BISBEE, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Bisbee Breakfast Club is moving from its original location on Erie Street in Lowell to Old Bisbee, raising concerns among local business owners and preservationists about what the departure of an anchor business could mean for the historic street's foot traffic and tourism.
The Lowell Americana Project, a group dedicated to preserving Erie Street and making it a roadside destination to help boost tourism in the city of Bisbee, has spent years restoring the street's historic look and feel.
Jay Allen, co-founder of the Lowell Americana Project, said the transformation of Erie Street has been years in the making. He says the Bisbee Breakfast Club has made a difference to how many people come to Lowell.
"The street was dead as a doornail. I could stand out in that street, and a car wouldn't come by for hours. Literally, Lowell was non-existent. And then, as we started picking away on this thing and bringing the look and the past back into the present, everything started changing."
Allen, who grew up in the area, said the street's revival has been deeply personal.
"The fact that this street's got some life in it, and hanging out and talking to the tourists, it makes me happy," he said. "It really does because I see it through their eyes, and they are blown away by this street."
Allen said the Bisbee Breakfast Club's move has created uncertainty for the project.
"We don't know what to anticipate. We literally were scared to death because how do you recreate something, or how are we going to pull people? Because BBC was the pull, and this was the entertainment," he said.
Despite that uncertainty, Allen said the group is pressing ahead.
"We're looking to move forward," he said.
They're currently working on turning one of the buildings into a radio station, since one of the first radio stations in the state was in Bisbee.
Dan Simonis, co-founder of the Lowell Americana Project, echoed that sentiment, framing the work as something larger than any single business.
"The project is bigger than any one place, bigger than any restaurant or shop. It's cultural preservation projects."
The Bisbee Breakfast Club drew consistent foot traffic to Erie Street, with customers often waiting up to an hour for a table. That wait time became an opportunity for neighboring businesses.
Nell Kline, owner of Old Lady Pickers, an antique store on Erie Street, said the restaurant's customers were a reliable source of shoppers.
"When people are waiting for a table, and sometimes it's anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, they come in here and they shop."
Kline has owned the building for 30 years and has operated the business for 8 of them. She said the loss of that foot traffic could threaten her store's future.
"I will try to stay open, and if it doesn't succeed, then I might have to close my doors."
Kline also pushed back on concerns about the age of the buildings on Erie Street, saying she has not experienced safety issues in her space.
"Have you had any safety concerns or felt unsafe in this building since you've had it? Not at all. Not at all. I don't see anything moving or shifting, or everything is solid as far as I see."
The old age of the buildings is one reason locals say Freeport-McMoRan, which owns the properties, will not lease them to businesses. The company has allowed the Lowell Americana Project to use the buildings for displays.
Allen said the group's commitment to the street's history remains unchanged.
"You don't know where you're going if you don't know where you came from. And all I can tell you is, I watch people experience the street. I see it firsthand. It's validation. They go crazy over the cars and the motorcycles."
The Bisbee Breakfast Club has not announced a moving date. The Lowell Americana Project said it has projects lined up and is working to find new ways to attract visitors to the area.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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