This historic Mexican restaurant set for demolition in Arizona after nearly 80 years

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The historic building that used to house the iconic Mexican restaurant Casa Molina will be demolished, according to a permit issued last month by the city of Tucson.

The good news? For years the Molina family has continued to offer culinary delights through their other restaurant, Casa Molina del Norte , located on the corner of Campbell Avenue and Blacklidge Drive.

For close to eight decades, Casa Molina has been a Tucson landmark and remains a favorite in the southern Arizona community. Its origin story dates back to 1947, when Gilbert Molina, an admirer of his sister María's food, was determined to share it with the world. He built the first-ever Casa Molina restaurant — from the building's foundations to the dine-in furniture inside the store.

The original restaurant, located at Speedway Boulevard and Wilmot Road, had a capacity of 16 people. Although at that time its location was considered far from Tucson, it became an Arizona favorite.

A fire in 2022 forced its permanent closure and the building has remained vacant since. On April 10, the city issued a demolition permit that includes the 8,250-square-foot structure and its foundation.

The Molina family has continued to follow their original recipes in several locations in Tucson, including Casa Molina del Norte, which today has a capacity for 300 people, and offers three dining rooms and a large patio.

The family atmosphere and authentic Mexican food became so popular in the community that Casa Molina became one of the most popular destinations for celebrities filming or living in Tucson, such as John Wayne, Elizabeth Taylor and Paul McCartney.

It has not been defined when the demolition process will begin.

Reach La Voz reporter Nadia Cantú at nadia.cantu@lavozarizona.com .

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: This historic Mexican restaurant set for demolition in Arizona after nearly 80 years