Inside Tucson Business 120222

By Jimmy Magahern

Inside Tucson Business is published 26 times per year (once every other week on Fridays) plus the Book of Lists in January. Cost is $1 per single issue, $50 for 26 issues, $85 for 52 issues and $105 for 78 issues. The Book of Lists is included in annual and multi-year paid subscriptions. Back issues from within the past 12 months are $1 each. Delivery is available by U.S. Postal Service.

ADMINISTRATION

Steve T. Strickbine Publisher

Michael Hiatt Vice President

Claudine Sowards Accounting, claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com

EDITORIAL

Christina Fuoco, Executive Editor, christina@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Katya Mendoza, Staff Reporter, kmendoza@timespublications.com

Hope Peters, Staff Reporter, kmenhpeters@timespublications.com

Karen Schaffner, Staff Reporter, kschaffner@timespublications.com

PRODUCTION

Courtney Oldham Production Manager, TucsonProduction@timespublications.com

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CIRCULATION

Aaron Kolodny Circulation Director, aaron@phoenix.org

Brian Juhl Distribution Manager, brian@timeslocalmedia.com

ADVERTISING

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Candace Murray Account Executive, candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Tyler Vondrak Account Executive, tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Gary Tackett Account Executive, gtackett@tucsonlocalmedia.com

NATIONAL ADVERTISING

Zac Reynolds Director of National Advertising, zac@TimesPublications.com

EDITORIAL & AD CONTENT

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Whiskey Del Bac introduces ‘exciting’ members club

By Karen Schaffner Tucson Local Media Staff Writer

Tucson distillery Whiskey Del Bac hosted the first of what it hopes will be many member events at its new Whiskey Club.

Recently, distillery founders Stephen Paul and his daughter Amanda Paul threw open the doors of the plant to reveal to club members just exactly what they’re doing in the ware house-size facility.

It was a grand blast-off for the new club.

“We’re really excited to be launching the club; it only took us about 10 years to get our act together,” Amanda said with a laugh.

“Whiskey is one of those things that brings people together, and all of our club members are ones that love to geek out on the chemistry and science of the whole thing, and I’m really excited.”

Stephen added, “This is a fun project, something we’ve never done before, and it seems to be going very well. It gives us a chance to relate in ways we haven’t been able to do and give people a discount or break on things and en hance our relationship.”

For both Pauls, it comes down to Whiskey Del Bac’s home.

“Tucson has been really special to us. We’re very much tied to this place, and when we first took our product to the local Tucson marketplace in 2013 it was very warmly received, and then that never stopped,”

Stephen added.

Amid the huge metal vats and wood casks, club mem bers sipped on the latest distiller’s cut, while TwoRow, the plant’s mouser, strolled among the guests. This club is not exclusive, however. Any adult may join. Those who like to taste exclusive are invited to join.

There are benefits such as tours of the distillery; discounts on merchandise; and invitations for you and a guest to a club event, which comes with the entry level at $120. Membership lasts until the next distill er’s release, about three times a year. The next re lease is set for Feb. 3. Level

up to receive more perks, but the main benefit for all members is, depending on the club level, one or two bottles of the most recent cask-strength distiller’s cut release, which Stephen said is a way for the distillers to innovate.

“The distiller’s cuts are very fun for us because they’re always finished in used, either port barrels or cognac barrels, Madeira casks, Pineau des Cha rentes barrels, all kinds of different things that really let us be creative.”

The first club release, for example, is 500 bottles only of mesquite-smoked

10 ways to recognize employees

The holiday season is the perfect time to say “thank you” to employees for all their hard work and dedi cation throughout the year. I am extremely thankful for everyone I get to work with at Cox Communications. Recently, Cox employees donated $75,000 to 19 Southern Arizona non profits, and I am proud to be a part of such an incredible team that cares for the community. Show appreciation for your em ployees this holiday season and consider extending a special thank-you to your loyal customers as well.

1. Write a note. Handwrit ten, personalized notes can be the best way to show appreciation without addi tional expenses. Block off some time on your calendar to write a letter to each employee.

2. Cater a lunch. Treat staff to a catered lunch at the office — and enjoy it without a meeting or work talk! Spend time catching up and learning about their holiday plans.

3. Send a gift card. Don’t forget about your remote employees! Send a holiday card along with a gift card for employees to spend dur ing their holiday shopping.

4. Schedule time off. Consider closing the office on Christmas Eve or let a few (staggered so coverage is assured) select a half day off so employees have time to holiday shop and pre pare their family dinners.

5. Bring in treats. Who doesn’t love holiday cookies or doughnuts and coffee? Treat your employees to sweet treats as a form of gratitude. They’ll be excit

ed to start their day off on the right foot after a tasty surprise.

6. Recognize on social me dia . Give your employees the spotlight by featuring them on your company’s social media platforms. Share how proud you are of their hard work and call out notable accomplishments.

7. Create a wall of fame. Pick a wall in the office to dedicate to recognizing outstanding employees. Hang up photos of employ ees along with a fun bio and their accomplishments. Encourage everyone to post notes around the photos to show their gratitude.

8. Make a donation. Let employees pick a charity of their choice and make a monetary donation on their behalf. You can also plan to match their donations as well, encour aging them to give back this holiday season.

9. Office wide gift. If you are unable to gift each em ployee individually, con sider purchasing something fun for the whole office, like a TV for the break room or fancy espresso machine.

10. Celebrate milestones. Give your long-standing employees some extra praise this year by celebrat ing the number of years they’ve dedicated to your company.

Lisa Lovallo is the Southern Arizona market vice president for Cox Communications. Cox and our employees have donated more than $5.5 million annually to support Southern Arizona nonprofits during a time of need. Learn more about our philanthropic initiatives at coxcharities.org.

WEEKLY TOP BY LISA LOVALLO

(Noelle Haro-Gomez/Contributor)

Distiller Raymond Hammond watches the fire that provides the signature mesquite flavor of Whiskey Del Bac.

PEOPLEINACTION

Andres ‘Dre’ Rubal earns appraisal designation

Andres “Dre” Rubal recently earned the Member of Appraisal (MAI) designation. The MAI designation is the standard of excellence in commercial appraising requiring a rigorous advanced education schedule and tests, comprehen sive exam, years of experience, and a high level of ethics. As part of his accomplishments, he was also promoted to partner of AXIA Real Estate Appraisers.

Rubal has been with Axia Appraisers for 15 years and has an extensive amount of experience assisting clients in the analysis of various commercial properties located throughout Arizona. His specializes in industrial properties and eminent domain appraisals, working with entities such as the city of Tucson and Maricopa County.

He also has been involved in the analysis of other property types such as apartments, retail, convenience stores and gas stations, car wash facilities, net leased properties, office, vacant land and other commercially oriented proper ties.

In his free time, he enjoys traveling with his two young boys and wife, spending time outside, fishing, boating and camping, and is a supporter of Arizona Wildcats athletics.

Andres

Child care shortage is ‘not just a family issue’

By Jimmy Magahern Tucson Local Media Contributor

In October, rough ly 104,000 Americans missed work because of problems finding child care for their kids, ac cording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s an all-time high, topping even the period during the height of the coro navirus pandemic when about 12,000 child care programs were forced to

2020: The bureau says there are now 100,000 fewer child care workers than there were before the pandemic, a nearly 10% shrinkage in the sector.

The explanation for the shortage is pretty sim ple: The average Amer ican child care worker only earns around $13 per hour, less than they can make stocking retail shelves or working in fast food. And it’s not a new

wages in other jobs have increased while wages in child care have stagnated. Simply put, child care can no longer compete with other employers.

What’s new is the growing awareness among business leaders that the shrinking labor force in the child care profession is also affecting their own.

“Child care is an im portant infrastructure — it’s not just a family issue,

child care and preschool providers through fund ing and training.

“And it impacts both today’s workforce and the workforce of tomorrow. Child care makes it possi ble for Arizona to work.”

Gonzalez cites a re cent study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which found that in Arizona, 77% of parents surveyed report ed missing work due to child care issues in early 2021, and 6% of them voluntarily left a job due to problems finding child care.

“The study found that our state loses $1.7 bil

lion annually because of child care issues,” Gonza lez said. “This includes Arizona employers losing $1.42 billion annually due to absences and em ployee turnover. And the state loses $348 million annually in tax revenue due to child care issues.”

Professionals in the field agree that more value needs to be placed on those working in the child care system.

“It’s kind of funny how people can differentiate child care out of the busi ness marketplace,” said Michelle Saint Hilarie, senior statewide program director of Child Care

Resource and ReferralArizona (CCR&R), an organization that oper ates a state database of all licensed child care centers, connecting families with regulated and background-checked providers.

“People think of child care like public educa tion. They don’t realize it’s actually a service that you have to pay for!”

Saint Hilarie, who’s worked in the child care field for 35 years (the last 21 with CCR&R), said she cringes when she

(First Things First/Submitted)

WHISKEY

American single malt whis key finished in Pineau des Charentes barrels at cask strength (53.5% proof). Its base is the distillery’s flagship mesquited single malt, Dorado.

Stephen said this is their version of the scotch produced on the island of Islay, Scotland, which specializes in single malt, peated whisky. For Del Bac’s purposes, mesquite is the smoke of choice, peat being in short supply in the Sonoran Desert.

“We’re in Tucson, Ar izona, but we take pretty much the same method and try to replicate that here, but we don’t have peat bogs here,” distill er Raymond Hammond said. “At least none that I know of. Instead, we use mesquite.”

Distiller Abbey Fife explains the process of sprouting and imparting the mesquite-smoked flavor to 2-Row barley seeds used to produce whiskey.

Father-and-daughter team of Amanda Paul and Stephen Paul are the founders of Whiskey Del Bac. Behind them are just a few of the casks used to age and impart flavor to the whiskey they produce.

Del Bac whiskeys be gin life as 2-row barley seed, which is sprouted and smoked with local ly sourced mesquite, he

added. In fact, it’s that smoking process that stops the barley’s growth process, which later becomes the main ingredient of whis key.

Hammond worked as a bartender for more than

12 years before his employ ment at Del Bac. Now, he has a true appreciation for what goes into making a good whiskey.

“I didn’t really know how much labor goes into every single bottle,” he said.

For this event he was tending a rather tall fire box, which is connect ed to the warehouse by a complex system of pipes so none of that precious mes quite smoke is wasted. It turns out that Whiskey

Del Bac specializes in mak ing handcrafted whiskey.

“We’re known for our American single malts,” head of marketing Jenny Budwig said. “Everything — our classic, our Dorado and all our distiller’s cuts

— are made here in-house, everything from grain to glass.”

“So, this is kind of cool because we are, as far as

(Noelle Haro-Gomez/Contributor)

Whiskey Del Bac launched a new club by opening its doors to members for a taste of the distillery’s latest. Benefits such as the latest cask strength limited edition distiller’s cut release, tours of the distillery, discounts on merchandise an d invitations to club events are included in the $120 entry fee.

(Noelle Haro-Gomez/Contributor)

(Noelle Haro-Gomez/Contributor)

WHISKEY

we know, one of a dozen distilleries in the country that are doing this malting process ourselves,” distiller Abbey Fife said.

Even if patrons are not in the club, they may experience Del Bac’s latest rye release, called Sentinel, which just hit area restau rants and liquor stores. It’s not handcrafted, but it is finished in the Forbes Boulevard plant.

“Our distillery team just had this idea: What if we can make a Southwestern rye?” Budwig said. “Our team is only four distillers, so we couldn’t take time away to actually make our own, so we sourced the base rye, a mix of two- and three-year, and we finished it here. We filtered over the mesquite charcoal that we

Hidden deep within the warehouse-like distillery is a small, den-like space with a cabinet full of bottles waiting to be opened and sampled.

use to make our Dorado smoked whiskey. We also aged it over the summer in our Dorado-wet, mesquite barrels, and we finished it here.”

But back to the club. “We want people to

know they can engage with our distillery and all our products and new products, including the seasonal offerings that we do. They’re oneoffs and distiller’s cuts. That’s the only way you

can get them,” Stephen said. ITB

Whiskey Del Bac whiskeydelbac.com/ the-whiskey-club

(Noelle Haro-Gomez/Contributor)

Distillers use casks and barrels made of a variety of woods to add flavor to the whiskey. Some of those are port or cognac barrels, madiera casks and Pineau des Charentes barrels. Barrels are often constructed of American white oak and are a type of cask.

( Noelle Haro-Gomez/Contributor)

Now, you don’t need to visit multiple websites to achieve your dream of growing a successful business. Instead, you can log in to Arizona Business One Stop. Our secure online service was designed to streamline and simplify the process of starting and running a business in Arizona.

Take the first step. Sign up at businessonestop.az.gov. When you do, you’ll receive a personalized checklist with necessary trademark, tax, license, and permit information.

YC’s finds industry to be no wok in the park

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Tucson Local Media Staff Writer

The pandemic was tough for restaurants, and Geoff Stanisic can attest to that.

The Catalina High School graduate and the founder of the stir-fry concept YC’s Mongolian Grill said he is grateful that the industry has returned to some sem blance of normalcy.

“We’re just very grateful,” Stanisic said.

“A lot of establishments didn’t make it out of COV ID. We had some minor setbacks, but we circled the wagons and we’re growing again.”

His “minor setback” was the bankruptcy of the Scottsdale Pavilions loca tion near Salt River Fields. His other restaurants survived Gov. Doug Ducey’s pandemic-dictated closure of restaurants and buffet restaurants.

In October, he brought his flavorful bowls back to Scottsdale when he opened a new store at 14850 N. 87th Street, near Raintree Drive and Loop 101, in Scottsdale.

“People’s dining hab its changed,” he said. “In Tempe, there were no students. In Chandler, there were no movie theater patrons. Scottsdale was all entertainment driven. We didn’t know what was going to happen with COVID. Nobody did. We had to shutter those. Now, when we reopened, we’re less reliant on any one type of demographic.

“We have to be able to

draw in businesspeople and residential guests. This location is the perfect fit for all of them. In the last week, I’ve met so many people at the Scottsdale store who said they had driven from Scottsdale all the way to (Gilbert/Mesa) for our food. I had no idea. I was awestruck by the amount of people who made the trek.”

YC’s Mongolian Grill Scottsdale features the res taurant’s signature small, large and unlimited bowls with flavorful, world-in spired sauces including Calcutta curry, spicy Thai,

curry-yaki and spicy black pepper. Guests are en couraged to pack their bowls full of fresh veggies, rice, noodles and sauces to customize their bowl expe rience. Each bowl is then stir-fried by a YC’s chef on the restaurant’s signature flat-top grill.

“What separates us are our noodles,” Stanisic said.

“You don’t know why you like our lo mein noodles, but we hand-steam them. Most places, whether it’s Mongolian barbecue or others, will boil noodles. We steam. It’s much more time consuming and labor

intensive.”

The noodles absorb the flavor from the sauce and the grill, while with boiled noodles it just runs off.

“Our lo mein noodles don’t have the glisten of moisture, but that’s because they’re absorbing all the sauce,” he said. “They’re in that absorbent stage.”

YC’s Mongolian Grill has been a locally owned and operated Valley staple for more than 30 years, opening its first location in Tempe in 1991. He has already purchased space for his next location: Down town Phoenix behind The

Vig on Fifth Avenue.

“It’s a 1913 home that we’re going to keep historic in the front and we’ll put the kitchen in the back,” he said.

“It’s a new feel for us. It’s more of a neighborhood place. Folks near there, they don’t drive. They walk their dogs, ride their bikes.

Kids take their scooters.”

An NAU graduate, Stani sic would love to expand throughout the state, but he has bigger priorities.

“I’m still a dad,” he said. “My kids are 14 and 15. My kids need a dad at home, more than they need a restaurant. Plus, opening

YC’s Mongolian Grill

14850 N. 87th Street, Suite 140, Scottsdale 480-590-5479

752 W. Elliot Road, Tempe 480-777-2929

4770 E. Ray Road, Suite 101, Gilbert 480-457-8681

ycs-mongoliangrill.com

this restaurant was not easy, especially during this supply-chain era.” ITB

(YC’s Mongolian Grill/Submitted)

YC’s Mongolian Grill was founded by Catalina High School graduate Geoff Stanisic.

(YC’s Mongolian Grill/Submitted) At YC’s Mongolian Grill, guests choose their own stir fry ingredients and can even prepare their own sauces.

Primo’s replacement serves tasty Italian dishes

By Valerie Vinyard Tucson Local Media Contributor

Passaggio has some pretty big shoes to fill.

The new flagship restau rant of JW Marriott Tucson Star Pass Resort and Spa replaced the award-winning Primo in early October.

Primo, which opened in 2005, was a concept by executive chef Melissa Kel ly, a two-time James Beard award winner.

David Fransua, executive chef and food and bever age director, has worked at Star Pass since the begin ning of 2017. He said the parting between Kelly and the resort was a mutual decision.

“As a resort grows and changes, some of the keep sakes of a concept changes,” said Fransua, 41. “All of our outlets have evolved. We wanted to stay true to Primo, but it wasn’t in the same boat as we were mov ing along.”

Fransua wanted to continue offering Italian food, but he wanted to keep it “neighborhoody” and regional. That includes featuring herbs and ingre dients from local sources, as well as incorporating Sonoran elements in some dishes. The menu offers dishes from all over Italy.

“It gives you an opportu nity to use products from within the neighborhood,” he said of the concept. “It lends itself to be very local.”

He describes the res taurant as “a beautiful, authentic Italian restaurant with an emphasis on show

casing Sonoran ingredi ents.”

For example, the charred octopus and chorizo ($18) starter comes with slightly sweeter Anasazi beans, instead of cannelloni beans. Fransua also said that the kitchen uses Sonoran white wheat in the handmade pastas and pizza doughs.

Passaggio is a scratch kitchen, meaning that everything is homemade, including the breads and sauces.

Fransua’s favorite dish on the menu is the bruschetta ($6 each).

“I’m a big bread guy,” he said. “The ciabatta we’re making, we’re using a local wheat einkorn; it’s very simplistic. We’re doing a crescenza cheese spread, and we toss pears, which are in season, with agave syrup and a little black pepper.”

In the petite romaine salad ($16), it’s Passaggio’s take on a Caesar salad.

“We make a buttermilk dressing that’s infused with cippolini onions, a little sweet,” Fransua said. “Our croutons are leftover cia batta bread, and it’s tossed with pecorino cheese.”

Probably the most complex dish is the 2 1/2inch thick double-bone pork chop ($37). Fransua described the process, noting that the pork first will be put in a brine using herbs from the resort’s garden. Then he will sou vide the dish for two and a half hours, and then it’s grilled. It’s served with potato gnocchi, roasted

acorn squash and a roasted cippolini onion.

“That pork chop is super tender and moist,” he said. “When it comes out, it’s very simplistic looking, but it’s amazing.”

Fransua plans to change the menu seasonally, and he’s committed to working with smaller local produc ers like Pivot Produce.

As far as the dining area, the bulky booths are gone, making a more open floor plan with mostly wooden tables for four. A farm house vibe has replaced the elegant but mildly stuffy at mosphere of Primo. Thick, etched water glasses have green notes and clay-style dishes add to the homey atmosphere.

There is lounge-style seating in the bar area, with a lot of black and white. Sonoran artwork is hung throughout, and the lighting will change, including new black chan

deliers.

“We got rid of some big, heavy booths,” Fransua said. “We wanted to keep it open and more level. The restaurant used to be different heights, but we evened it out. Paint and marble accents lighten up the space.”

Capacity remains at 189 inside or 210 if you include outside seating. To keep the open feel, the restaurant no longer closes its shades.

Diners have liked the new look.

“It’s been very well received,” Fransua said. “They’re glad to see us evolve.”

As for the new name? “Passaggio is an homage to our namesake (Star Pass),” he said. “It means ‘passage’ in Italian.”

Above all, Fransua wants diners to enjoy themselves.

“I hope they come and have great cocktails, great Italian food but also know

(Passaggio/Submitted)

The double-bone porch chop ($37) is served with gnocchi, braised cipollini, espresso demi glace and roasted kabocha.

(Passaggio/Submitted)

Passaggio’s prosciutto pizza features balsamic onion, espelette, grana Padano, baby arugula and agave ($21).

that our ingredients are important to us and we’re using a lot of Sonoran products here.” ITB

Passaggio at JW Marriott Tucson Star Pass

3800 W. Star Pass Boulevard 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays 520-792-3500 jwspinfo.com

(Passaggio/Submitted)

David Fransua is executive chef and food and beverage director.

Griffin Armstrong plays again after pandemic hiatus

By Matt Russell Tucson Local Media Contributor

In the 1990s trilogy “The Mighty Ducks” movies, which chronicled the adventures of a youth hockey team in Minne apolis, goalie Greg Goldberg proclaimed, “We either play or play around. You know, have fun. You know, that thing that makes you smile and laugh.”

This must have taken root with a younger Griffin Arm strong, who admitted that he was “absolutely obsessed” with these movies as a kid growing up in Tucson.

Today, more than 20 years later, the concept of play defines everything he does as executive chef at Playground Bar & Lounge, which recently reopened at 278 E. Congress

Street after more than two years on a pandemic-driven hiatus.

“The biggest thing I looked forward to when I was a kid was going outside to play,” Armstrong said. “Everything else seemed so boring, I just wanted to run, and recess was the only time that I could be with my buddies in an at mosphere that was completely unrestricted.”

Armstrong said Playground has been through a number of menu changes over the years, and he thought it was critical for his reopening menu — 70% of which consists of new dishes — to continue to connect his guests with playful memories from their childhood.

“We wanted to capture that

Best

We take you further.

nostalgic feeling, that idea of play, recess and old-school lunchtime, and give it a mod ern take,” he said.

He pointed to the fried mac and cheese bites as an ex ample, with elbow macaroni, cheese sauce, panko, scallion and pomodoro sauce.

“This is an elevated version of the mac and cheese from our school cafeteria days, made more bar and finger food friendly,” he said.

Another expression of classic kid cuisine is the Tostitos Locos, with Tostitos chips, salsa verde, pinto beans, avocado lime crema, chipotle honey crema, pico de gallo, pickled onions, queso fresco and queso sauce.

“This is one of the dishes that we brought back from an earlier menu, a twist on my days going to the Circle K for nachos, filling the bowl with chips, and pumping out that hot cheese and chili,” he remembered. “It’s another

throwback to the kind of things that I really liked as a kid.”

Other dishes on the menu include flatbreads, salads, skewers, tacos, sliders and a fried bologna sandwich, of course.

“One of our objectives with this new menu was to showcase our food program in a way that demonstrated to our guests that we’re more than a club,” he said. “We want people who may already be familiar with Playground the nightclub to see us at Play ground Bar & Lounge with a heavier focus on food.”

This commitment also required a kitchen remodel, which resulted in a space that’s twice as big as its prede

Playground

(SWOON/Submitted)

cessor. Other renovations include new furnishings to the interior bar, the rooftop bar, and “Bar Cinema” on the downstairs patio showing classic films from the 1980s and 1990s.

Armstrong has probably already put in his request for a Bar Cinema “Mighty Ducks” marathon, which he said would pair beautifully with Playground’s Bar Burger with two beef patties, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, house pickles, brioche bun and PG burger sauce.

“I mean, you’d have a cheeseburger at a hockey game anyway, so why not do it right?”

Let’s play! ITB

278 E. Congress Street, Tucson 520-396-3691 playgroundtucson.com Closed Mondays and Tuesdays

Griffin Armstrong helms the recently reopened Playground, which was shuttered during the pandemic.

hears well-intentioned people praise child care workers as giving souls who aren’t in it for the money — despite her own polygenic surname.

“It’s fascinating to me, that belief that we should just be the working poor because we choose this field,” she said with a laugh. “Like we’re doing the Lord’s work here so we should just accept the low wages and be happy. But shouldn’t I at least be able to provide for my family? Really, it’s time we change that narrative.”

Saint Hilarie acknowl edged that child care has become expensive for many families. The Economic Policy Institute estimates the average cost

of infant care in Arizona is nearly $11,000 per year — more per year than in-state tuition at a public college. (In Tucson, the cost for care is closer to $10,000 an nually.) That means the typical Arizona family can end up spending close to 20% of its income on child care for just one infant. The U.S. De partment of Health and Human Services consid ers anything more than 7% of a family’s income unaffordable.

Fortunately, there are government programs to help low-income families afford child care, par ticularly in Pima County.

In 2021, the Pima County Board of Super visors created PEEPs, or Pima Early Education Program scholarships.

The program is designed to assist up to 1,200 chil dren from income-eli gible families to attend high-quality preschool at 170 locations across the county, through collabo rations with First Things First (which was given an additional 599 schol arships earmarked for low-income families), the federal Head Start pro gram and seven school districts.

Additionally, the passage of state bill HB 2016 allowed the De partment of Economic Security (DES) to waive the 20-hour-per-week work requirement for child care benefits so that parents who enroll in a full-time accredited education or employment training program could continue to receive child

care subsidies, providing a path to self-sufficiency for a lot of single par ents.

On a federal level, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, along with the American Rescue Plan Act, secured Arizo na about $1.2 billion in funding to help child care providers, with about $500,000 allocated to the city of Tucson for child care scholarships.

“But those funds run out in 2024,” Gonzalez cautioned. “We have seen positive action to help during the immediate crisis, but we need longterm solutions.”

To that end, First Things First recently hosted a leadership fo rum that brought togeth er diverse leaders from

across the state to learn about, discuss and prob lem-solve challenges in Arizona’s early childhood system.

“We are working with partners to help build awareness among lead ership and policymakers that child care is an im portant infrastructure,” Gonzalez said. A major ity of Arizonans agree. A recent survey by the Arizona Early Childhood Funders Collaborative found that over a third of Arizonans support the state investing in early childhood education for children ages birth to 5.

In the meantime, Saint Hilarie stresses that child care needs to become a more equitable pro fession, to rebuild that exiting workforce.

“Child care provid

ers are aging out of the system, and the younger generation is not coming into it,” she said. “How do we leverage our career technical education pro grams at our high schools to create a pipeline, a path for these young men and women, to enter into this workforce? Where can this take you? How can you have a sustaina ble career in this field?

“These are the ques tions we’re wresting with, and we need continued state, local and federal investments to support and stabilize child care,” Saint Hilarie added.

“Because if child care goes away, what is the business community go ing to do? If our work force goes, their work force is going to go right along with it.” ITB

GCU addresses the dire need for nurses

By Lisa Noble Tucson Local Media Contributor

An alarming rise in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). New COVID-19 var iants that may evade current treatments. A flu season that could be the worst Arizona has seen in years.

Like other medical facilities across the nation, Tucson hospitals and clinics are bracing for a challenging winter while facing a dire need of nurses.

Nationally, the market de mand for nurses is projected to grow 9% through 2030, with about 194,500 open ings each year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Tucson is also feeling the pinch. At last count, there were about 600 nursing va cancies — and that number is expected to rise as seasoned nurses retire or leave to pur sue other careers.

Although there are plenty of students passionate about this helping profession, many college and univer sity nursing programs are turning them away. In 2021, more than 76,140 qualified applicants were left behind, due to a lack of nursing faculty, clinical placements and space, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Grand Canyon University is heeding the call to help with an Accelerated Bach elor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program that can put these health care heroes on the front lines in as little as 16 months.

Rooted in GCU’s Chris tian principles, the program

combines the fundamentals and theories of nursing with immersive simulation expe riences.

“The idea is to help the next generation of nurses test their critical thinking and technical skills,” said Lisa Smith, dean and professor at GCU’s College of Nursing & Health Care Professions.

Students also work in a real-world environment as part of clinical rotations at Tucson Medical Center.

Upon completion of the program, students must complete the National Coun cil Licensure Examination (NCLEX). GCU employs an NCLEX success manager to guide pre-licensure students through this rigorous process to become registered nurses.

“We’re getting ready to graduate our third cohort in December, and many of our students have decided to stay in Tucson,” said Danielle Edwards, director of nursing services.

Edwards brings a unique perspective to the program, both as a GCU graduate and as a personal caregiver. A longtime Tucson resident, she was 20 years old when she cared for her grand mother who had cancer.

“From that point on, I knew I wanted to become a nurse,” she said, adding that she earned her BSN and MSN degrees from GCU.

She now oversees the faculty and students at the Tucson ABSN site, which is aver aging up to 35 students per cohort.

“I’m particularly proud of the work we’re doing in our immersive simulation lab,” she said. “We keep up with

Canyon University’s accelerated Bachelor of Science in nursing program in Tucson combines the fundamentals and theories of nursing with immersive simulation experiences.

evidence-based practices and make changes as necessary. In addition to common, real-world scenarios, we also present rare situations so students feel prepared in the future. We’re also very tuned in to the mental health of our students, and we spend time debriefing them after high-intensity scenarios.”

GCU has a nearly 35year tradition of preparing students to fill evolving health care roles as high ly qualified professionals educated in direct care, man agement, health education and administration. GCU’s Tucson ABSN graduates have excelled, with all 35 gradu ates YTD passing NCLEX first time, exceeding the state average of 84.89% for 2022 YTD and the national aver age of 79.92% YTD.

“We offer a lot of resources to our students, including an academic success coach to help them prepare for the NCLEX exam, and our facul ty maintains strong relation ships with our students that carry them into the profes sional world,” Edwards said.

Eager to join a cadre of helping professionals

Like firefighters who run into a burning building, GCU Tucson ABSN students Chalayna Culler and An nalize Estrella have no fear of jumping into action to help patients at a time when emergency departments are overcrowded, clinical staff are overworked, and tensions are running high.

In fact, Culler, who graduates in December, said she chose GCU’s program because she was eager to get her career started.

“I want to make a differ ence,” Culler said. “The accelerated program can be challenging at times, but it is preparing me for a fast-paced, high-pressure work environment. I’m grateful for the support that I received both from my professors and my cohort members. You are never alone in this program.”

A native of North Pole, Alaska, Culler was inspired to go into nursing after watching her best friend suffer epilep

tic seizures. She also admired her aunt, who worked for many years as a nurse.

After graduation, she hopes to land a position in a hospital intensive care unit, working with a team to assist patients with neurological deficits, trauma and other injuries.

“I feel ready to step into the world as a nurse,” Culler said. “Nursing is a special career that is dear to me. I know I’ll be encountering patients who may be having their worst day of their lives, and I want to help ease any pain or discomfort they are experiencing.”

“It felt right in my heart”

Born and raised in Tucson, Annalize Estrella remembers wanting to be a pilot or a teacher when she was young. But at age 9, she became ill, spending time in and out of the hospital.

“My nurses helped me endure,” Estrella said. “They would hold my hand and make me laugh. They made the hard things not so hard.”

By age 14, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in health care. She attended Arizona State University but moved back to Tucson to be close to her family. She began exploring nursing schools and vividly remem bers her interview with GCU’s representative.

“We spent an hour on the phone, and it felt right in my heart,” she said.

Estrella is on track to grad uate in April, and she hopes to land a full-time position in Tucson working in a hos pital neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric department, or any nursing position

where she can help infants and children.

“If I can make a child or parent smile and brighten their day, then my day is made,” she said.

Estrella has been working as a patient care technician at a local hospital for nearly two years. She started off in the COVID-19 unit when cases were peaking and then moved to the pediatrics unit in December 2021.

“It’s extremely rewarding work. You see things that hurt your heart a lot, but kids are super resilient,” she said. “Seeing them feel better makes it worth it.”

She’s especially grateful for the training that she received through GCU’s accelerated program and the preparation for the NCLEX exam.

“It’s tough,” Estrella said of the program, “but the professors are amazing. They truly want to be there and help you achieve your goals.

GCU also provides tutors and other resources to help us measure our readiness as we progress through the program.”

Edwards said Culler and Estrella exemplify many of the passionate students enrolled in GCU’s ABSN program.

“Our students follow a calling to provide exceptional care to patients,” Edwards said. “They want to make a difference by serving other people and our community.”

GCU’s ABSN program offers start dates in Janu ary, May and September. Prospective students must have at least 60 transferable credits.

(Grand Canyon University/Submitted)

Grand

New Cuban restaurant features authentic comida

By Valerie Vinyard Tucson Local Media Contributor

Cuban food is back in Tucson.

Mojo Cuban Kitchen and Rum Bar opened Oct. 30 on Grant Road just east of Campbell Avenue in the former Viva el Caribe.

“I love Cuban food, and Tucson needed a Cuban restaurant,” said Nick Schaffer, owner and a Chi cago native who has lived in Tucson since 2006.

Schaffer and his wife, Alison, had owned Jimmy John’s franchises since 2003. After they sold the last of their stores last year, Schaffer said it was time to branch out.

“We were excited to do something more creative,” said Schaffer, 46.

They relied on their experience in developing teams to gather a solid group of chefs, servers and bartenders. Their execu tive chef, Janet Balderas, previously was the executive chef at Tanque Verde Guest Ranch. And Mojo’s sous chef, Patricia Espinosa, hails from Cuba.

“Mojo,” which is pro nounced “mo-ho” and means “Caribbean garlic sauce” in Spanish, is a citrus and garlic mari nade and dipping sauce that is the foundation of many traditional Cuban dishes.

“It’s authentic Cuban food in an accessible con temporary environment that’s inviting to everyone,” Schaffer said of the food. “It was all about creating a

great concept that people love.”

To help create that concept, the Schaffers took the general manager, chef and sous chef to Miami for a Cuban culinary tour. Schaffer has hired about 30 employees to work at Mojo.

“We did our homework,” he said.

While in Miami, the team sampled dishes from well-known Cuban restau rants.

Don’t expect any spicy foods at Mojo. Perhaps one of the most noticeable differences between Mex ican and Cuban cuisine is the lack of heat in Cuban foods.

Newcomers to Cuban food won’t go wrong or dering the Taste of Havana ($22). The sampler plate comes with juicy ropa vieja, succulent Mojo chicken and

lechon asado, Cuban roast pork.

The pork is marinated in a homemade mojo mari nade overnight and then roasted low and slow until it’s fall-apart tender. In fact, many of Mojo’s meats are marinated and slow roasted for up to 24 hours.

The menu includes small plates ($5-$16), sandwiches ($12-$14), salads ($10$11), entrees ($14-$22), and desserts ($3.50-$6).

Cuban comfort dishes include ropa vieja, em panadas, fried yuca, mojo chicken and the Cubano sandwich.

Schaffer said the current bestsellers are the Cuban sandwich or the Taste of Havana.

“It’s a really good value,” Schaffer said of the sand wich, having worked with La Estrella Bakery to create

a Cuban bread recipe. “It’s a lot of food.”

FORS Architecture and Interiors transformed the space into an inviting, comfortable and bright res taurant. People order at the counter and get a number to put on their table. The food is delivered by friend ly servers.

The 3,000-square-foot restaurant seats 80 people inside and 20 outside on the patio. There’s an in door-outdoor full bar that features a variety of rums. Customers can choose three selections each for a Bronze Rum Flight ($20), Silver ($40) or the topshelf Gold Flight ($100), which also comes with a

cigar.

Other drinks include wines ($8-$10 per glass; $38-$40 per bottle), six draft beers ($6), seven bottled or canned beers ($5), sangria ($12 a glass; $45 a pitcher), and seven classic Cuban cocktails ($8-$12). Daiquiris, which originated in Cuba, come chilled or frozen ($11) and are available in a variety of flavors, including coconut, pineapple, lime and cherry.

There’s a walk-up win dow, which is convenient when ordering for pickup or when grabbing a Cuban coffee ($3) and pastelito for breakfast.

“We’re making everything in-house, including all the pastries,” Schaffer said. “It’s a lot of prep.”

Luckily, there’s always a supply of Cuban coffee made by Decibel Coffee Works, a local roaster, to keep him alert. ITB

Mojo Cuban Kitchen and Rum Bar

1929 E. Grant Road, Tucson 520-690-6921, mojocuban.com

11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays

CHAMBER CHATTER

BY DAVID A. BOWERS

Local sales associate is dedicated to service

Some of my fondest memories growing up were associated with my father’s service in the U.S. Navy. He was a jet mechanic stationed at NAS Miramar (San Diego), where I was born and raised. He would take us on tours of aircraft carriers that were the size of a small city, and I even had the chance to sit in the cockpit of an F-14 Tomcat fighter jet, which sealed the deal for me; I was joining the Navy. Little did I know then, at age 9, that I would dedicate my life to serving not only my country but also my community.

It was after my service in the military when my brother and I moved to Tucson and opened a franchise of Classy Closets in Tucson with a few other folks. We knew that being a new business, we needed to be involved in the com munity, so we joined the Tucson Metro Chamber. I also became a member of the Chamber’s Ambassa dors Committee, which was called “Los Compadres” back then.

The chamber enabled us to grow our business beyond our dreams, from a five-person startup to a 15-person, multimil lion-dollar business in just under two years.

Looking back on my time in the military, I truly had what some would have called a “charmed life.” I knew I was joining the Navy

straight out of high school, so I didn’t have the com mon worries about SATs or college applications. Within weeks of joining the Navy, the blockbuster movie “Top Gun” was released in theat ers. For those that didn’t know, the movie was set in Fightertown, USA, at Mira mar, and the planes they trained on were just like the F-14 I sat in when I was 9.

Upon graduation from boot camp, I went to “A” school in Pensacola, Flori da, to become a “top secret” cryptologist. Imagine my awestruck amazement as a fresh-faced 17-year-old recruit stationed so close to the world-famous Blue Angels at NAS Pensacola. After undergoing extensive background investigations and training, my buddies and I perfected the saying from “Top Gun”: “It’s clas sified. I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you.”

I will always cherish my time in the military, as it was when I became a man and I learned how to serve not only humankind but also how important com munity service was.

That innate desire for community service re turned after working in the family business for several years. I felt a yearning to return to helping my mili tary brothers and sisters. I went to work for a company that was providing financial and morale aid to ac tive-duty Arizona military

members, their families and Purple Heart recipi ents. It was amazing, it was cathartic, it was everything I wanted, as it wasn’t just

a job, it was my calling to help and serve. Unfortu nately, it was shuttered as the COVID-19 pandemic took over the globe.

Months later, I was chat ting with a Marine friend of mine who worked for Raytheon and was operat ing a craft brewery on the

side. With nothing on my plate, I offered my services to help promote and sell his product throughout the state. I once again felt the love from the community as they welcomed a local veteran-owned brewery into their bars, restaurants and bottle shops. I felt reinvigorated and ready to take on the world. Next thing I knew, I was trave ling across the state, selling beers in metro Phoenix, Prescott, Flagstaff, Tubac, Sierra Vista and even little ol’ Patagonia. Community. Service. I was feeling the love, and I knew I was doing the right thing, as it was rewarding. As a former small-business owner, I knew everything that the Tucson Met ro Chamber did to help businesses succeed, so this September, I returned to the chamber as an employ ee. Now I am proud to say that I am continuing the community service that was instilled in me all those years ago in that airplane cockpit.

I know I can help your business succeed because although I wasn’t born a winner, I have the knowl edge and skills to always come out on top. Join me, won’t you? Reach out to me at dbowers@ tucsonchamber.org to learn how your business, just like mine, could benefit greatly by joining the Tucson Met ro Chamber.

MEMBERSHIP SALES ASSOCIATE TUCSON METRO CHAMBER

(Tucson Metro Chamber/Submitted)

David Bowers is the Tucson Metro Chamber’s membership sales associate. UCSON METRO CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP SALES ASSOCIATE TUCSON METRO CHAMBER

(520) 299-3000 info@tucsonjcc.org tucsonjcc.org

(520) 406-0552 admissions@istucson.org www.istucson.org

Castlehill Country Day School 3225 N. Craycroft Rd. Tucson, AZ 85712

5 Desert Christian Preschool 9415 E. Wrightstown Rd. Tucson, AZ 85715

6

GracePointe Christian Academy

5757 W. Ajo Way Tucson, AZ 85735

(520) 795-0008 Info@castlehillschool.com castlehillschool.com

(520) 747-1816 youngexplorerstucson@gmail.com youngexplorersschooltucson.com

(520) 795-7161 aalday@desertchristian.org www.desertchristian.org

(520) 578-3249 evelia@gracepointetucson.org GracePointeTucson.org

56

34 N/A

85710

Education for toddlers to school-age children Tucson Stephanie Basiliere 1986 4 Young Explorers School 1201 S. Avenida Sirio Tucson, AZ 85710

Ranked by licensed capacity Ranked information is provided by business representatives at no charge and is ranked alphabetically in case of ties. Other businesses were contacted but either declined or did not respond by deadline. There is no charge to be included in Inside Tucson Business listings. N/A=not provided WND=would not disclose NL=not listed last year NR=listed last year but ranking criteria not provided