Perfect Pear Bistro in Ahwatukee is closing. Here's what will happen with the Tempe locations

After six years, Perfect Pear Bistro in the Ahwatukee Foothills neighborhood of Phoenix will close in the coming weeks, according to a post on Facebook.

The post in the AHWATUKEE411 community Facebook group comes from Laura Hove, who owns three locations of Perfect Pear Bistro with her husband Chris. 

"Chris and I are heartbroken to announce Perfect Pear Bistro in the foothills will be closing the end of May 2019," the post says. 

"This has been one of the most difficult decisions we have ever made as a family. " 

The Republic has reached out to Hove for additional comment but has not received a response. 

6 years in Ahwatukee Foothills 

In 2013, the Hoves opened the Ahwatukee restaurant on the southwest corner of Chandler Boulevard and Desert Foothills Parkway.

The restaurant serves a broad menu of American fare, ranging from salads and quinoa bowls to pastas and sandwiches. The menu also features signature grilled cheese sandwiches made with ingredients like asparagus, bacon, mushrooms and pesto. 

In 2014, the couple opened a second bistro, on the northeast corner of Ray Road and Priest Drive in south Tempe. The third Perfect Pear debuted in 2016, on the southwest corner of University Drive and Roosevelt Street, not far from the main campus of Arizona State University. 

Both Tempe restaurants will remain open, according to the post. 

'Unable to agree on new lease'

In the post on Facebook, Hove explains the reason for the restaurant's imminent closure.

"Unfortunately, our lease came to an end this past January," the post reads. "We were excited to be able to extended it until May but were unable to agree on new lease terms going forward." 

Lease woes have been a recurring issues for independently owned restaurants in the East Valley. Perfect Pear Bistro will be the third restaurant to close in the last six months over lease issues with building owners. 

In October, popular dessert shop Ice Cream Sammies was forced to close due to a lease dispute with their building's owner. Then in November, Gilbert's Waffle Love AZ shop also closed. The business owners posted on Instagram, saying, "The new contract our landlord wanted us to sign to renew our lease didn't work for us, and our time in our Gilbert shop has come to an unexpected and abrupt end." 

According to Hove's post, she and her husband will look for a new location and may explore launching an entirely new restaurant concept. 

Perfect Pear Bistro Ahwatukee

Details: 1241 E. Chandler Blvd., Phoenix. 480-248-6266. Two Tempe locations at perfectpearbistro.com.

Reach the reporter at lauren.saria@azcentral.com. Follow her on Instagram at laurensaria, on Twitter at lhsaria and on Facebook at facebook.com/lsaria.

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