Las Palmas Cantina, the year-old Mexican seafood restaurant and bar in downtown Chandler, will be replaced by a new concept – Chandler Yacht Club – next month.
Owner Julian Wright says Chandler Yacht Club, or CYC, will be ‘‘a fun neighborhood bar with a nautical/island theme that serves quirky tropical drinks and elevated island pub fare.’’
The menu will retain some fan favorites from Las Palmas, such as the tacos, nachos, and ceviche, he says.
It’s not the first time Wright has retooled the restaurant space, which formerly housed Vintage 95. He launched Las Palmas in May 2018, then closed it for a week in August for another menu and decor makeover.
Now, Wright says the interior bar area and back patio will get another facelift, including the addition of two large, custom-carved tiki statues.
The last day for Las Palmas will be Saturday, July 20. CYC’s soft opening is scheduled for Friday, July 26.
Wright has a long pedigree of successful restaurants and nightclubs, most on Tempe’s Mill Avenue, where his concepts included La Bocca Urban Pizzeria & Wine Bar, The Handlebar, and Modern Margarita (he’s since sold all three).
His current downtown Tempe concepts include Pedal Haus Brewery, a 4-year-old award-winning brew pub, and Ted’s Refreshments, which is taking over the recently closed Blasted Barley space this fall.
Wright describes Ted’s as ‘‘more or less a neighborhood watering hole with a little dive bar DNA and some old-school entertainment.’’
It will feature coin-operated pool tables, a cement shuffleboard court, cheap pitchers of beer, and ‘‘a lot of aged neon beer signs I’ve been collecting,’’ he says.
