Ray Flores characterizes Flores Concepts’ newest project, The Monica, is a tribute to El Charro owner Monica Flinn. The restaurant, which will be located on the first floor of the Hexagon building at City Park, 40 E. Congress St. downtown will open early next year and it’s creating quite a buzz around Tucson.
The 4,500-square-foot restaurant will include a 2,500-square-foot patio and an open display kitchen that pays homage to the old American pantry and buffet-style dining halls, where the cook makes whatever is in its pantry.
A 2,500-square-foot patio and an open display kitchen will be available at The Monica, 40 E. Congress St. Executive chef Danny Perez will be in charge. The restaurant company of the Flores family says it is in talks with several well-known Tucson chefs, both past and present, about joining the team at Monica.
According to Flores, Monica’s kitchen will include meals from some of Tucson’s most well-known chefs and food personalities, as well as serve as a brand incubator, with a menu that changes depending on seasonality and whatever of the family’s friends happens to drop by.
Flores, president of his family’s restaurant firm, says “we want to bring back a few friends who were lost during the pandemic, as well as some enterprises that were destroyed.” “It’s a family affair.” This is our family, as well as Tucson’s friends and family.”
“It’s a family affair.” This is our family, as well as Tucson’s friends and family.” ~ Ray Flores
Several well-known Tucson chefs, both past and present, are now in discussions with Flores about participating in the business, which executive chef Danny Perez will oversee.
A classically educated cook, Perez’s professional highlights include a 15-year stint as the opening chef of the JW Marriott Starr Pass and his most recent position as executive chef at La Paloma. “The Flores family and I speak the same language,” he added. “This will be Tucson’s first, and it will be a very cool, unique partnership in terms of the type of food we will be serving.”
“This will be Tucson’s first in terms of the type of food we will be serving.” ~ Danny Perez
The Inspiration For the monica
The Monica is named after Monica Flinn, who started El Charro Café just a few blocks away in 1922. In 1972, Flinn retired from the restaurant business and handed it over to Ray Flores’ mother, Carlotta. Flinn was 90 years old at the time.
Since then, the family has expanded the company to include three El Charro restaurants, licensing deals for their brands at various airports and the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and their most recent initiative, Barrio Charro, a collaboration with James Beard-nominated Tucson baker Don Guerra that opened in September 2020 at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Guerra, who was recently featured in the New York Times, “we’re simply trying to provide the community something distinct and different, but also something familiar with both of the brands.” “For me, it’s been a lot of fun.”
Guerra will play a significant part in the new endeavor, though he and Flores remained tight-lipped about many of the specifics of the plans in recent weeks.
The opening of Monica’s will kick off a yearlong celebration of El Charro and Flinn’s 100th anniversary, which will take place across the restaurant. El Charro is one of the nation’s oldest Mexican restaurants, having been in continuous operation for three generations by the same family since 1880.
Monica will offer lunch, dinner, and a happy hour every day of the week. And, even though the family is best known for its Mexican restaurant, The Monica will not be primarily a Mexican restaurant.
A recent written release from Carlotta Flores stated that the event will instead honor Tucson’s City of Gastronomy status by exhibiting “a collection of family recipes from around our table and the tables in our community.”
