Cotton & Copper Closes In South Tempe

TEMPE, AZ — A mainstay of south Tempe is closing due to the coronavirus.

Cotton & Copper announced its closure in a Facebook post Thursday. The restaurant, which opened three years ago, was known for its locally-foraged ingredients and extensive menu of craft cocktails. The restaurant put 'New Arizonan' cooking and desert ingredients on the map.

"The last year has been a true struggle, the persistence of COVID has made it painfully obvious we won’t be in the clear anytime soon," the restaurant wrote. "After countless pivots and regularly putting out fires, focusing on the numbers has become a greater percentage of our days than spending time with our loved ones and giving back to community programs. No, that’s not us."

The team behind the award-winning restaurant went on to say that they could not fathom having to drain their savings account in order to barely survive as the pandemic shows no signs of slowing down soon. But the lease is still intact and the space will be getting a "full reboot" to continue serving the community as an all-day cafe and bar, the team said.

Head Chef Tamara Stanger confirmed the news to the Phoenix New Times and said she was moving to her home state of Utah and had taken a new job at The Lakehouse at Deer Creek.

In a Facebook post of her own, Stanger said that Arizona will always be her home.

"Heartbroken and full of joy all the same," she wrote. "Thankful for everyone who has supported me through the years. The best thing about the future is that it has a path, but it is not defined. AZ will always be home."

The restaurant will close after take-out service on Feb. 6.