A Seventh Avenue Dining Anchor Prepares for Its Final Dinner

Gray skies and a stray morning sprinkle won't slow down the pizza ovens warming up at Hance Park today. Grab a light layer before heading out to catch the live music and stage performances downtown.

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The Lead

Chef Lori Hashimoto and co-owner Lynn Becker announced that Hana Japanese Eatery on Seventh Avenue will serve its final dinner this Sunday, November 15, concluding a celebrated 19-year run in North Central Phoenix. Opened in 2007 long before the Valley's modern sushi boom, the neighborhood staple established itself as an essential gathering spot known for meticulous sashimi, tavern-style simmered dishes, and deeply personal hospitality. The sudden farewell follows an unresolved commercial lease dispute, leaving longtime patrons rushing to secure one last meal at the counter. While Hashimoto has not completely closed the door on finding another location down the road, the immediate focus is honoring the restaurant's veteran kitchen crew and saying goodbye to generations of regulars. Anticipate heavy crowds and lines spilling onto the sidewalk through Sunday evening's final seating.

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Local Pulse

• Sky Harbor Clears Widespread Departure Delays Transit Flight schedules are steadying this morning after Friday's four-hour federal air traffic outage stranded passengers and grounded regional flights.

• Desert Commercial Center Secures Land Deal Business Developers acquired 20 state trust acres near Carefree Highway to build a grocery-anchored shopping village starting next year.

• South Mountain Preserves Host Youth Ecology Parks Environmental educators lead wildlife workshops, desert trail walks, and interactive nature demonstrations across the mountain park this morning.

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Today's Outlook

• High 66°F · Low 56°F — Drizzle
  • Keep a light rain shell handy as intermittent desert drizzle keeps things brisk.

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What's On Around Town

Today

• Pass Mountain Trail Runs Usery Mountain Regional Park, Mesa, 7:00 AM · Paid Scenic desert trail races through rugged Sonoran foothills and washes.

• Herberger Festival of the Arts Herberger Theater Center (222 E Monroe St), 11:00 AM–6:00 PM · Free Twenty-seven local performance troupes, live music, and interactive art zones.

• Phoenix Pizza Festival Margaret T. Hance Park (1202 N 3rd St), 11:00 AM–5:00 PM · $16 Dozens of craft pizza ovens, local craft beer, and lawn games.

• Hondo Rodeo Fest Chase Field (401 E Jefferson St), 5:30 PM · Paid Elite arena competition paired with live sets from country chart-toppers.

• Women's Jazz Weekend The Nash (110 E Roosevelt St), 7:00 PM · Paid Pianist Rachel Eckroth teams up with saxophonist Tia Fuller on stage.

Tomorrow

• PhxArt Family Funday Phoenix Art Museum (1625 N Central Ave), 10:00 AM–4:00 PM · Free
• Phoenix Pizza Festival Margaret T. Hance Park (1202 N 3rd St), 11:00 AM–4:00 PM · $16
• Canal Convergence Scottsdale Waterfront, Scottsdale, 6:00–10:00 PM · Free

Monday

• Monday Sips & Strolls Desert Botanical Garden (1201 N Galvin Pkwy), 5:00–8:00 PM · Paid
• Big Richard Musical Instrument Museum (4725 E Mayo Blvd), 7:00 PM · Paid
• Band of Horses The Van Buren (401 W Van Buren St), 8:00 PM · Paid

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Spotlight & Story

• Pumpkinville
  • Before it was named after the mythical bird rising from ancient ruins, Jack Swilling’s 1867 farming settlement along the Salt River was nicknamed Pumpkinville. Prolific wild gourds choked the prehistoric Hohokam canals, inspiring the rustic moniker until Darrell Duppa suggested Phoenix in 1868.

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