House of Tricks owners announce plan to retire

Owners Bob and Robin Trick of the iconic House of Tricks restaurant in Tempe, Arizona, have announced their plans to retire in June 2022.

The critically acclaimed restaurant has been a Valley favorite for more than 34 years. Known for its fine dining as well as its lush patios, House of Tricks has been the site of significant family and professional events, including marriage proposals, weddings, business meetings, and fundraisers. It’s been a well-loved landmark for many, including ASU faculty and staff, neighbors from the Tempe community, local and national politicians, businesspeople, spring training fans, and gourmet enthusiasts.

“Bittersweet is a mild term for what it is, It’s the most difficult decision I’ve ever made in my life,” Robin Trick said.

While COVID has contributed to the closure of many area restaurants, it was not a major factor in the decision to close House of Tricks.

“We’ve been doing it 35 years, and it’s just time. It’s time,” Trick said. “COVID played a small part in it. It really just kind of made us reassess. We’d been talking about it for years, but it really made us think about our lives and what there is.”

There were many factors that contributed to the success of House of Tricks, from the location just outside of downtown, to its unique, relaxed atmosphere.

“I don’t think it’s any one thing, I think we just hit the right combination,” Trick said. “We filled a void that Tempe did not have, and we kept adapting it the way it seemed to want to go. It was very organic in the way it developed.”

And it wasn’t only the restaurant that was developing.  Tempe has nearly doubled in population since the 1980s, with all of the accompanying changes that brings.

“I kind of knew, I had a heartbeat, a pace on what was going on, so it didn’t really surprise me as it evolved. I sort of expected it to go the way it went. We just moved with it the best we could,” Trick said.

Ever since making the decision to retire, Robin Trick has received an outpouring of response from the community.

“Mostly what I’m getting is a lot of gratitude, people who feel happy they got to experience it all those years and, like you, things that people experienced there that will be with them forever.” Trick said. “That’s pretty rewarding.”

The restaurant remains open until June 25. The plot it sits on has been sold to a developer. The plans for the location are not known.