Yuma Sun

Cafecito transition­s to new home

Blue Fox coming soon, durón’s El Zarape stays open, KyMa changing hands

- Mara Knaub

Cafecito Coffee Co. has transition­ed into a more spacious new home at 176 S. Main St. The beloved coffee shop is still downtown and only one street away from the old place.

Husband-and-wife owners Travis Krizay and Ashley Simms described the move as “bitterswee­t.” Three years ago, they moved into the historic Pancrazi Honeymoon Cottage at 118 S. Madison Ave. David Neahr built the adobe cottage in 1899 for his daughter Fryda Mary Neahr, who married noted ferryman Mateo Pancrazi.

“We’ve had so much fun and made so many memories in this little building, but truth is, we outgrew this place 2 weeks into opening its doors,” they posted online.

“Our crew, our customers, our friends and our family have made this dream and this transition such a beautiful journey … We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”

They celebrated the move with a grand opening concert on Friday.

Now you can get your coffee and toast fix at the new Main Street location. Cafecito has cold and hot teas, espresso and baked goods such as cookies and cinnamon rolls.

The shop also offers small bites perfect for breakfast or snacks, such as avocado toast, smoothies and acai bowls.

Cafecito is open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.

to 3 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. The shop stays open late the first Friday of every month. For more informatio­n, call 928-318-2299.

*****

Some readers have noticed activity at the former Hunter Steakhouse, 2355 S. 4th Ave., which closed in 2018.

The interior and exterior are being renovated for

the upcoming Blue Fox Bar and Grill.

Anand Sabapathy, owner of Curries Restaurant, Ramada Inn and Howard Johnsons, plans to offer a multi-cuisine menu with Indian fusion.

Sabapathy hopes to open the Blue Fox in May.

“We are currently remodeling the premises and working on the menu,” he said.

*****

Good news for fans of Durón’s El Zarape Restaurant and Cantina. They’re not going

anywhere – at least for the next year.

Last week the Durón family announced that they would be closing

their restaurant at 1905 W. 8th St. They posted on social media that they were looking for a new

place and asked customers for help in finding a “great new location.”

However, the family has now negotiated a new lease with the property owner for one more year on 8th Street.

*****

Yuma television station KYMA is changing hands. Cox Media Group, an industry-leading media company, and the general entertainm­ent cable network INSP LLC announced that affiliates of each company entered into an agreement involving the sale of

CMG television stations in 12 markets, including KYMA.

The transactio­n furthers the “strategic evolution” of CMG’s broadcast station portfolio and marks INSP’s expansion into broadcast television, according to a press release.

Upon the close of the transactio­n, Imagicomm Communicat­ions, an affiliate of INSP, will acquire Yuma’s CMG station KYMA.

“These are important local journalism and community service brands

powered by incredible media profession­als and journalist­s who work tirelessly to inform, entertain and elevate the communitie­s they serve,” said Dan York, CMG’s president and CEO.

“We are pleased to advance the strategic evolution of our portfolio, are proud of our team members at these stations, and are confident they will continue to excel in their important work as part of the Imagicomm/INSP family,” York added.

David Cerullo, chairman and CEO of INSP, said: “We are excited to be entering the broadcast television market with this strong collection of brands that are integral to informing and entertaini­ng the communitie­s they serve. We look forward to working with the stations’ talented staff and building upon their rich legacy of journalism and serving their communitie­s, advertiser­s, and audiences. This acquisitio­n is part of our broad corporate strategy to expand our media ownership across multiple entertainm­ent platforms.”

The transactio­ns are subject to customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory

approvals.

The parties expect to close the announced transactio­ns in the second half of 2022.

*****

I’ve had numerous requests for informatio­n on the constructi­on of the future Del Sol Supermarke­t in the Foothills.

In November 2020, Andres Salcido of

Factor Sales requested a land use designatio­n of the property at 11737 S. Foothills Blvd. so that the company could build the local chain’s next store.

In January 2021, the Yuma County Board of Supervisor­s approved the request.

Last summer the old building that occupied the space was razed to make room for the proposed 35,000-square-foot store.

However, the project now seems stalled with little, if any, recent activity.

I have tried repeatedly to reach Del Sol parent company Factor Sales for an update, but the company has not responded.

I will continue trying to get informatio­n, and if I do, I will share it with readers.

The property was previously occupied by the Desert River Spa and RV Resort, formerly the

Schechert Family Aquatics. Desert River closed in 2020 after the owner reported that the COVID-19 pandemic closure proved “too much.”

*****

Here are the Yuma Commercial Constructi­on Project Updates for this week:

• Certificat­es of Occupancy Issued: Premier Self Storage Building 8, 3265 S. Avenue 3¾ E, a new self storage facility; Take 5 Oil Change, 3010 S. 4th Ave., a new constructi­on facility.

• Building Permits Issued: Alexander Ford, 801 E. 32nd St., for façade upgrades; Papa Murphy’s Pizza, 2383 W. 24th St., Suite 115, for tenant improvemen­ts; Yuma County Voter/Election Services, 102 S. Main St., for tenant improvemen­ts.

• New Plans Submitted for Review: ARKOS Heath, 1200 S. Castle Dome Ave., Suites A/B, for tenant improvemen­ts.

if you know of a new business that has or will be opening, relocating or closing, please let me know at mknaub@yumasun.com. i appreciate the readers who always act as my eyes and ears. i welcome your questions, and if i find the answer, i will run it in the column.

 ?? PHOTO BY MARA KNAUB/YUMA SUN ?? CAFECITO COFFEE CO. has transition­ed into a more spacious new home at 176 S. Main St., one street away from the old place.
PHOTO BY MARA KNAUB/YUMA SUN CAFECITO COFFEE CO. has transition­ed into a more spacious new home at 176 S. Main St., one street away from the old place.
 ?? LOANED PHOTO ?? DURÓN’S EL ZARAPE Restaurant and Cantina negotiated a new lease for one more year at 1905 W. 8th St.
LOANED PHOTO DURÓN’S EL ZARAPE Restaurant and Cantina negotiated a new lease for one more year at 1905 W. 8th St.
 ?? PHOTO BY MARA KNAUB/YUMA SUN ?? THREE YEARS AGO Cafecito Coffee Co. moved into the historic Pancrazi Honeymoon Cottage at 118 S. Madison Ave. and outgrew it within two weeks.
PHOTO BY MARA KNAUB/YUMA SUN THREE YEARS AGO Cafecito Coffee Co. moved into the historic Pancrazi Honeymoon Cottage at 118 S. Madison Ave. and outgrew it within two weeks.
 ?? ?? THE BLUE FOX BAR and Grill will open at 2355 S. 4th Ave. in May with an Indian fusion multi-cuisine menu.
THE BLUE FOX BAR and Grill will open at 2355 S. 4th Ave. in May with an Indian fusion multi-cuisine menu.
 ?? ??

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