Penelope Pizza Is Coming to Downtown Tucson's Train Depot
Published: July 9, 2026 | By TucsonHIRED Team
TUCSON, AZ — One of Tucson's most celebrated pizzerias is heading downtown, and it's taking over an icon. Penelope Pizza is moving into the former Maynards Kitchen & Bottle Shop space inside the historic train depot at 400 N. Toole Ave., with an opening targeted for September 2026, and a new location like this means new restaurant jobs.
Nationally recognized wood-fired pizza in one of downtown's most iconic buildings, with a kitchen that'll need a crew.
📍 Opening at a Glance
| Business | Penelope Pizza |
| Opening | September 2026 (target) |
| Location | 400 N. Toole Ave., in the historic train depot |
| Concept | Wood-fired pizza, handmade pasta, plus a daytime café |
| Hiring | Kitchen, service, and café roles expected |
A Tucson Favorite Takes Over an Icon
Penelope Pizza has built a national reputation on its wood-fired pies, and now it's bringing that to one of downtown's landmark spaces. The former Maynards spot inside the train depot will feature Penelope's signature pizzas alongside handmade pastas and entrées, with a new daytime café concept planned for the adjacent market space. Tucson Foodie first reported the move. Reviving such a beloved restaurant address is a big deal for downtown, and a big opportunity for local hospitality workers.
💼 The Jobs That Come With It
A full-service restaurant plus a café is a lot of positions to fill. As opening nears, watch for:
- Pizzaiolos, line cooks, and prep cooks. See line cook careers and prep cook careers.
- Servers, hosts, and food runners across food service and restaurant careers. See server careers.
- Baristas and café staff for the daytime concept. See barista careers.
- Dishwashers and support roles that keep a busy kitchen moving.
Start watching Penelope Pizza jobs in Tucson, plus line cook and server jobs downtown.
What It Means for Job Seekers
High-profile restaurant openings are some of the best places to land a hospitality job, because they hire whole teams at once and often train new staff during pre-opening. If you've got kitchen or front-of-house experience, a nationally known pizzeria in a marquee location is a resume-worthy place to work. For more of what's hiring nearby, see our guide to downtown Tucson restaurants hiring.
How to Get Ready
Pre-opening hiring usually starts weeks ahead, so set up free job alerts, keep your resume current, and follow Penelope Pizza on social media for staffing news. Restaurants staffing up can post a job to reach Tucson's hospitality talent.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Penelope Pizza opening downtown?
The target is September 2026 at the former Maynards space inside the train depot at 400 N. Toole Ave., though timelines can shift.
What will Penelope Pizza serve?
Its signature wood-fired pizzas, plus handmade pastas and entrées, with a separate daytime café concept planned for the adjacent market space.
Is Penelope Pizza hiring in Tucson?
Specific openings weren't posted as of this writing. Set job alerts and watch our board, since new-opening roles typically appear shortly before launch.
What jobs will be available?
Expect kitchen roles like pizzaiolos and line cooks, front-of-house roles like servers and hosts, café baristas, and dishwashers.
A legendary pizza in a legendary building. When Penelope fires up the oven at the depot, it'll be cooking up jobs along with the pies.
