Business as usual for DaBoyz Italian Cuisine

Customers can rest assured that they can continue to enjoy the pizza, pasta and other dishes served up by DaBoyz Italian Cuisine despite the legal issues involving the restaurant's landlord.

“We're still open for business and going strong,” said Shana Dempsey, manager for DaBoyz Pizza in the Foothills.

Speaking on behalf of DaBoyz owner Christine Gapp, Dempsey said the Yuma restaurant, located on the ground floor of the Kress building at 284 S. Main St., is independently owned. She said DaBoyz is not connected to the ownership of the building or the Top of the Kress, the nightclub that occupies the upper floors and rooftop.

“We're just tenants in the building,” Dempsey told the Yuma Sun Friday.

She said the restaurant has received several calls and questions from customers about the future of DaBoyz Italian Cuisine since local news media reported this week that Kress owner Frank Ruiz has been indicted by a grand jury in an alleged loan kickback scheme.

William Liddle, former vice president of business lending for the AEA Federal Credit Union, and his wife also were indicted in the case.

The indictment alleges that Liddle conspired with Ruiz to approve suspicious business loans from AEA that involved millions of dollars, according to a press statement released Thursday from the Arizona Office of the U.S. Attorney.

Meanwhile, Top of the Kress had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in July.

The Kress building, originally built to house a Kress store in the early 1900s, was purchased by Ruiz in 2007. He opened the nightclub in March after extensive renovations and improvements to the downtown historic building.

Ruiz told the Yuma Sun Friday that “it's business as usual” for the Top of the Kress.

Otherwise, he declined to comment.

Liddle couldn't be reached for comment on the case Friday. His attorney issued a statement to the Yuma Sun that Liddle “would have his day in court.”

DaBoyz opened on the ground floor of the Kress building last spring and has seating for 150 indoors as well as patio seating, a bar and private party rooms.

Dempsey said the restaurant continues to support youth in the community. That includes being a sponsor for the Cecil Fielder Elite World Series. The youth baseball series is scheduled to be held Dec. 17-20, with games at Yuma Catholic, Desert Sun Stadium and Joe Orduño Park. Tickets are available at both DaBoyz Italian Cuisine and DaBoyz Pizza.

Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.