Tucson Tamale Market Closing After 12 Years, Citing Financial Pressures

TUCSON, AZ — After more than a decade serving the community, Tucson Tamale Market has closed its doors for good.

No quiet shutdown this time. The closure came with a heartfelt farewell.

"After 12 incredible years, we have made the difficult decision to close Tucson Tamale Market effective immediately due to ongoing economic and financial pressures," the restaurant said in a statement to customers.

The announcement, posted online, thanked the Tucson community for more than a decade of support. "There are no words to fully express our gratitude to the Tucson community," the statement read.

"From our first customers to the families who made us part of their traditions, to every person who stopped in for a meal, attended an event, shared a recommendation, or simply cheered us on, you made these past 12 years possible."

Tucson Tamale was founded in 2008 by husband-and-wife team Todd and Sherry, who built the business around a family tamale recipe passed down through generations. Sherry grew up in a large Mexican-American family where tamale-making was a tradition in itself, an all-day event known as a tamalada. Todd's first experience making tamales came at one of those family gatherings, an experience that led him to leave a corporate executive job later that year to make tamales full time.

The restaurant grew from that family tradition into a Tucson staple, offering a dine-in menu alongside catering services and nationwide frozen tamale delivery.

It became known for blending traditional recipes with cleaner, healthier ingredients, and earned a loyal following across the city over more than a decade in business.

While the restaurant has closed, the brand's frozen tamale shipping isn't gone for good, just on pause. "Shipping has been paused for the summer! It's too hot to ship frozen goods at the moment, see you back in September!" the company said.