The historic building once known as the Arizona Tavern, located at 112 Bucket of Blood St., on the south side of the railroad tracks is now Holbrook’s newest events venue and eventually bar and restaurant.
Ed Heward purchased the building this year and has since made some modifications to the old part of the structure and even added a new room on the backside to accommodate as many as 75 people.
Founded in the late 1800’s, Holbrook was predominantly occupied by cattle and sheep ranchers, cowboys and railroaders. Like any Old West town, taverns and saloons were the means of entertainment for most of the people in town. With nearly 250 townspeople by 1900, the town that was once referred to as “too rough for women and churches” became home to another gambling and drinking hotspot, the Arizona Tavern.
The tavern shut down in the early 1900’s and remained unoccupied for many years before Holbrook residents Jack and Gladys Young purchased it in 2010. The Young’s changed the name to Horsehead Crossing Deli and Ice Cream Parlor and operated out of the building for just over a year before closing their doors.
After being unoccupied for nearly a decade, Heward purchased the building from Young earlier this year with the intention of opening a restaurant with a bar in the back. Heward’s brother David Heward said that they’ve already made significant changes to the old 1,360 square-foot structure. David said that a restructure of the old bar was necessary because of its physical condition but the slab that was obtained by Young from the Huso family who originally installed the bar will still be used. “The bar itself was pretty decrepit so we salvaged the top part to build a new bar,” he said.
The plan is to have the dining area inside the new addition, as well as an outdoor patio. David said there is no kitchen inside the building but there is a food truck which will be just outside the dining area next to the patio where inside and outside diners can order their food. The bar will be in the front of the building where the original barback stands and the old branded bar counter will be reinstalled.
Though the name was changed in 2010 when Young purchased the building, David said they will be readopting the original name, the Arizona Tavern. David added that the venue is already available for events and anyone interested can contact Ed Heward at (480) 233-2400. An opening date has not yet been determined but David says they hope to open sometime in the spring of 2020.
