Category: Restaurant Scouting

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