Phoenix restaurants and bars closed to protest ICE amid U.S. shutdown

More than a dozen restaurants, cafes and bars will close Friday as part of the nationwide protest actions by the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Community advocates and activists organized a shutdown in Minneapolis on Jan. 23. Businesses closed and hundreds of thousands of people braved arctic temperatures in the streets to call for an end to the violent crackdown that has left at least two citizens dead.

Here in the Valley, ICE agents swept across Zipps Sports Grill locations this week. Demonstrators showed up at the scenes, leading to tense encounters. At one Phoenix Zipps, a video showed a federal agent dousing protesters in pepper-spray through the passenger window of a departing vehicle. In the aftermath, advocates estimate “several dozen” people were detained by federal agents.

Now, organizers are asking people to act on Friday with “no school, no work and no shopping,” the website for the National Shutdown campaign reads. Many advocates have called for a nationwide general strike, and demonstrations popped off around the Valley on Friday, as they have been throughout January.

Several Phoenix area restaurants, coffee shops and watering holes have announced plans to close or otherwise support the cause. (Phoenix New Times separately released its own statement of support for immigrants on Friday as well.)

“We stand with our community,” Cafecito Pecas shared in an Instagram post with a heart emoji. “Siempre, hasta la raíz.”

Business owners accepted that closing would mean a short-term financial cost.

“A strike, on a FRIDAY?! Morally not a tough ask but financially risky,” Tres Leches Cafe shared in a post announcing its closure. “Fridays are historically some of the busiest weekdays for many small businesses but at the end of the day money comes and goes.”

What restaurants have closed?

Coffeeshops and Cafes:

• Bang Bang Coffee (closing at 10 a.m.), 10 W. Vernon Ave.
• Cafecito Pecas, 9878 W. Camelback Road, Glendale
• Pura Vida Cafe, 1035 E. Van Buren St., Avondale
• The Nile Coffee Shop, 105 W. Main St., #7309, Mesa
• Tres Leches Cafe, 5602 S. Central Ave. and 1302 E. McDowell Road
• First Draft Book Bar, 300 W. Camelback Road, #1
• Milly Moon Kombucha, 1329 E. Northern Ave.

Restaurants and Bars:

• Boycott Bar, 4301 N. Seventh Ave.
• Capital Bill’s Submarine, 10645 N. 35th Ave.
• The Coronado, 2245 N. 12th St.
• Dahlia Tapas Tequila & Wine, 2221 N. Seventh St.
• Ezbachi Japanese Grill, 1713 S. Central Ave.
• Jewel’s Bakery & Cafe, 4041 E. Thomas Road
• Lovebite Dumplings, 116 E. Roosevelt St.
• Malegria Latin Cafe, 1031 Grand Ave.
• Title 9 Sports Grill, 4221 N. Seventh Ave.
• TruTacos, 4041 E. Thomas Road
• Wholly Grill, 66 S. Dobson Road, #125, Mesa
• Green New American Vegetarian, 2022 N. Seventh St. and 2240 N. Scottsdale Road, #113, Tempe
• Juanderful Tacos, 3650 W. Camelback Road
• La Purisima Bakery, multiple locations
• PoNy’s Miches, 725 Estrella Parkway, #125, Goodyear
• Random AF Taqueria, 2527 N. 32nd St.
• Nami, 2014 N. Seventh St.
• Tacos Chiwas, multiple locations

Restaurants raise funds for advocacy groups

Other restaurants and cafes will be open but plan to use the day to fundraise for advocacy organizations:

• Beal Beans, 509 W. Hatcher Road. The Sunnyslope coffee shop will be open and donating a portion of its sales to Puente Movement for Migrant Justice.
• Bianco restaurants, multiple locations. Chef and restaurateur Chris Bianco’s restaurants, including Pizzeria Bianco, Pane Bianco and Tratto, will be open and donating a portion of their proceeds to the American Civil Liberties Union. 
• Cartel Roasting Co., multiple locations. The large local roaster will donate 25% of proceeds from its cafes to Hennepin Healthcare Pediatric Mobile Clinic in Minneapolis and Puente.
• Chilte, 765 Grand Ave. The downtown Mexican restaurant will donate a portion of its sales to the Borderlands Resource Initiative. 
• Dark Hall Coffee, 2243 N. 12th St. The plant-based cafe will be open for business and donating a portion of its proceeds from the day to Puente.  
• Golden Oak Barbecue & Taproom, 1326 N. Central Ave., #101. The downtown smokehouse and bar will donate 20% of sales on Monday, Feb. 2, to Mi Familia en Accion.
• Luana’s Coffee and Beer, 1502 W. Thomas Road. The Encanto watering hole will donate a portion of its proceeds to Zipps staff members affected by the raids this week. 
• Revolución Tacos + Cantina, 1001 N. Central Ave. The Roosevelt Row taqueria will donate a portion of its proceeds to Puente.
• Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour, 1 W. Jefferson St. A portion of the downtown lounge’s Friday profits will be donated to the ACLU.
• The Dinersaur, 1339 W. Thomas Road. The Phoenix bakery is sending “a big chunk” of its sales to Puente.
• Dos Chris’ Bakery & Charcuterie Co., 6007 N. 16th St. The bakery will donate a portion of proceeds from its F*ck Ice cakes to Puente.
• First Place Coffee, 822 N. Sixth Ave. The coffee truck is donating 20% sales to Puente and hosting a “Makers Morning” on the lawn of its forthcoming cafe, Matilda’s.
• Indigo Room, 702 E. Coronado Road. The coffee cart inside Urban Collective will donate 25% of sales.
• Moxie Coffee Co., 4626 N. 16th St., #101. The uptown Phoenix cafe will donate 100% of its Friday profits to Puente.
• Little Rituals, 132 S. Central Ave. A portion of the downtown hotel bar’s Friday profits will be donated to the ACLU.
• Proof Bread, multiple locations. The local sourdough bakery is donating 10% of its bread sales to Phoenix Legal Action Network. 
• Saint Pasta, 100 W. Portland St. The downtown Italian restaurant will donate a portion of sales to the ACLU. 
• Stroll Coffee, 3015 N. 16th St. The coffee cart at Dig It Gardens will pour free shiso lemonade (while supplies last) and donate proceeds from The Dinersaur bundt cakes to No More Deaths and Puente.
• Valentine and Bar 1912, 4130 N. Seventh Ave. The Arizona-centric restaurant and bar will donate proceeds of the day to the ACLU.