Imagine my surprise when I returned from a short vacation and saw a sign announcing that the Overlook was open AGAIN.
Here is a little history. When we purchased the property from HSL, the restaurant was called La Vista and it was closed because neither Hilton nor Sheraton could make enough money on it to justify staying in business. Then Oro Valley buys the property and reopens the restaurant.
When I asked then Town Manager, Greg Caton, who authorized the opening, he replied that “it was always assumed that we would open it.” I have no idea where that assumption came from because it was NEVER discussed with the Town Council; it was just an arbitrary move by the Town staff. The name of the establishment was changed to the Overlook and it lost hundreds of thousands of dollars (your tax dollars).
Locally owned restaurants have lost business
Now the COVID pandemic comes and the Overlook was closed. As a result of COVID, all restaurants have suffered and many have closed. Privately owned restaurants are especially hit hard due to the fact that they don’t have the same reserves as the franchised establishments. In Oro Valley, our privately owned restaurants include Harvest, Noble Hops, Torino, and Charred Pie, to name a few. We also have The Views in Sun City run by the HOA.
So what does Oro Valley do? They reopen the Overlook. It not only has a history of losing money, but it puts the Town in direct competition with privately owned restaurants who are struggling to survive during this pandemic.
Who made this decision?
I asked two current Council members if the Council authorized this and they replied in the negative. This move to reopen the money-losing, competitive restaurant was a decision made by Mary Jacobs and her obedient staff. This is the same Mary Jacobs who professes support for local business, yet she opened an establishment that is in direct competition with the private sector. The Overlook should be boycotted. Please spend your money dining out (or ordering takeout) at local restaurants.
Although the current contract with Antares makes them totally responsible for all food and beverage losses (or profits), Antares does not pay to lease the restaurant space and does not pay for the utility expenses. This is not how the private sector operates.
Mr. Mayor and Council, you need to affirm your position that you are the policy makers for Oro Valley, not the Town Manager. Please close the Overlook. You will be saving taxpayer money and helping local restaurants in the process.
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Mike Zinkin and his wife have lived in Oro Valley since 1998. He served on the Oro Valley Development Review Board from 2005-2009, the Board of Adjustment from 2011-2012, and the Town Council from 2012-2016. He was named a Fellow for the National League of Cities. He was a member of the NLC Steering Committee for Community and Economic Development and a member of the Arizona League of Cities Budget and Economic Development Committee. He was an Air Traffic Controller for 30 years. Mike has a Bachelor’s degree in history and government from the University of Arizona and a Master’s degree in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education from California State University, Northridge.
