Over six months ago, restaurateur Sam Fox posted a sketch on Instagram hinting at the opening of a new restaurant in Phoenix.
It was a rough sketch. It had an outline of a building, a few ascetic descriptions, a possible time frame ("early '17) and a location ("44th + Indian School").44th + Indian School").
Since then, we've been anxiously awaiting more details. What will the menu be like? What will it look like inside? What will the name be? How will it compare to the other notable Fox Restaurant Concept concepts, such as Zinburger, True Food Kitchen, Culinary Dropout and The Henry?
Sam Fox and his Public Relations team have been quiet on the project. (Trust us, we've inquired many times about it). But on Tuesday, the curtain was finally pulled back -- at least a little bit.
Here's what we have learned:
THE NAME: The new restaurant concept will be called Doughbird.
THE LOCATION: It will be located within Arcadia Gateway, a shopping center currently under construction, at 44th Street and Indian School.
Other tenants include Smashburger, Zoe's Kitchen, and Creamistry, according to the website.
Arcadia Gateway
THE LOOK: According to building permits, the restaurant will have 4,575 square feet of interior space, including the dining room, bar and kitchen, as well as a 957-square-foot outdoor patio.
The patio will feature a seating for 53 people, a fireplace, and a steel gate, according to building plans. The dining room will have seating for 175 and feature exposed wooden bow trusses and a curved roof.
In the official press release, it is described as being "reminiscent of a Northern California abode." It will also have floor-to-ceiling windows that look out to the patio.
THE OPENING: It is scheduled to open Spring 2017 although an exact date has not been released. Sam Fox posted on his Instagram that the eatery is expected to open in February.
THE MENU: At the moment, we cannot confirm specifics. We know it will feature handcrafted pizza and rotisserie chicken, according to a posting on Fox's Instagram. We've reached out to Fox and his team, but have not heard back so far.
Update: On Wednesday, Fox's team sent out an official press release announcing the new eatery. In addition to pizza and hand-rubbed organic rotisserie chickens, the concept will also serve folded sandwiches and salads.
Embedded below is an artist rendering of the possible exterior by Cawley Architects. It shows a brick exterior, the patio with a steel gate, a fireplace and an arched entryway.
City permits
