New housing and shops coming soon to the Westside are expected to bring more tax dollars to the local community.
The Bautista, an addition to the Mercado District, has been in the works since 2020. Construction began in 2022, and the project is now almost complete.
Gadsden Company President and CEO Adam Weinstein shared details about the development.
The inaugural Sonoran Dog Showdown at the Mercado District premieres on May 2 with a competitive twist, hosted by the Mercado District and Rollies West. The event invites guests to sample creations from six local vendors and vote for their favorite. Organizers will host the event from 6-10 p.m. at the MSA Annex, 267 S. Avenida del Convento.
Guests can expect a high-energy evening that blends Tucson’s signature street food with live entertainment. Organizers aim to crown the best Sonoran dog in town while celebrating the city’s food culture.
Cheron Taylor is an aficionado of physical books and brick-and-mortar bookstores — they make you “slow down and practice some thoughtfulness,” she says. Her store, which fits in a rectangular storage container on the west side of Tucson, is “rooted in the literary life of the Sonoran Desert.”
Tucson’s first public market is exactly what a public market should be: bustling with local artisans and full of good food. Grab a coffee from Presta, then pick up a bag of pastries from La Estrella Bakery (these were amazing and only a few bucks a piece — we hit them up several times during our stay) or have lunch at Seis Kitchen (more on that in a minute) before strolling through the shops. My favorites? Mast, a gorgeous lifestyle boutique locally owned by three badass women, and Laughlin Mercantile, a super-cool men’s fragrance and apparel spot… with guitars!
Just down the street, you’ll find a must-see expansion of Mercado San Agustin: the MSA Annex. It houses 15 small businesses in an organized maze of modified shipping containers. There’s a Japanese kitchen, a burger spot, a tattoo parlor, a bookstore we lingered in way too long, and more, all along Avenida Del Convento. Pro tip: Warm Shape is a top-tier spot to pick up quirky souvenirs and affordable local art prints. (Obsessed with my quail print created by the owner.)
Tucson’s 350-ish days of sunny weather even shapes its dining scene. Restaurants, where guests order from a window and eat at outdoor tables, proliferate here, offering everything from breakfast burritos at Barista del Barrio ($8.90) to tuna rice bowls at Kukai ($15).
After Beaut Burger closed at the MSA Annex, just west of downtown at 267 S. Avenida del Convento, couple Akiko Senda and Michael McCormack saw it as a perfect opening for their new concept. McCormack, who owns Kukai, and Senda, who owns Bloom Maven, still wanted burgers, but with a Japanese-inspired twist…
…Once you’ve dropped your bags, head to the Mercado District. At Mercado San Agustín, have a late lunch at Seis Kitchen, the former food truck turned courtyard fixture, for tacos, burritos, and churros with caramel sauce. Afterward, walk over to MSA Annex to poke around the container shops and grab a coffee or a snack if you need it…
Almost 40 local businesses participated in Small Business Saturday in the Mercado District. Hear from Kristin Tovar, owner of Why I Love Where I Live.
As you weave through the shipping containers at the MSA Annex, you can’t help but stop in your tracks.
A rich, buttery aroma suddenly fills the air. It smells like warm, perfectly toasted bread with delicate, subtly sweet notes entwined in it.
Like a cartoon, you’re floating off the ground as the heavenly scent leads you to one particular container.
You swing open the door, ready to finally find the source for the mouthwatering smell, spotting trays and trays of freshly baked loaves of bread, and golden brown, flaky croissants.
This baked good paradise is the work of Alexander Phaneuf and his team, who have transformed this former storage container into a bakery that smells as amazing as it tastes.
Phaneuf, along with Adam Weinstein and Kira Dixon-Weinstein, have opened Hidden Hearth, a new micro-bakery at the MSA Annex that serves up whole-grain breads, unique viennoiserie, and pastries that will have you hooked from first bite.
The MSA Annex in Tucson’s Mercado District continues its expansion with two exciting new food establishments opening their doors this month. BŌS Burger, a Japanese-inspired burger joint, and Hidden Hearth Bakery, a specialty whole-grain bakery, are the latest additions to the growing scene that has been developing since 2018.
