The Larder + The Delta, a popular restaurant known for its unique Southern-style menu, recently closed after five years at its Portland Street location in Downtown Phoenix.
Chef-owner Stephen Jones had managed the business since its start at DeSoto Central Market in 2015. After moving to Portland Street in 2018, the restaurant continued to build a reputation in the area and beyond, with several James Beard semifinalist awards under its belt.
For the past half-decade, The Larder + The Delta has serviced the Downtown area, but in an Instagram post on October 13, Jones announced the restaurant would be closing its doors, citing a leasing issue.
However, the beloved restaurant isn’t gone for good, Jones says. The chef says he has plans to reopen elsewhere – with a few changes.
“At its core, the food will remain the same, but it’ll be more true to what I originally wanted to do,” he explains. “Initially, with The Larder + The Delta, when we first opened up, the food was great, it was what I wanted it to be. But then we gradually started listening to people too much… and the food became a little bit different than what I wanted it to be, so this time I’m staying true to what I want.”
He adds that restaurant operating costs have skyrocketed in recent years, and the new menu prices may reflect that.
When can customers expect the restaurant’s return?
“We’re looking at anywhere between six months to a year,” Jones says. “We’re really going to take our time. We rushed the Portland location, and I don’t want to rush it again. The next spot that we put it, it’s going to be there for quite some time. It needs to be the right deal for everyone… so it’s going to take us some time.”
In the meantime, Jones says when he’s not looking at potential locations or with his family, he’s spending his time traveling, eating and working on recipes to get ready for the reopening. At the end of the day, he’s thankful to his customers, and he feels that the business was, and will continue to be, shaped by the community.
“It’s always been a place for people to come and hang out and share good moments… and it’s always been a place where people are welcome,” he says. “And that’s what this is, we’re gonna get back to that.”
