The owners of Sunny’s Cantina announced today on social media that the restaurant will be closing after service this Sunday, October 13.
Sunny’s Cantina is owned by Steve VanderKolb, Tom Galbraith, and chef Andy Roesch, who also operate Felix’s Pizza Pub, which remains open in Dogtown.
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The post read, in part, “We have made the sudden and difficult decision to close our doors at Sunny’s Cantina. A month ago, we were planning on giving it another year at least, but it became clear these last few weeks that now is the right time.”
The trio thanked their employees, past and present, who helped keep the restaurant running through challenging times, beginning with its opening just four days before pandemic-related shutdowns began. “Just unfortunate timing from the get go,” the post read. “Enough said. We wish it had a different ending.”
Discussing the Franz Park restaurant prior to its opening, VanderKolb said, “The other staples were there: burgers, pizza, American… But no Mexican place,” before proposing to name the restaurant after his daughter, Sunny. “My partners were leaning toward Dogtown Cantina as a logical name, but when they considered all the positive connotations of a name like Sunny’s Cantina, they came around.”
Having introduced his take on New York-style pizza at Felix’s, Roesch rolled out his rendition of Mexican-inspired fare at Sunny’s, including fajita fried rice, a tostada stack, and a house-made chorizo burger topped with grilled pineapple, guacamole, pico, Chihuahua cheese, and sriracha crèma served on Texas toast.
“Thank you again for all your support,” the announcement concluded. “Now come eat some of co-owner Chef Andy’s great food and a margarita. Please come out and support this establishment and staff one last time this Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.”
SLM has reached out to the ownership group for additional comments.
