but the impact on our community, event hosts and vendors."

The cafe recently held a romance book pop-up market featuring indie and local authors and was scheduled to hold a K-Pop social night the evening of the closure.

In response to the closure, the K-Pop in Tucson account posted a link to a GoFundMe page for The Korean Rose's staff.

"(Staff) were told the evening before that they would no longer have a job the next day. No heads up. These places meant a lot to the community here in Tucson. So many events, meetups, and memories happened there — and that doesn't happen without the people working behind the scenes," the page said. "The staff who showed up every day, helped run events, and made those spaces feel welcoming. Now they're dealing with losing their income overnight and trying to figure out what comes next."

Taegukgi has not addressed the closure on social media, but a letter posted at the gated entrance and doors of both businesses confirmed the news.

"After extensive and immediate consideration, we have made the profoundly difficult decision to permanently close both the restaurant and the cafe, effective March 25, 2026," the letter said. "We understand that this news is sudden and may come as a shock. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this immediate closure may have caused."

The letter went on to thank customers for their patronage over the years.

"It has been an honor to serve our community, and we will deeply miss the opportunity to share our passion for Korean cuisine and creative drinks with you. Your support has meant the world to everyone at Taegukgi and The Korean Rose," the letter said.

Topacio “Topaz” Servellon is a reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact them at topacioserve@gmail.com.

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