Category: Restaurant Scouting

Dave’s Hot Chicken, a Los Angeles-based fast-casual chain specializing in Nashville-style hot chicken, is taking over the former Burger King on the southeast corner of Stapley and Baseline in Gilbert. The 5-year-old concept, which began as a Hollywood parking lot

A Japanese izakaya bistro called Pyro is the first restaurant to commit to The Grove, a new $300 million mixed-use development on the northwest corner of 44th Street and Camelback in east Phoenix. Pyro – from the same group behind

Sid’s Garage, an Idaho-based concept that MXSW first reported in February was coming to Desert Ridge Marketplace, has announced its first Arizona location will open May 15. The menu features 10 specialty burgers, including a $24.50 three-patty Godzilla Burger, and eight

Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, a New York City-based pizza chain with one of the ‘‘10 NYC Slices You Have To Try Before You Die’’ according to Buzzfeed, is expanding its Valley footprint with a third location coming to Desert Ridge Marketplace

A new Japanese restaurant, tentatively called J-Town, is coming to the old Barney’s Boathouse building near the southeast corner of Drinkwater and Sixth Avenue in Old Town Scottsdale this summer. The owner is Eddie Chow, who also owns Nanaya Japanese

Instrumental Hospitality Group – which opened its first restaurant, Belly, in Phoenix in 2020 – is preparing to launch a second concept, Sin Muerte, next to Matt’s Big Breakfast on the southeast corner of First Street and Garfield in downtown

Gogi, a casual Korean-Japanese eatery that opened in Chandler in 2014, is launching a second location next to the AMC theaters on the southwest corner of I-10 and Ray in Ahwatukee. Gogi owner Euijong Chung’s sister, Jin Chung, and niece,

Ghett Yo Wings, a sibling concept to Ghett Yo Taco in Chandler and recently reopened Ghett Yo Pizza & Sliders in Ahwatukee, is coming to Christown Spectrum mall on the southwest corner of 15th Avenue and Bethany Home in Phoenix.

The Paleta Bar, a New Mexico-based chain of Mexican dessert shops with three East Valley locations, soon will open its first West Valley store on the southwest corner of the 101 and Union Hills in Glendale. Its menu offers customized

Chicago-based fast-casual chain Portillo’s has confirmed it will open its much-anticipated Gilbert location – first reported by MXSW last December – by the end of this year. Featuring a retro automotive garage theme, indoor seating for 180, and a patio,

Chicago-based Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria announced its seventh Valley location will open Monday, April 25, in the former T-Mobile space near the northeast corner of Alma School and Queen Creek in south Chandler. Like Lou Malnati’s other East Valley locations in

Sandfish Sushi and Whiskey – a 4-year-old restaurant in Palm Spring, Calif., headed by owner-chef Engin Onural, a former World Sushi Cup qualifier – is opening a second location on the southwest corner of Seventh and Glenrosa avenues in Phoenix’s

Cork Crush, a neighborhood wine and beer bar, is coming to the southeast corner of Ellsworth and Ray in southeast Mesa. The 1,600-square-foot venue plans to feature mostly domestic wines, including those from lesser-known wine-producing states like Texas and Michigan.

Two Hands Seoul Fresh Corn Dogs, a chain of Korean street food eateries that made its Arizona debut in west Mesa in 2020 and added an Avondale location last year, is preparing to open a third location near the food

Taiwanese boba chain Xing Fu Tang will make its Arizona debut this summer at Mesa Riverview on the northeast corner of Dobson Road and Rio Salado Parkway in northwest Mesa. The company has been called ‘‘the Hermes of bubble tea’’

Taqueria Factory, a family-owned Mexican restaurant specializing in quesabirrias and micheladas, is coming to the southeast corner of Arizona and Ray in Chandler. Pastor meat will be cooked on a trompo (rotating vertical spit), and diners will be able to

Fire Tiger Dessert Cafe, an international chain with locations in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, will make its U.S. debut in the former Pho Winglee strip-mall space just south of H Mart near the southeast corner of Main

Federal American Grill, an informal steak and seafood restaurant with four locations in the Houston area, is expanding to Arizona. It’s taking over the former Denny’s space on the southwest corner of Scottsdale and the 101 in northeast Phoenix and

Three Thirty Three, a new Asian-inspired concept, has leased the last available restaurant space at The Watermark, the $150 million mixed-use development along Scottsdale Road on the north side of Tempe Town Lake. The 11,300-square-foot restaurant from Washington-based WGE Capital

Gilbert-based Uncle Bear’s Grill & Tap, which opened its first non-southeast Valley location in Paradise Valley in December, is adding another in the former Tipsy Coyote space on the southwest corner of Scottsdale and Bell in north Scottsdale. No opening

Cory Oppold, a former executive chef at Tarbell’s and Atlas Bistro, is opening Course, a modern American restaurant offering prix fixe seasonal menus, in the former Baked Bear space next to the Harkins theaters on the northeast corner of Scottsdale

Scottsdale-based Square One Concepts’ Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers and Bourbon & Bones Cocktail Lounge are taking over the former Friday’s Front Row space at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix. The 12,000-square-foot location spans multiple levels and includes a suspended patio

Italian-American fast-casual chain Fazoli’s, which closed its last Valley locations in 2008, is coming back. Mesa-based Kind Hospitality has signed a deal to open nine stores by the end of 2024. The first is scheduled to open this fall, although

Jimmy G’s, a build-your-own pasta concept, will open in the former Desi Fusion space near the southeast corner of Alma School and Southern – across the street from defunct Fiesta Mall – in west Mesa. A 10-ounce portion of pasta

Ugolicious, an international chain of dessert cafes specializing in frozen Greek yogurt and Italian gelato, is coming to Chandler Fashion Center. Look for it to open this summer directly across from Hollister Co. on the mall’s second level.

Josh Katz, co-creator of Phoenix martini bar 36 Below, is working on a new concept – Rose Garden Cocktail Lounge – in the US Bank Center (pictured) on the southeast corner of First Avenue and Monroe in downtown Phoenix. A

After scouting locations for more than a year, Texas-based Mutts Canine Cantina will make its Valley debut early next year at SanTan Village in Gilbert. Mutts, which has signed a deal to open six locations in Arizona, features a dog-friendly

Etta, a neighborhood restaurant specializing in wood-fired pizzas and pastas, announced it will open Wednesday, April 6, in the former Brio Tuscan Grille space at Scottsdale Quarter in north Scottsdale. The concept is from the same group behind high-end surf

Society by EVO, a new full-service upscale late-night restaurant and bar from EVO founder Nick Neuman and his partners, announced it will open Tuesday, March 22. Located in the former GuacStar space on the northeast corner of Rural and University

Denver-based Mici Handcrafted Italian, a fast-casual pizza and pasta concept, will make its Arizona debut this summer near the southwest corner of Power and Ray in southeast Gilbert. A second location is planned near the northwest corner of Ellsworth and Riggs

Cantina Gueros, a 16-month-old Mexican restaurant in Peoria, is opening a second location this spring in the former Native Grill & Wings space on the southeast corner of McDowell and the PebbleCreek Parkway in Goodyear.

Cession, a Southern-themed restaurant with multiple patios as well as rooftop dining, has leased 8,500 square feet at The Watermark, the $150 million mixed-use development on the north side of Tempe Town Lake. The opening is planned for early 2023.

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, a Louisiana-based chain of family-friendly sports bars, announced the grand opening of its first Arizona location will take place next Monday, March 14. It’s taking over the former Sweet Tomatoes building on the southwest corner of the

85° C Bakery & Café, a Taiwanese international chain selling coffee, smoothies, juices, and baked goods, will make its Arizona debut next to 99 Ranch Market on the northeast corner of Chandler and Dobson in Chandler this spring. The chain

Pizza Factory, a California-based chain with Arizona locations in Williams, Payson, and Show Low, will make its return to the Valley (a West Valley location in Buckeye recently closed) this summer on the southeast corner of Gilbert and Southern in

Acqua di Mare, which will offer what it calls ‘‘Mediterranean cuisine with a European tableside cooking experience’’ as well as ‘‘a flair of French, Italian, and Greek cuisine,’’ is coming to the southwest corner of Boston and Oregon – next

Bellevue, Wash.-based Ascend Hospitality Group is bringing two new concepts to downtown Tempe this spring. Anoche Cantina, a modern cantina with a build-your-own margarita bar, is taking over the former El Hefe space on Mill Avenue. Six40rty, a sports bar/nightclub

Twin Peaks – a Dallas-based chain of sports bars with locations in Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Glendale – will open its fifth Valley location this fall in the former Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar building at the Deer Valley Towne

Dallas-based Ojos Locos Sports Cantina, aka ‘‘the Mexican Hooters,’’ will open its fourth Arizona location this summer at Desert Sky Mall on the southwest corner of Thomas and 75th Avenue in west Phoenix. The chain made its Arizona debut in

PokiLuv Poke & Sushiritto, a food court eatery offering poke bowls and ‘‘sushi burritos’’ at Chandler Fashion Center and Glendale’s Arrowhead Towne Center, will open its first stand-alone location in March at the Watermark on the southeast corner of Rural

Scottsdale-based Hash Kitchen, the breakfast-and-lunch concept with five Valley locations, has signed deals to open two more this fall. One will be in the new Verde at Cooley Station development at Williams Field and Recker in Gilbert, the other in

The Buzzed Goat, a 3-year-old locally owned coffee bar and taphouse that’s become an Ahwatukee favorite, is launching a second location on the southeast corner of McClintock and Southern (behind Boston Market) in Tempe. Owner Gabe Von Weimer says the

After years of promises, teases, and false starts, it looks like Los Angeles is finally getting a Pizzeria Bianco. Valley restaurateur and chef Chris Bianco, who has a home in Hermosa Beach, Calif., has inked a deal to launch one

San Diego chef Angelo Sosa, best known for his three seasons on TV’s ‘‘Top Chef,’’ will open a new upscale Southwestern restaurant called Tia Carmen this spring in the former Stone Grill space at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge

Food Network personality Guy Fieri, who launched three delivery-only ghost kitchens called Flavortown Kitchen in the Valley last year, will open a bricks-and-mortar Flavortown this spring at the new Caesars Sportsbook at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix. The space previously

Tucson-based Eegee’s announced it will officially open its third Valley location on the southwest corner of Val Vista and Willis – kitty-corner from Mercy Gilbert Medical Center – on Thursday, March 3. (A soft opening will be held 4-8 p.m. Wednesday,

Mr Fries Man, a California-based concept selling build-your-own plates and boxes of fries topped with a choice of meat (including shrimp and crab), will make its Arizona debut this spring on the southwest corner of Fifth Street and College –

Hawaii-based fast-casual seafood chain Coconut’s Fish Cafe, which closed its south Chandler location in late 2020 due to lack of business, is finding better luck in Scottsdale, where it plans to open its third location in the city near the

California Fish Grill, a Los Angeles-based chain of fast-casual seafood restaurants that made its Arizona debut in Mesa in December 2020, will open a second location in the former IHOP at the Camelback Colonnade on the southeast corner of the Piestewa

Rio Rico Mexican Grill, a 17-year-old Sonoran-style sit-down restaurant on the southeast corner of Val Vista and Guadalupe in Gilbert, is moving across its parking lot to the former Casanova Bros. Pizza & Pasta building. The pizzeria closed last October.

Pork on a Fork, the north Phoenix barbecue joint that planned to open a second location in Chandler last May, has been beset by construction delays, but work continues on the long-closed Carl’s Jr. building near the southwest corner of

Mokas Cafe, a pair of popular breakfast-and-lunch eateries in Kansas, will make its Arizona debut with Mokas Bakery & Bistro just south of the Fry’s Marketplace on the southwest corner of Higley and Baseline in Gilbert. The cafe, which offers

Ab Lattouf and Nichole Morris, who bought The Horny Toad in Cave Creek in a couple years ago, are turning another of their restaurants – Desert Rose Pizzeria Gastropub & Steaks near the southeast corner of Glendale and 59th Avenue

The Hub Grill & Bar, a local sports bar chain that opened its third East Valley location in Ahwatukee last month, is working on a fourth in the short-lived GOAT Sports Grill space on the southwest corner of Power and

Carolina’s Mexican Food, a Valley favorite for more than 50 years, will open its sixth location this July near the northwest corner of 59th Avenue and Greenway Road in Glendale. The no-frills restaurant is best-known for its award-winning tortillas, which

Hundred Mile Brewing, a 8,200-square-foot brewery and restaurant, is under construction in the former Looks Good printing and sign building on the southwest corner of Rural and the 202 – just across Tempe Town Lake from ASU. Demo work is

Macayo’s Mexican Food, a chain of sit-down restaurants founded in Phoenix in 1946, will open its ninth Valley location near the northeast corner of Alma School and Queen Creek in south Chandler. The building formerly was home to Carrabba’s Italian

Benny Blanco Tortillas, a favorite at the Gilbert Farmers Market and other markets around the Valley, will open a bricks-and-mortar storefront next month on the southwest corner of Idaho and the Apache Trail in Apache Junction. It sells 17 different

The Bar, a 4-year-old Arcadia tavern with a ‘‘The Big Lebowski’’ theme, will open a second location – this one with a ‘‘Pulp Fiction’’ theme – in the just-closed Copper 48 space near the northwest corner of Gilbert and Vaughn

Cafe Rio Mexican Grill, a Utah-based chain of fast-casual Mexican restaurants, will open its 12th East Valley location in the former Boston Market building on the northwest corner of Alma School and Ray in Chandler. Valley-based Laurshan Construction has built more

Famous 48, an American tavern concept that the group behind Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers debuted in Scottsdale in 2019, will be the latest restaurant to move into a seemingly cursed Gilbert Town Square building on Gilbert Road between Warner and

Phoenix Coqui, Arizona’s first Puerto Rican food truck, will open a bricks-and-mortar location by taking over the recently closed Mediterranean restaurant Crazy Jim’s on the southeast corner of Indian School and 15th Street in Phoenix. It hopes to open by

Good news for barbecue fans: Little Miss BBQ is opening a third location this summer. It’s taking over the Honey Bear’s BBQ near the southwest corner of Central and Thomas in midtown Phoenix. Honey Bear’s will continue to operate until

La Fonda Mexican Restaurant & Cantina, a Tempe mainstay for 57 years that closed at McClintock and Baseline in November, has secured a new home:  the former La Hacienda space on the southwest corner of Chandler and Dobson in Chandler.

Sid’s Garage, an Idaho-based concept featuring over-the-top burgers and shakes, will make its Arizona debut this spring in the former Nori Sushi space at Desert Ridge Marketplace in northeast Phoenix. Nori Sushi relocated to High Street in late 2020.

Beard Papa’s, a Japanese-born chain that claims to make ‘‘the world’s best cream puffs,’’ announced its second Arizona store – near Macy’s at the north end of the SanTan Village shopping center in Gilbert – will have its grand opening

Lake Pleasant Brewing announced it will hold its grand opening Friday, Feb.11, on the northwest corner of 19th Avenue and Rose Garden Lane – near the intersection of I-17 and the 101 – in north Phoenix. There will be 18

Venezia’s Pizzeria, a local chain of family-owned New York-style pizzerias, will open its sixth location this summer next to The Parlay Kitchen & Cocktails near the southeast corner of Price and the 202 in south Chandler.

San Diego-based Mr. Moto Pizza, a 6-year-old chain of New York-style pizzerias, will make its Arizona debut in March in the former Giant Rustic Pizza space at Arcadia Village on the southwest corner of Camelback and 40th Street in Phoenix.

Big’s American Sports Bar & Grill, a 20-year-old sports bar next to Cal State Fullerton, is opening a spinoff location this summer at the P83 shopping and entertainment complex on the southeast corner of the 101 and Bell in Peoria.

Nando’s Mexican Café, which has four locations in the East Valley, is coming to the Edison Pointe Center on the northeast corner of Edison Road and John Wayne Parkway in Maricopa. The restaurant plans to break ground in May and

Tifa Chocolate & Gelato, a Los Angeles-based chain of dessert cafes that also offers fresh pastries, espresso, and cold brews, will make its Arizona debut later this year next to Black Rock Coffee Bar on the southeast corner of Val

EVO founder Nick Neuman and his partners will launch Society by EVO, described as ‘‘a full-service late-night upscale social dining experience,’’ in the former GuacStar space on the northeast corner of Rural and University in Tempe. There will be a

Miss Dessert, the Hong Kong-style sweets shop that made its debut in Mesa in 2018 and added a Gilbert location last year, will open a third eatery this March in former Persian Garden Cafe space on the southeast corner of

Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls, which was founded in Annapolis, Md., in 2014 and now has 18 locations across eight states, will make its Arizona debut at the Scottsdale Quarter this spring. It’s moving into the space between Press Coffee and

Chicago-based Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, which opened locations in Mesa in August and Gilbert in December and plans to launch one in Chandler in May, isn’t done expanding in the East Valley. According to developer Vestar, the pizzeria is taking over the

Thai Chili 2 Go founder Akshat Sethi and Pa’la chef Claudio Urciuoli (pictured) are teaming up to open Source, what they describe as a ‘‘fast-fine dining’’ Mediterranean restaurant and market, this spring at Epicenter at Agritopia on the northwest corner

Cinnaholic, a California-based chain of vegan cinnamon roll bakeries that made its Arizona debut in Gilbert in July and added a Scottsdale location in December, is preparing to launch a third at Tempe Marketplace. It will be located in the

Jinya Ramen Bar, a Los Angeles-based chain of contemporary Japanese restaurants that made its Arizona debut last April in downtown Chandler, will open a second Valley location this summer, It will share the Blaze Pizza building near the northwest corner

A MXSW reader noticed temporary signage for an upcoming Mountain Mike’s Pizza – which just made its Arizona debut at Mesa Riverview – on the former Tokyo Joe’s space in the Chandler Pavilions on the southeast corner of I-10 and Ray

Nebraska-based Scooter’s Coffee will open its first East Valley location (there already are two in Phoenix and one on Surprise) near the northwest corner of Higley and Queen Creek in southeast Gilbert later this year.

Hello Vietnam Pho & Roll plans to open its fourth Valley location at the end of this month in the former McAlister’s Deli space across Tatum from the under-redevelopment Paradise Valley Mall. Current locations are in Scottsdale (two) and Peoria.

Texas Rib Shack, a 3-year-old family-run barbecue joint in Glendale that closed last fall, plans to reopen next month on the southeast corner of Indian School and 67th Avenue in west Phoenix.

Hash Kitchen, the popular brunch concept with five Valley locations, is the latest addition to the list of restaurants coming to Cooley Station, a mixed-use development scheduled to begin opening in April on the southwest corner of Recker and Williams

Boba Tealight, a locally owned boba shop that also will offer Taiwanese street food, is coming to the Target strip mall on the southwest corner of Val Vista and Warner in Gilbert.

Chino-Mex, a 2-year-old south Phoenix restaurant offering a Asian-Mexican hybrid menu (think birria ramen and birria tacos), will open its second location in the short-lived Bibio Modern Korean Kitchen space on the northwest corner of Kyrene and Chandler in west

Beau MacMillan, longtime chef at Elements at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, is launching a second concept, an upscale Mediterranean restaurant called Cala, later this month at the new Senna House boutique hotel on the southeast corner of Camelback and 75th Street

Five months after making its much-anticipated return to the Valley in Gilbert, Tucson-based Eegee’s will open its second Valley restaurant on the northwest corner of U.S. 60 and Crismon in east Mesa on Tuesday, Dec. 14. It will feature a drive-through

The White Rabbit Cocktail Bar in downtown Gilbert will launch a neighboring concept – a red-lit cocktail lounge called The Parlour Room, also in the basement courtyard level of the Heritage Building – on Oct. 30.

Twin Peaks, a Dallas-based chain of sports bars with four Valley locations, has announced plans to build three more in the Valley. The first is scheduled to open in fall 2022, but the location has not been revealed.

Mesa-based 12 West Brewing has announced plans to build a brewery and restaurant – its third East Valley location – near the southwest corner of the Loop 202 and Recker in northeast Mesa. The history: 12 West, which brews in owner

If you’ve been eagerly anticipating the opening of Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant in front of Chandler Fashion Center, you’ve got less than two weeks to wait. The Chicago-based chain of Napa-inspired ‘‘upscale casual’’ wine bars, which made its Arizona

Chula Seafood, the family-owned seafood restaurant and market with locations in uptown Phoenix and south Scottsdale, is opening a third location in the former Hi-Health space on the east corner of Hayden and Thompson Peak Parkway in north Scottsdale. The

Fremont Taproom & Kitchen, a craft beer bar and bottle shop, is coming to the northwest corner of McClintock and Warner in south Tempe. The bar will feature 24 beers on tap. Customers also will be able to buy beer

Tucson-based quick-service restaurant Eegee’s announced its much-anticipated first Valley location – located on the southwest corner of Val Vista and Baseline in Gilbert – will open Thursday, July 15. The restaurant will have dine-in and takeout, offering online ordering and

Furious Beer & BBQ, one of the more talked-about concepts in the Valley’s craft beer scene for nearly a year, finally is beginning construction. The brewery and smokehouse took over former live-music club Joe’s Grotto on the northeast corner of

I Heart Mac & Cheese, a 5-year-old Florida-based chain that opened its first Arizona restaurant in April in south Tempe, is working on a second location in Scottsdale. It will be located on the southwest corner of Scottsdale and Bell.

Birdcall, a Denver-based chain specializing in fried chicken sandwiches, will make its Arizona debut this fall in Scottsdale and add a Phoenix location this winter. The 5-year-old concept is a high-tech pioneer in the restaurant industry – using kiosks instead

The Sugar Bar, which describes itself as ‘‘Arizona’s first candy store and bar combo,’’ is coming to the northwest corner of McQueen and Warner in Chandler. It takes over a strip-mall space that formerly housed a tattoo shop and a