On a brisk November morning at Kingfisher on East Grant Road, owner Jacqueline Kuder worked quietly in the back of the kitchen, sliding her uniquely designed pumpkin pies into the oven in preparation for the holidays ahead.

The restaurant is closed on Sundays, but that didn’t stop Kuder and Kingfisher Executive Chef Richard De La Cruz Jr. from doing what they love most:  cooking.

“From a young age, I always loved cooking and learned everything from my dad,” Kuder said.

Kuder, who said she took chances at low moments in her life, has spent the last two years running one of Tucson's beloved restaurants. 

For nearly 30 years, Kingfisher was owned by chefs Jeff Asersky and Jim Murphy. Opening the restaurant in 1992, the pair made a name for themselves by selling quality seafood in the heart of the Sonoran Desert.

Two years ago, they passed the torch and keys to Kuder.

But cooking isn’t her only love. Kuder also has a passion for writing – specifically food journalism.

Kuder spent most of her career exploring food from the perspective of a food writer.

As a full-time student majoring in journalism, Kuder worked for multiple restaurants around Tucson. After graduating, she got a job with the now defunct Tucson Citizen, then eventually landed a gig with the Tucson Weekly.

“Forever I bugged the publisher at the Weekly to be a food writer, and there were never any openings,” she said. “Then finally, one of their food writers retired and they gave me a shot.” 

Her experience working in restaurants made her the perfect candidate, and she ended up writing food articles at the Weekly for almost a decade.

Being a food writer shows you how successful restaurants operate, Kuder said.

“At the time, I was really young and didn’t have a lot of money to go out to eat,” she said. “As a food writer, you get to go out maybe twice or three times a week, ordering a good variety of dishes off the menu.” 

This exposed her to a variety of items and techniques, including things she “wouldn’t normally eat.” Kuder said this ended up making her a better chef. 

But it wasn’t all easy. She sometimes disagreed with her editors about what they wanted her to publish. While she wanted to offer traditional criticism, there was a push for her to write “nice things” about every restaurant, a scenario she called “pay for play.” 

Then, the pandemic hit.

 In addition to her job at the Weekly, Kuder also volunteered in healthcare, which she said was “soul sucking.”

“I was really unhappy with my life, career, everything, and I wanted to make a change,” she said.

With restaurants temporarily shut down before transitioning to takeout-only and limited dining options, the pandemic gave Kuder time to think about what was next.

She decided she wanted to buy a restaurant with her business partner, Ted Burhans. In 2022, they got their chance when Kingfisher came onto the market.

But it wasn’t quite that straightforward.

“I didn’t know it was Kingfisher when we entered into the agreement,” Kuder said, adding that the process was secretive and complicated.

But when she learned which business was on the table, she was more than a little excited. 

“We used to live right up the street and would eat here all the time,” she said. 

Taking over the Tucson icon came with a steep learning curve, but Kuder said the pressure kept her motivated, along with the opportunity to live out her dream of owning a restaurant and cooking on her own accord.

But before she could get on with living her dream, she had to get through two months of paperwork.

The process of purchasing a restaurant is difficult and there were plenty of changes that had to be made, starting in the kitchen. When Fred Harris retired as Kingfisher’s executive chef shortly after Kuder took over, that made way for then-sous chef De La Cruz.

De La Cruz had been with the restaurant for 12 years, working his way up from dishwasher. The promotion came as a surprise.

“She was like, ‘You're up,’” he said.

The short notice made for a stressful start,  but De La Cruz said it was worth it.

“Me and Jacki instantly clicked,” he said. “It only took me a few days to really get a handle on things.” 

From there, Kuder began to make the restaurant her second home.

“When I came in, I didn't really have the intent to change a whole bunch of stuff, because it's been successful for a reason,” she said, adding that she also did not want to completely alter the menu or overall charm of a well-respected local restaurant. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

But one change Kuder did feel was necessary was brightening up the decor.

“We kind of changed the vibe a little bit to feel a little more modern and appeal to a more diverse, younger audience,” she said.

Customers have noticed the change.

“The interior design is definitely what caught my eye,” Neil Dessables said on a Saturday night, after enjoying a meal with his friends. “(It) made it the most interesting and memorable.”

Kuder also wanted to add her own flavor to the menu without compromising the essentials. She and De La Cruz love taking risks, including the integration of more upscale ingredients.

“This week we had Chilean sea bass,” Kuder said. “One of our bartenders who’s worked here since the doors opened 30 years ago, was like, ‘I’ve never seen this on the menu ever.’”

Creativity flows through the kitchen, she said, and Kuder and De La Cruz encourage their staff to get involved. They trust the staff to suggest specials, building on those ideas to create perfect and innovative dishes they add to the menu. 

“The point is to build up people, and help them develop and grow,” Kuder said before stepping away from the conversation to check on her pumpkin pies.

After all, the food comes first.

Griffen Engelberg is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact him at at gje1@arizona.edu.

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