Arcade Coffee Roasters mourns the death of executive chef Ronnie Tucci

Ronnie Tucci, executive chef for Arcade Coffee Roasters in Riverside,  died on Monday, Oct. 30.

Tucci, 33, was born in San Bernardino and lived in Colton, according to an obituary on the Dignity Memorial website. No cause of death was given.

When Arcade Coffee Roasters, an artisanal coffee shop on Chicago Avenue, expanded into the restaurant business in 2021, Tucci created the menu for The Bakehouse in Canyon Crest Towne Centre and later Arcade Downtown on the Main Street Pedestrian Mall the following year. Earlier this year, Arcade took over the Backstreet Restaurant in Riverside’s Magnolia Center, but its partners said they planned to make minimal changes to the menu at the nearly 60-year-old sandwich shop.

“Ronnie has helped shape Arcade in a way that only he could have done. If you have had our food, you know. He hasn’t only shaped Arcade as a company, but he has had such a huge impact personally on each of us, and each person he has had the opportunity to serve,” a post on Arcade’s Instagram page reads.

“His passion for hospitality, service, and excellence has become a part of who we are, and we are so thankful to have been able to build this with him.”

Before Arcade, Tucci spent 10 years at The Ranch Restaurant & Saloon in Anaheim, departing as sous chef. As a teen, he worked for the Colton Community Services Department, where his contributions included building Halloween haunted houses.

A GoFundMe account has been set up for Tucci’s wife, Vicky, and their sons.

Source: Orange County Register