Mill Avenue sees high number of businesses shutter

Mill Avenue has long been a nightlife mecca for Arizona State University students and Tempe locals in need of a night out in their neighborhood, but the bars and restaurants that dot the street are seeing serious turnover.

Iconic, long-standing bars like Rula Bula have shuttered in recent months, along with Americana Burgers & Beer, La Bocca Wine Bar & Urban Kitchen, and the Tempe locations of El Hefe and Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row. Nearby bars like C.A.S.A Tempe, Low Key Piano Bar, Cue Club and more have remained untouched over the years.

In fact, about 24 businesses have closed along Mill Avenue in the past year, according to Kate Borders, president and executive director of the Downtown Tempe Authority, though she said 17 new businesses joined the street’s ranks during first-quarter 2021.