Tempe Tavern closes its doors amid controversies from recent years
Tempe Tavern shuts down following several incidents
A Valley bar that has had its share of several law enforcement incidents in recent years is now closed. FOX 10's Annalisa Pardo has more.
TEMPE, Ariz. - An East Valley bar that has been at the center of controversy in recent years has closed its doors.
What we know:
Per a statement released by attorney Timothy La Sota, Tempe Tavern has closed, effective Sept. 16.
"Staff and vendors were notified prior to that date," a portion of La Sota's statement reads.
In the statement, La Sota blamed the closure on "dramatically reduced business due to harassment by the Arizona Department of Liquor (sic) and the Tempe Police Department," while also saying that "not one single charge has been filed" against the bar by the Department of Liquor.
Dig deeper:
La Sota also wrote that the decision to close Tempe Tavern was made at the beginning of September, "well prior to the unfortunate accident on U.S. 60 last week."
The "unfortunate accident" La Sota referred to was a crash along US 60 East near Higley Road on Sept. 16 that left a woman dead and five others hurt. DPS officials said two cars were pulled over on the right side of the freeway to change a flat tire, and when they were about to drive away, a third car hit both vehicles.
The suspect in that crash, 21-year-old Zachary Robert Penrod of Queen Creek, was arrested and subsequently bonded out of jail. According to prosecutors, Penrod's BAC was at least 2.5 times the legal limit at the time of the crash.
Per a separate statement from the Department of Liquor Licenses and Control (DLLC), they were contacted by DPS to help with the crash investigation, and they helped DPS detectives in executing a search warrant at Tempe Tavern.
"DLLC determined that Penrod was physically present at Tempe Tavern and consumed alcoholic beverages on the premises prior to the incident," read a portion of their statement.
The backstory:
The allegations involving Penrod mark the latest controversy that the bar has faced in recent years.
On December 9, 2025, we reported that according to Tempe Police, a 19-year-old woman accused of hitting and killing an 18-year-old ASU student in September that year was inside the bar prior to the crash.
At the time, police also said that 249 arrests were made at the bar during underage alcohol enforcement operations, a figure that Tempe Tavern officials disputed.
Days later, it was reported that in several police citations, underage patrons stated they paid a cover charge at the door and then paid another fee to a bouncer that let them in the bar without showing an ID. Bar official denied such allegations at the time.
In February, the bar's owners filed a lawsuit against the City of Tempe, alleging a "smear campaign" and selective enforcement, allegations that the city has delied.
By March, DLLC officials recommended a revocation of the bar's liquor license.
The other side:
According to officials with the DLLC, Tempe Tavern's license is still active at this time. They also say that businesses have 30 days to notify them of their closure, but Tempe Tavern has not had any communications with the department.
DLLC officials also said a business's decision to close its doors does not have an effect on any administrative hearings, and that they will move forward with such a hearing.
What's next:
A business liquidation auction is already taking place online.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by attorney Timothy La Sota, and from previous FOX 10 news reports on the bar in December 2025, February 2026, and March 2026.