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Half Moon Windy City Sports Grill closing after 18 years

The neighborhood sports bar has been a favorite for almost two decades in Phoenix, but are closing as their lease is not being renewed.

PHOENIX — It’s a final farewell for a longtime Phoenix sports grill, forced to close its doors for good after the Super Bowl on Sunday.

This comes after the owners learned the lease wouldn’t be renewed due to residential development in the area.

A mountain of memories has been made at the Half Moon Windy City Sports Grill in Phoenix over the past 18 years, for co-owners Don Talbot and Clay Moizo.

"(It's been) a lot of fun, a lot of memory building,” said Talbot. “A lot of athletes, a lot of TV celebrities.”

“By far my favorite was the 2016 Chicago Cubs World Series run, I mean that two-week stretch will live forever,” said Moizo. “We roasted an entire goat on a spit in front of the bar before Game 1, to exorcise the old Billy Goat Curse and it worked.”

“They won the series that year it was unbelievable,” said Talbot.

“I mean we made goat tacos the rest of the week and Game 7 — there’s still champagne in the ceiling from that night,” said Moizo.

The neighborhood sports bar has been known as a Valley favorite, for watching sporting events, draft parties, and company meetings, but unfortunately, after nearly two decades of all the food, fun and cheers, the owners say they will permanently close the restaurant following the big game on Super Bowl Sunday. 

They received word late last year its lease won’t be renewed due to residential development in the area.

“It’s kind of a kick in the gut,” said Talbot. “I mean, we’ve been here for 18 years. It’s what you know and what you’re comfortable with.”

“At first sadness,” said Moizo. “And then once you realize it’s out of your hands and control, you become able to accept it and find the best positive way to handle it and move on from there.”

When customers heard the news, he started receiving countless text messages and calls, with people in the community asking what happened and where they’re going.

“Incredibly positive support… wanting to come out see us at least one more time before we close down and finding out what the plans are and where they can come see us next,” said Moizo.

Thankfully, they have several other properties across the Valley where you can still see them and visit the staff their customers have grown to love.

To savor the memories, they’re offering special deals from way back for the last couple of days.

“Yeah, we’ve completely slashed the prices to give them another reason to stop by and see us and help us blow through everything we’ve got here on our shelves,” said Moizo. “A lot of hugs tonight and probably a lot of shots.”

“All good things come to an end I guess,” said Talbot.

But with this goodbye comes a new chapter.

“We still have the other Half Moon on Greenway, which is still doing well and prospering,” said Talbot. “And then we have some projects, we did Foley Ranch, which is the new country bar up at Desert Ridge, we’re so excited about that.”

Talbot says that’s been a project 12 years in the making. So, from here, they’re looking ahead to new beginnings.

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” he said. 

Arizona sports 

The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.

The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.

Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.

The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.

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