PHOENIX — Chompie’s is headed back to its roots, well, within a mile of it.
The Borenstein Family opened the first Chompie’s restaurant in 1979 near 32nd Street and Shea Blvd. in Phoenix.
Forty-one years later, their New York-style bakery, deli, and restaurant has expanded to five full-service delis and restaurants, two small-scale eateries inside two Fry’s grocery stores, and its breads and bagels distributed across the country.
Next spring, possibly April 2021, Chompie’s will close its restaurant at Paradise Valley Mall — which has a major redevelopment of its own in the works — and will relocate to 32nd Street and Cactus, where the owners purchased a 27,000-square-foot building that previously housed Big Lots and Safeway.
Related: Here is what the redevelopment of Paradise Valley Mall could look like
In it, Chompie’s plans to open a full-service restaurant, bar, coffee shop, and market. That location will also become the central hub where some of its products will be made for its restaurants, such as its bagels, breads, and pastries, said Oren Molovinsky, chief operating officer at Chompie’s.
“This is actually a dream come true for us and the Borenstein Family,” Molovinsky told ABC15 in a recent interview.
“It’s really going to be our central hub for Chompie’s for Arizona,” he said.
Within the last year, the Borenstein Family partnered with JRI Management, a Kansas-based restaurant management company, to help invest in and grow Chompie’s. JRI also manages some 60 Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers restaurants and two Mokas cafes.
Molovinsky also made clear that the Borenstein Family remains owners of Chompie’s and part of its business decisions.
There are no concrete plans to expand Chompie’s outside of Arizona. The focus is on the restaurants that are already open, but further expansion is a potential option, he said
Molovinsky said the new location could serve as the prototype for the other locations whenever those need to be updated and renovated.
“We’re working on taking this to the next level from an authentic New York deli stand point. Making it really fun,” he said.
He said they wanted to give the restaurant a New York feel.
Renderings show that the building is essentially divided into three areas: the market, the bar and restaurant, and a private dining area which can be used for private events or overflow seating.
There is an outdoor patio in front of the bar, Molovinsky said. They have also commissioned an artist to create a 90-foot mural.
He said compared to other Chompie’s locations, this one will have a larger market, comparing it to a grocery store, with grab-and-go products, as well as a full Kosher menu and more gluten-free and Keto diet-friendly items.
