Category: Restaurant Scouting

Someburros, the local chain of family-run fast-casual Mexican restaurants, will open its 12th location later this year on the southwest corner of Signal Butte and Guadalupe in southeast Mesa. The Tempe-born concept offers 15 types of burritos, as well as

A pair of well-regarded Valley chefs – Rochelle Daniel and Cassie Shortino – will launch small restaurants this summer. Daniel, chef at Scottsdale’s Fat Ox, will venture north to open her own restaurant, Atria, in historic downtown Flagstaff. Atria (pictured)

Chicago-based Lou Malnati’s is hiring staff for its fifth Valley location, which will be located at Dana Park on the northwest corner of Val Vista and Baseline in Mesa. The location, which will be the first in the southeast Valley,

Tiger Sugar, a worldwide chain of Taiwanese dessert shops best-known for its brown sugar boba milk, will make its Arizona debut in Mesa. It will be located in the Safeway shopping center on the northeast corner of Dobson and Main.

A new sports bar and grill hopes to open in northeast Mesa in time for the NBA Finals. Starz American Bar & Grill is wrapping up construction on the northwest corner of Lindsay and University. The 5,400-square-foot space previously was

Frenchie Pizza, a new fast-casual concept featuring thin-crust American pizzas as well as European flatbreads called flammekueche, is opening in south Gilbert next month. It will be the fourth member of the Buschtetz Family Restaurant Group, which includes Cuisine &

Vero Chicago Pizzeria – formerly (and, by many, still) known as Buddyz Chicago Pizzeria – hoped to open its first franchise around Feb. 1 in Gilbert. More than four months past that target, things are, um, progressing at the former

Florida-based Another Broken Egg Cafe will make its Arizona debut near the southwest corner of Williams Field and Santan Village Parkway in Gilbert. The restaurant will be located between Black Rock Coffee Bar and Jersey Mike’s Subs. The French-countryside-meets-the-Deep-South concept

Tucson-based Eegee’s return to the Valley will happen next month, and the company is looking to hire 60 people to work at the Gilbert restaurant. The chain, which unsuccessfully tried to establish a foothold in the Valley in the 1980s,

Illinois-based Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, a chain of Napa-inspired ‘‘upscale casual’’ wine bars that made its Arizona debut in north Scottsdale last fall, is preparing to launch another restaurant in front of Chandler Fashion Center. The 16-year-old concept’s 41 locations

Huss Brewing, the third-largest brewery in the state, finally has begun construction on its third location – a two-story, indoor-outdoor space on the north facade of the Phoenix Convention Center. The new location (pictured in an artist’s rendering) on Monroe

As breweries nationwide and around the world wrestle with high-profile issues of gender disparity, Gilbert will welcome a new female-owned craft beer bar this summer. Tap Dragon Craft Beer & Wine Bar is scheduled to open on the southeast corner

LGO Hospitality announced it will open a third location of Ingo’s Tasty Food on the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Mayo Boulevard in north Scottsdale. It will be located adjacent to the recently announced Buck & Rider, also part

After a delay of more than a year due to the covid-19 pandemic, IHOP finally will launch its fast-casual spinoff, Flip’d by IHOP, in July. Ordering at a counter or kiosk, diners can choose from pancake bowls, customizable egg sandwiches,

The owners of Chiwas Tacos are working on a new concept – a Mexican restaurant called Cocina Chiwas – to debut in Tempe next year. The restaurant’s wood-fired oven and grill will produce an expanded menu of regional dishes from

Oregano’s, one of the Valley’s most popular locally born restaurant concepts, is launching a takeout-only concept in Tempe next month. Oregano’s Takeout Kitchen will debut Wednesday, June 2, near the southeast corner of University and 52nd Street. It will offer

Rough Rider, a new restaurant and cocktail bar from the owners of The Whining Pig chain, is coming to Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix this summer. It will be located in the basement of the Ten-O-One building, a former hotel

Brooklyn V’s Pizza announced its fourth East Valley restaurant – which is taking over the former Amalfi Pizza space on the northeast corner of Alma School and Chandler Heights in south Chandler – will open next Monday, May 24. MXSW

D’Vine Gourmet – a south Chandler shop specializing in Arizona food products, wines, and other gifts – is taking over the Sibley’s West gift shop space in downtown Chandler. Sibley’s owners John and Michelle Wolfe announced last month they would

Syracuse, N.Y.-based CoreLife Eatery, a fast-casual healthy eating concept that made its Arizona debut in south Tempe last October, is opening a second restaurant in Gilbert. It will be located next to the new Farmer Boys on the southeast corner

Back in March, MXSW reported James Beard Award-winning chef Alex Stratta was retooling his short-lived Stratta Kitchen in Scottsdale into a concept called Campo Italian. What we didn’t know at the time was the restaurant would be part of Genuine

The group behind high-end surf and turf restaurant Maple & Ash is bringing another concept to Scottsdale. Etta, a restaurant specializing in wood-fired pizzas and pastas, is taking over the former Brio Tuscan Grille space at the Scottsdale Quarter. Chicago-based

99 Ranch Market, a Taiwanese-American supermarket chain based in Buena Park, Calif., will make its Arizona debut as the anchor of a newly renovated shopping center on the northeast corner of Chandler and Dobson in Chandler. The 117,000-square-foot retail center,

El Charro Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge, a Mesa icon for almost 60 years, isn’t dead after all. The family-run Mexican restaurant, closed for four years, will reopen next week. The restaurant began life as El Charro Cafe on Main Street

Mesa-base Angry Crab Shack will open its first Scottsdale restaurant near the southeast corner of Pima and Indian Bend this spring. It will be the concept’s 13th restaurant in Arizona and 15th overall. The menu will feature Angry Crab Shack’s

Naked BBQ, one of the Valley’s top barbecue joints, is expanding again – this time with a location at the Westgate Entertainment District in Glendale. Oren Hartman launched his first Naked BBQ in north Phoenix in 2015. As the smokehouse’s

The Ainsworth, a New York-based upscale sports bar and restaurant, is taking over the former Hard Rock Cafe building on the northeast corner of Second Street and Jefferson – just north of Talking Stick Resort Arena – in downtown Phoenix.

Texas-based Whataburger is building its first Gilbert restaurant near San Tan Village. It’ll be on the west side of Market Street just south of Williams Field. That’s right across the street from Chick-fil-A and Someburros, and not too far from

Harbor Seafood Cajun House, which just debuted in October in southwest Phoenix, is expanding into the East Valley. The concept, similar to the Valley’s much larger Angry Crab Shack chain, is working on two new locations: The former Korean BBQ

Mr Brews Taphouse, a Wisconsin-based chain of burger-and-beer eateries, will take a second try at the Arizona market with a location that just started construction on the northeast corner of Signal Butte and Southern in east Mesa. The concept made

Buck & Rider, LGO Hospitality’s 5-year-old seafood restaurant in Arcadia, is opening a second location next year in north Scottsdale. It will be located in the Shops at Chauncey Ranch on the southeast corner of Scottsdale and Mayo. Buck &

James Beard Award-winning chef Alex Stratta has closed his Stratta Kitchen after eight months on the northwest corner of Hayden and Via de Ventura in Scottsdale. Stratta is retooling the Mediterranean seafood-focused restaurant into an Italian concept to be called

Eat My Taco, a Day of the Dead themed taco shop, is opening soon on the southeast corner of Rural and University in Tempe. It’s taking over the small building whose previous occupants include Pita University and Urban Campfire. Look

It’ll be another three weeks or so until The Perch Pub & Brewery unveils its amazing rooftop patio expansion. In the meantime, though, the downtown Chandler hotspot is preparing to launch another project. The Aviary, a shaded beer garden (artist’s

By the Bucket – a Payson restaurant that sells to-go spaghetti, just as its name says, by the bucket – is coming to the East Valley. It’s opening its first Valley location in front of Safeway on the northeast corner of

Construction has begun on Eegee’s first Valley location, which is taking over the former Arby’s near the southwest corner of Val Vista and Baseline in Gilbert. The iconic Tucson-based chain announced in October it would open a total of five

Tempe-based Pedal Haus Brewery, which expanded to downtown Chandler last year, now is joining the burgeoning craft beer scene in downtown Mesa. The brewpub will open its third satellite location in the former Pit Stop auto body shop on the

North Phoenix’s Pork on a Fork, one of the Valley’s top barbecue joints, is coming to the East Valley. It’s opening a second restaurant in the long-closed Carl’s Jr. building near the southwest corner of Alma School and Warner in

Vero Chicago Pizza, the local group of pizzerias formerly known as Buddyz, is expanding into south Chandler. It just signed a lease for a space behind AutoZone on the southwest corner of Gilbert and Chandler Heights. Chicago native JoeScarnato brought

Austin, Texas-based Torchy’s Tacos – a “craft casual” brand that offers tacos, queso, and margaritas – will make its Arizona debut in Gilbert. It will move into one of three buildings on a currently empty 3.9-acre lot on the northwest

Good news for fans of New York-style pizza: Brooklyn V’s Pizza is opening a fourth East Valley location in south Chandler. It’s taking over the 3,000-square-foot space on the northeast corner of Alma School and Chandler Heights that has been

After 18 years in Chandler, Shimogamo, one of the East Valley’s premier Japanese restaurants and sushi bars, is launching a second location in Gilbert. It’s constructing a new building on the northwest corner of Williams Field and Santan Village Parkway

Downtown Mesa is booming. The latest addition, just announced: The Beer Research Institute Taproom and Old School Arcade. The city’s first brewpub, which opened on the northeast corner of Stapley and Baseline in 2014, is launching the taproom and arcade

Boondocks Patio & Grill, a popular Old Town Scottsdale indoor-outdoor hangout for the past seven years, is opening a second location in Tempe. It’s taking over the former Prankster’s Gar & Brill, which closed in 2018 after 33 years, on the

Gilbert-born Salad and Go celebrated its eighth anniversary by announcing six new locations, including two in the East Valley, scheduled to open this summer. The locations: 48th Street and Ray in Ahwatukee Crismon and Southern in east Mesa Tatum and

810 Billiards & Bowling, a South Carolina-based entertainment center concept, is coming to Chandler this spring. It will be located in a vacant 20,500-square-foot space next to Old Navy south of Chandler Fashion Center mall. Along with billiards, bowling, foosball,

Matty G’s Steak Burgers & Spirits, the popular neighborhood bar and grill that just opened its fourth Valley location in southeast Gilbert in November, is working on another location in the town. It’s taking over the former BurgerIM building near

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, a Louisiana-based chain of family-friendly sports bars, will make its Arizona debut in southeast Mesa later this year. It’s taking over the former Sweet Tomatoes building near Ray and the 202. Walk-On’s was founded in Baton Rouge,

If you’ve been eagerly waiting for Dog Haus to open its second East Valley location at the Watermark on the north side of Tempe Town Lake, you don’t have to wait much longer. The California-based chain of hot dog shops

Spinato’s Pizzeria & Family Kitchen, one of the Valley’s most popular pizzerias for nearly 40 years, is the latest addition to Epicenter, the mixed-use development under construction at Agritopia on the northwest corner of Higley and Ray in Gilbert. The

Good news for those who love Asian food: Mekong Plaza on the southwest corner of Main and Dobson in west Mesa is expanding. The 100,000-square-foot indoor mall, which is anchored by a huge Asian supermarket and includes more than a

Phoenix’s Pie Snob, one of Arizona’s premier pie shops, is coming to downtown Chandler this spring. It’s taking over the former Crisp Greens space on Arizona Avenue just north of The Sleepy Whale. Baker-owner Traci Wilbur opened her first location

We finally have an approximate timeline for the much-anticipated openings of Flower Child and North Italia in Gilbert. The Sam Fox concepts are planning to open late this summer, sharing a new 11,000-square-foot building on the northwest corner of Santan

Morning Squeeze, a locally owned breakfast-and-lunch concept in downtown Tempe and Old Town Scottsdale, will open a third location in downtown Phoenix this spring. The 3,400-square-foot space on the northwest corner of First Street and Washington will feature a wrap-around

A MXSW reader noticed Playa Bowls, a national chain of beach-themed acai bowl shops that began on the Jersey Shore in 2014, will make its Arizona debut at The Edge, a new mixed-use development at the Loop 101 and 90th

36 Below, an underground martini bar, is coming to the basement beneath Sip Coffee & Beer Garage on the northeast corner of 36th Street and Indian School in east Phoenix. It’s taking over the space formerly home to UnderTow, which

Last October, MXSW broke the news Southern California-based fast-casual burger concept Farmer Boys would make its Arizona debut in the new City Gate Marketplace on the southeast corner of Higley and Baseline in Gilbert this year. Now we know two more locations

Barter & Shake, the Valley hospitality group whose concepts include Phoenix cocktail bar UnderTow, have signed a lease to open a second location of the popular ship-themed bar at the upcoming Epicenter development at Agritopia in Gilbert. The Gilbert UnderTow

Gilbert-born Salad and Go, which has grown to 25 Valley location since its debut in 2013, says it plans to open another 21 locations in 2021. Look for the drive-through salad bar concept coming soon to: 48th Street and Southern

Salvadoreño Restaurant, a family-owned eatery specializing in El Salvadoran and other Central American dishes, will open its seventh location at Baseline and Hardy in June. Pupusas, thick flatbreads (pictured) that are the national dish of El Salvador, are the signature

Dallas-based Twin Peaks will open its fourth Valley location on the southeast corner of Tempe Marketplace in February and is looking to hire more than 110 workers, including at least 65 ‘‘Twin Peaks Girls.’’ Interested candidates can apply by visiting the

Valley-based Fox Restaurant Concepts will launch a digital-only version of its health-focused Flower Child next Wednesday, Jan. 13, near downtown Tempe. The space: It will be run out of Culinary Dropout, another FRC restaurant, on the southeast corner of Farmer and

Gelato Cimmino, a 2-year-old gelato shop in Old Town Scottsdale, is opening a second location in downtown Gilbert. The space: It’s taking over the former Western Audio stereo repair shop just north of OHSO Brewery. The competition: Right next door

Boca Taqueria, a family-run Mexican restaurant, is scheduled open its third location next month on the northwest corner of Signal Butte and Warner in southeast Mesa. Other locations: The concept debuted at Greenfield and Brown in northeast Mesa in 2016

A sharp-eyed MXSW reader noticed a pair of new chain restaurants coming to Val Vista and Baseline at Dana Park in Mesa. Who: Original ChopShop (pictured) is taking over the old California Pizza Kitchen on the northwest corner, and Habit

The owners of Killer Whale Sex Club on Roosevelt Row are opening two new Japanese-influenced bars – SaberTooth and AstroBar – in downtown Phoenix. The space: The new bars will share a space between Taco Chelo and Trapp Haus BBQ on

The former Rosati’s Pizza space on the northeast corner of McQueen and Ray in Chandler has been leased, and the new occupant will be … Rosati’s Pizza. The background: The Chicago-born chain has been a house divided in Arizona with

Chompie’s, a locally owned chain of New York-style bakeries, delis, and restaurants, announced it will move its Paradise Valley Mall location to a much larger building at 32nd Street and Cactus in Phoenix in mid-2021. The space: Besides a restaurant,

Texas-based Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill, which had dwindled to just two locations in the Valley, will open a new location in the Mercado del Lago plaza near the northwest corner of Hayden and Via de Ventura in Scottsdale in February. The

Dog Haus, a California-based chain of gourmet hot dog shops, will open its second East Valley location at the Watermark on the north side of Tempe Town Lake in early 2021. The food: Besides its signature Haus Dogs, Dog Haus

Air Guitar, a new convenience store concept from a group that includes the founders of Postino, finally has broken ground in Gilbert. The location: It’s located at the Epicenter development on the northwest corner of Higley and Ray What is

Great news for Philly cheesesteak fans! Forefathers is launching a third location in south Chandler. The space: It’s taking over the former Farmboy Market, Meats & Sandwiches strip-mall space, which closed in August, on the southwest corner of Alma School

Tempe-born Mediterranean chain Pita Jungle finally will open its 25th Arizona location next month in south Chandler. The timeline: The exact date has yet to be announced; the location originally was expected to open last April. The location: It’s part of

Over Easy, a local chain of breakfast-and-brunch eateries, will open its eighth Valley location – and fourth in the East Valley – next Tuesday, Dec. 22. The space: It takes over the building that was the longtime Thai restaurant Pink

It’s been more than a year since MXSW broke the news that Square One Concepts, the Valley-based restaurant group best known for Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers, was bringing its Bourbon & Bones concept to San Tan Village in Gilbert. The latest: Square

Back in March, MXSW broke the news California Fish Grill was coming to Mesa. Now, we finally know when. Opening date: The Los Angeles-based chain of fast-casual seafood restaurants will make its Arizona debut on Monday, Dec. 14. The space:

Victor and Edgar Martinez, owners of Long Wong’s franchises in Chandler, Scottsdale, and Phoenix, are adding another Valley location on the northeast corner of Country Club and Brown in north Mesa. The space: 1,200 square feet in the Country North

It’s been nearly a year since Ile.gal Modern Cocktail Kitchen was expected to open in downtown Gilbert. Then came the covid-19 pandemic. Now the town’s first rooftop bar and restaurant finally has announced a grand opening date: Tuesday, Dec. 29.

It’s been less than a month since Matty G’s opened its second East Valley location – and fourth overall – in Gilbert. Now, sources tell MXSW the popular neighborhood bar and grill has set its sights on another East Valley

Cider Corps, the acclaimed cider house in downtown Mesa that just celebrated its third anniversary, is building a production facility and store at Gilbert and Warner in Gilbert. The reasoning: While the Mesa location – with 15 ciders on tap

Cold Beers & Pizza, a new concept from the team behind Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers, will make its debut next month in Old Town Scottsdale. It’ll be next to the CBCB on the west side of Scottsdale Road between Third

Luca Gagliano, owner of downtown Phoenix pizzeria Forno 301, is launching a drive-through concept called Slice Eat in south Scottsdale. It’s taking over the former Filiberto’s on the southwest corner of Scottsdale and Thomas. Slice Eat, which also will have

Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, an award-winning pizza chain out of New York City that made its Arizona debut in south Tempe in June, is opening a second Valley location in Phoenix. It’s applied for a liquor license for a second pizzeria

Eatalio Pasta & Wine, a new fast-casual Italian concept that debuted in southeast Gilbert last month (see story), already is planning a second location in the town. It’s taking over the former La Calabria space on the southwest corner of

Since its Arizona debut in 2013, Buddyz A Chicago Pizzeria has been making what many diners consider the best deep-dish pizza in the Valley. Now the owners are planning to roll out additional locations – across the Valley and beyond

Longtime Scottsdale restaurateur Peter Kasperski (pictured) is teaming up with bartender Richie Moe on a new project to replace the short-lived Josephine and Coup de Grace on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. According to a scoop by Phoenix Magazine’s Nikki

Old Town Scottsdale’s Il Bosco Pizza, whose plans to expand to Gilbert fell through earlier this year, finally has found a spot for its second location on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. Back in February, the 8-year-old wood-fired pizzeria planned to

The team behind The Living Room and Rock Lobster are introducing a new concept – Salt & Smoke Mesquite Seafood Grill – in the same building at Downtown Ocotillo in south Chandler. It’s taking over the 50-seat space formerly occupied

GuacStar Kitchen & Cantina, a plant-based Mexican restaurant whose March opening was delayed by the covid-19 pandemic, finally has announced an opening date: Thursday, Nov. 5. The 4,650-square-foot restaurant is located on the second floor of the Cornerstone plaza on

Farmer Boys, a Southern California-based fast-casual burger concept, will make its Arizona debut in the new City Gate Marketplace on the southeast corner of Higley and Baseline in Gilbert. Besides its award-winning burgers, Farmer Boys offers all-day breakfast, sandwiches, salads,

A sharp-eyed MXSW reader noticed California-based Ono Hawaiian BBQ is taking over the former Arby’s in the Fry’s Marketplace plaza on the northwest corner of Rural and Ray in Tempe. The chain currently has seven Valley locations, but several others

Two months ago, MXSW was the first to report Pesto Italian Eatery, a new fast-casual build-your-own-pasta concept, would make its debut in Chandler this fall (see story). Now we know when: Monday, Nov. 2. Besides its opening date, the concept

Illinois-based discount grocer Aldi announced its first Arizona stores will open Thursday, Nov. 5, in Chandler and Goodyear. The Chandler store is on the northwest corner of Alma School and Queen Creek; the Goodyear one on the southeast corner of

Tucson-based Eegee’s has confirmed recent media reports the fast-food concept is coming (back) to the Valley. The cult-fave restaurant, known for its frozen fruit drinks and grinders, plans to open five locations in the Valley beginning in the second quarter

Los Primeros and Vitality Bowls Superfood Café are the latest restaurants coming to Verde at Cooley Station, a mixed-use development under construction on the southwest corner of Recker and Williams Field in Gilbert. Los Primeros is described as a full-service

Last December, MXSW broke the news that Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, a chain of Napa-inspired wine bars, would make its Arizona debut near the southeast corner of Scottsdale and Frank Lloyd Wright in north Scottsdale. Now we finally have

Inchin Bamboo Garden, an Atlanta-based concept focusing on Chinese and Indian cuisine, is coming to downtown Chandler. It’s taking over the former Brunchies on Boston just east of Arizona. Brunchies closed in 2016 after more than three decades in business.

Utah-based bakery Twisted Sugar will open its second Arizona location next month at Agritopia on the northwest corner of Higley and Ray in Gilbert. The chain made its Arizona debut in June on the northwest corner of Cooper and Warner

Eegee’s, a Tucson-based fast-food concept with a cult-like following, apparently is coming to the East Valley. No official announcement has been made, but the chain has submitted preliminary applications with Mesa for a location at the U.S. 60 and Crimson

Fast-growing State 48 Brewery, which just last month announced it will open its first East Valley location in Gilbert (see story), also is working on another location at CityScape in downtown Phoenix. It will give State 48, which debuted in Surprise