Prepare to feel a flurry of mixed emotions, Tucson, because, while the restaurant scene is not necessarily growing or shrinking, things are changing over at the historic diner space at 902 E. Broadway Blvd. Chaffin’s Diner has announced that they are selling their restaurant to the folks behind Phoenix-based Welcome Diner.

Chaffin’s, which is known in town for their massive menu and gigantic portions of satisfying greasy spoon diner fare, was built in 1964 and has been run by the owners, who are also the joint’s current namesake, for 15 years. However, on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m., Chaffin’s will be closing after the “difficult decision” to sell, stating that their “employees and customers have become more like a large family.” The restaurant’s current owners “appreciate being able to be a part of the community for so long,” according to a statement sent to Tucson Weekly.

Welcome Diner will take over after renovating the space, though future owners Sloane McFarland and Michael Babcock intend to keep the space’s mid-century character largely intact. Like the pair’s Phoenix restaurant, the new space will offer Southern-inspired diner fare with biscuits, fried chicken, burgers with peanut butter and bacon on top, fried green tomatoes, po’boys and more at the forefront. 

The current kitchen crew behind Phoenix’s Welcome Diner, led by Babcock, first worked off of a food truck in the Valley called Old Dixie’s Southern Kitchen before taking over a 1940s-era roadside Valentine Diner in the city’s Garfield neighborhood. Last year, Babcock and McFarland opened their second joint restaurant venture, Welcome Chicken + Donuts, to almost universal acclaim. The concept pairs unique donut offerings like chocolate rose pistachio, chipotle limon and pear thyme with crispy double fried chicken with an assortment of Asian-inspired glazes. If that doesn’t seem like it goes together, just trust me when I say it does.

Although Chaffin’s will be shuttering in two weeks’ time, the Welcome Diner crew were not ready to release an estimated opening date for their concept.

This article appears in Nov 26 – Dec 2, 2015.

14 replies on “Chaffin’s Sells Historic Restaurant Space to Phoenix’s Welcome Diner”

  3. Sorry to see this Mom & Pop locally owned resaturant be sold. To bad the new owners are going to change the menu to some new fad rather than keep the old standby fare.

  4. This is exciting. The Chaffin’s had a great run but not being open in the evenings, not maintaining the property well, and not maximizing on the potential that such a great mid-century gem could offer is where the new owners obviously see tremendous opportunity and value.

    If you remember, before the son took over a few years ago the father was trying to sell the property for a very inflated price, no takers then.

    I for one welcome a great southern-inspired diner on the eastern gateway to downtown. Now, here’s to late-night service, great food and service, and sustainability!

  5. Biscuits & Gravy, Fried Chicken and Burgers are a “new fad?” Are you from the 14th century?
    This town getting a late night stop with Southern style cooking will be awesome for those of us in the service industry that eat dinner at midnight often!

  6. This is awesome news Welcome Diner is amazing in their lil roadside diner in downtown Phoenix and I can’t wait to see what they do with all the new space!

  8. “Innovative SMALL plates”

    Let’s see how long this lasts. Gonna miss Chaffins.

    Downtown is already saturated with upscale, overpriced restaurants. They are going to need to be the best of the best, or meet somewhere in the middle

    We already have a Cheddars.

  9. I am kind of tired of Phoenix and Flagstaff businessmen coming down to Tucson and changing our landscape but the fact is somebody needs to do it. Chaffins SUCKED!, let’s not beat around the bush. Nobody wants to say it but that place needed to go. Now the need for a traditional greasy spoon diner downtown grows even more. Maybe a local businessman will take up the mantle this time?

  10. I’ve lived in the neighborhood adjacent to Chaffin’s for years but never went there. Based on what I heard people say about it, it was just another mediocre-at-best greasy spoon. Meh.

    Give me southern comfort food with a creative, original twist and good cocktails and beer over some boring same-old same-old any day. I imagine I’ll be walking over there on a regular basis.

  13. @skinnyman: funny how you can be so critical of a restaurant you’ve never patronized. If you read Chaffin’s Yelp reviews, you’ll find it’s very well-liked.

  14. He based his opinion on that of another. Kind of like we’ve done on global warming. But, according to him, the science is settled. He heard from someone that heard from someone that used to have a cousin that lived next door to the best friend of one of the cooks, that…..

    This is starting to sound like NBC News.

    Just blow that Chevy up and let’s show them how dangerous those Chevys are.

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