Old Station Sub Shop has been serving up subs and sandwiches in an old house near the state Capitol in downtown Phoenix for nearly four decades.
But unless you’re one of their regulars, you probably have heard of this place because of its location in the middle of the so-called “The Zone,” which was the largest homeless encampment in the region until the city of Phoenix was ordered to clean it up earlier this year.
The shop’s longtime owner, Joe Faillace, made national headlines last year as the debate over The Zone came to a head. He joined the lawsuit filed against the city by business owners in the area who claimed the encampment was dangerous and hurting their bottom lines — but he also has called 911 to make sure people are alive and hired people from The Zone to work in his restaurant.
After making it through the pandemic and the rise and fall of The Zone, Joe and his wife, Debbie, were ready to call it quits. After the city finally cleared out the area, he was able to find a buyer: Bill Ellis. Ellis has been in the food and beverage industry his entire career, but always dreamed of owning his own place. So, he bought it.
The Show sat down with Faillace and Ellis to talk about it.
Full conversation
BILL ELLIS: Yeah, I started with,, you know, many years ago coming out of culinary school, moved to Arizona from New York. And, yeah, I went into, you know, luxury resorts and,, catering and fine dining,, four seasons, things like that, but I've always had the dream to have my own, my own place, my own thing. And when you're working for somebody for so long, it's, you have a safety net, of a company. But, you know, the ultimate thing is to have your own and something that is, is yours. So, you know, little did I know I'd be making sandwiches, you know, going from fine dining to subs. But when an opportunity like this popped up, I knew I had to jump on it because it's a 38-year established business that is, it's proven. And so it's not just a sub shop, it's a legacy, it's an institution. So I decided, hey, let's go for it.
LAUREN GILGER: All right. So from fine dining to subs. OK. So Joe's here too because he's showing you basically the ropes of the place before you were officially heading off into the sunset.
JOE FAILLACE: Yee-haw!
GILGER: It's a very different occasion than the last time I came down here to talk to you when we were talking about, you know, the massive challenges you've been facing for years here with the homeless population and the ways in which that's been difficult and also the ways in which you've tried to help. I mean, it's clear now, like the, the city was ordered to clear out The Zone. There's nobody out there. I just walked in. I mean, it's kind of ironic to be leaving now, right?
FAILLACE: Yeah, but it, it was time. I was trying to sell it during the encampments and several people came by and thought the place was really cute, cool, you know, iconic. But as soon as they drove around the neighborhood, they said, God bless those people, but no thanks, no thanks.
GILGER: So it was a matter of like The Zone has been cleared out and now you could sell.
FAILLACE: Absolutely. Yeah, within six months, you know, started to get action, you know, we put it up for sale, and Bill came by and I met him, and I was just so excited because he's exactly the type of person I wanted to buy my business. He's very energetic, super talented and has, I'm a dinosaur. He runs around the place, you know, and I kind of walk really slow and, but I do walk fast than I have to. But it was just time 38 years. He's got new blood, he has new ideas, the point of sale system he has. I'm just going like, wow, it's incredible online ordering. What is that, you know? So, it's exciting and, it's a blessing for me and my wife to turn over the reins to him because he's going to do an amazing job.
GILGER: I'm in quite a full circle moment there. So, Bill did that play in for you. I mean, like, would you have bought this place when it was surrounded by The Zone?
ELLIS: I mean, well, probably not, in looking at it as an opportunity for the future, seeing this area kind of being rebuilt. And and there's so many different things that are talked about happening in the area. But right now as the, you know, it's just a better feeling down here. I think people are feeling better. So, I mean, in terms of drawing the crowd in and they're, they're not as reluctant to come, you know, in the area to the sub shop. So, you know, playing off of the local, you know, the state workers and things like that, It's a wonderfully consistent business. And so as a business venture, I can see that as it can only get better, it can only grow.
GILGER: So you're coming in, he said, new point of sale system, right? But you're not gonna change much at all, huh?
ELLIS: I mean, I want to add, you know, there, there's things I wanna, you know, bring in some fresh salads. And so, you know how, you know, featured sandwiches, you know, sandwich of the week sandwich of the month. Who knows something like that. But right now the menu itself is precisely what it needs to be. It is just as much of the charm of the building.
GILGER: So, Joe, how do you feel saying goodbye to this place?
FAILLACE: Oh, it's very sad for me. The customers that got me through the pandemic, got me through The Zone. They're crying. Some people that we told they're leaving. Bill was shocked. This one lady almost had a panic attack in the middle of the restaurant. She goes, "Oh my God. No, no, you can't be leaving. No, no." And I hugged her. It's weird. But, you know, it's crazy though. You know, I tell, Bill, I can't believe the love that people have shown me. I mean, you know, it's just for me, my staff, my wife, it's just been amazing and it's been very touching and, it's sad. Thank God I'm on medication otherwise I'd be crying right now.
GILGER: OK. Last question for you then, Bill, I mean, tell us a little bit about your hopes for the place. I mean, it sounds like you're in this for the long run.
ELLIS: Oh, absolutely. I mean, it's funny to see the reactions of the people that have been coming here for so long. And the first thing they ask me or they tell me, you're not going to change it, are you? And I'm like, no, no, no, no. But right now I really just want to get the word out that it's not closing, it's not going anywhere. I bought it and, and Joe gets to retire and, and you never know what's going to happen in the future. But all I do know is that I want to make sure that this place continues on for as long as I possibly can.
GILGER: Bill, Joe, thank you both so much.
ELLIS: Thank you very much.
FAILLACE: Thank you. And I just want to say one more thing, it takes a lot of guts to buy a restaurant that's been in business for 38 years. So I admire this man because I wouldn't do it.
KJZZ's The Show transcripts are created on deadline. This text may not be in its final form. The authoritative record of KJZZ's programming is the audio record.
More stories about homelessness from The Show
