Recently closed Kokopelli Winery & Bistro, a fixture in downtown Chandler since 2001, is joining forces with Crust pizzeria and wine bar to reopen this October with a new name, Crust at Kokopelli Winery.
“We at Crust are excited to join forces with Kokopelli Winery and feel confident in co-branding with a company who has built a loyal brand for more than 20 years,” says Ryan Mitchell, one of the partners behind Crust.
Kokopelli, Arizona’s largest and oldest continual producing winery, was founded in the early 1990s near Willcox. After moving production to Chandler and adding a bistro, it also opened a West Valley bistro, which closed in 2010.
The Chandler bistro closed May 26 for a “dramatic reconstruction and re-concepting,†according to an email to customers. It promises customers still will be able to enjoy Kokopelli wines, as well as favorite menu items, when it reopens.
Mitchell, though, tells MXSW the details haven’t been worked out yet. “The menu has not been finalized,” he says, adding Crust’s partners are “excited to look into the bistro’s highlights and possibly incorporate them into a fusion menu, with major focus on our original concepts.”
Crust debuted in Scottsdale in 2007 and has since added a north Phoenix location. It also has event locations at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale and the Phoenix Convention Center.
Mitchell says Crust at Kokopelli Winery is on the “back burner” for the moment while he and his partners concentrate on their new fast-casual concept, MyPie, which launches next month in Paradise Valley.
(Editor’s note: The original version of this post has been revised with additional information and comments.)
