A North Fourth Avenue favorite from days gone by will soon be back in business less than a mile from its old location.

Barbara and Scot Shuman, who owned the sandwich shop Bumsted’s for 13 years on Fourth, have taken over the Royal Sun Restaurant and Lounge, 1003 N. Stone Ave., and are making it their own in collaboration with local business owner Tony Diaz and his karaoke company Ynot Entertainment. Dubbed Bumsted’s at Wonderwall, the restaurant will offer the same menu as it did in its old spot — large sandwiches, burgers and salads with funny names like the Sloppy Kiss (chicken Parmesan) and the Rock Star Mullet Burger.

The bar in back will feature live karaoke every night of the week, with a full stage and built-in sound and lighting.

Diaz said in addition to traditional karaoke, he will take some nights to the next level, introducing ideas like live band karaoke and karaoke speed dating.

Diaz knows his business. He started Ynot 16 years ago. Before the pandemic, his hosts were operating in 43 bars and restaurants throughout the Tucson area.

Each year, Diaz takes a trip to cities around the world to see how they run their karaoke operations.

“Karaoke is one of those things where you can go by yourself and sing, and you meet others who share that same passion,” Diaz said. “It is an easy way to meet people if you are traveling a lot.”

After returning from one of his trips through parts of Asia and Europe last December, Diaz felt inspired. He reached out to the Shumans to see if they would like to join forces.

Bumsted’s was one of Diaz’s first clients when Ynot Entertainment was just getting started.

“They always had the best food,” he said.

The Shumans, who had been operating a power washing business since losing their lease on North Fourth Avenue in 2017, were intrigued by the idea.

The trio looked at properties that once held Irene’s Holy Donuts on North Fourth and the Auld Dubliner on East University Boulevard, before finding out the Royal Sun was for sale.

“The price was right,” Barbara Shuman said. “They accepted our down payment and we took on the catering contract to serve breakfast for the (adjoining Best Western) hotel. That would pay for our mortgage even at their lowest occupancy.”

The Shumans, who over the years have owned several restaurants and bars, including the Kon Tiki and Daggwood Café, see several benefits to the new Bumsted’s.

The kitchen is significantly larger than the 300 square feet of space they had at the old location, and the restaurant’s deal with Best Western will allow them to expand their breakfast menu.

“Breakfast was tough on Fourth,” Scot Shuman said. “Nobody is walking around the avenue in the morning until they wake up with a hangover at 11.”

The Royal Sun also has ample free parking.

“When they started charging for parking on Fourth, I didn’t understand why people were so happy about it,” Scot Shuman said. “Every parking lot was charging and we had eight spots to share between three businesses.”

The Shumans and Diaz are planning to launch at some point in July. After that, they will be open for take-out and limited dine-in service, following social distancing guidelines.

The idea has been getting positive feedback online. The announcement of their return on the Bumsted’s Facebook page in late May generated more than 240 likes and 135 comments, almost all positive.

“We hope to keep the momentum going,” Barbara Shuman said.

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Contact reporter Gerald M. Gay at ggay@tucson.com or 573-4679.