But Garcia said he’s confident reviewers visited Tucson, although he was disappointed and surprised that no Tucson restaurants were listed.
“I know we have the quality restaurants,” he said of Tucson being snubbed. “But we know this is a long-term game.”
Garcia said he has been told by tourism representatives in other Michelin guide cities not to be “surprised or disappointed if you get nothing.”
“That’s common in the first year,” he was told. “Then the second year, you get a larger number of restaurants and by the third year, it starts populating. It is going to be building every single year.”
Michelin began its pay-to-play partnership model in the mid-2010s, with Visit California being the first in the U.S. in 2019. Under the model, Michelin collects hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars from tourism boards and government agencies to introduce a Michelin guide for their area. The incentive is that having local restaurants highlighted will boost visibility and credibility, leading to increased tourism and tax revenues.
Although the states pay for the guide, Michelin maintains editorial control of its content. States cannot recommend which restaurants to visit or what areas; those decisions, according to Michelin, are based on buzz, food trends, media reviews and research.
Considering those criteria, it seems almost unfathomable that Tyler Fenton’s Bata at 35 E. Toole Ave. didn’t catch a Michelin reviewer’s attention. Bata, with its innovative, ever-changing menu, has been feted in a number of national publications including Bon Appétit, New York Times and Sunset Magazine since chef-owner Fenton opened the Tucson restaurant with siblings Zach and Courtney in spring 2022.
Dining and Cooking