Bad news from the corner of Tucson Boulevard and Glenn Street, as quirky fancy foods shop/deli sandwich joint Ted’s Country Store announced this morning that they’re closing permanently this weekend. In recent years, it seems the store has focused more on the sandwich and soup part of their business than the selling of European cookies and such, but Ted’s has a solid reputation around town as a good place to grab lunch.
No word on whether something new is taking over the space, but we’ll keep an ear to the ground.
This article appears in Jan 30 – Feb 5, 2014.
Omg, this is so sad. I wish Peter and his staff good luck in the future. Such a great place and awesome sandwiches.
This is devastating. .. my boyfriend and I are regulars..say it isn’t so!!
What a great neighborhood lunch stop. Sad to see it go, as change has come to food service. Just like everything else. Still a big fan of change?
Oh dear. This is the neighborhood news we hoped wouldn’t happen but that we feared. We tried to buy from them once a week, to help keep the doors open.
I am ill.
DO NOT PATRONIZE CHAINS!!!
Bummer.
Oh no! Another great local business bites the dust-this is indeed a loss.
I’ve enjoyed many a soup and sandwich from this little spot. Sorry to see it go! All the best to Peter and his crew. Thanks for so many great lunches.
I am always dropping a bundle, can never seem to get out of there for less than $24.00 lol. Two or three times a week.
The staff has been great,
I always got the feeling that Peter was overly price conscious, not that he was over priced but that pennies mattered to him, maybe tight is the best word, always kind though.
If something negative was stated he always sweet talked himself around the issue.
God, you had to love the bacon in particular. But as of late not so good, I commented on that one day, thinking that it was hard to eat, tuff , suggested that it might be old?? No, Peter stated that it was simply overcooked. No apology, no kind of let me make that right for you.
I’ve been shopping there for years, loved it when the had all the specialty items, if an item was unheard of by the locals,, you could find it there!!! It saddened me when he started devoting his time an energies to only sandwiches, but we all make adjustments to our lives, eh?
Still the shop had a quality about it, a nice place to go for a different atmosphere. Unique for sure.. I think I will miss the staff more than anything, a very funny black girl that worked mostly evenings, whom Peter thought talked too much,, DAMN that was one of my reasons for going in, and Rudy who seemed so out of place, a kind of home boy look to him lol. But truly one of Peter’s best.
I will miss the convenience of the store but I will miss the two staff members I spoke of more so.
It’s been years since I went into Ted’s since I live in Oracle, and have for the last 23 years. I’m guessing that Peter was not the first owner, as I seem to recall Ted’s being there when I lived in Tucson. In fact, I think I recall Ted’s being there back in the late 70’s. Nevertheless, I do recall great food, and a very unique selection that could be found nowhere else. I’m sorry to see Ted’s close. One can only hope that another foodie will pick up the reins.
Ted Contes owned Ted’s College Bar on 22nd in the 70’s and was the original owner of Ted’s Country Store. I worked for him for a short time when I came to Tucson in 1972. Ted has been gone for years but the Store remained a landmark. I am sorry to see the closure.