PHOENIX — Three new concepts are in the works at the Arizona Center by a local restaurant group that owns and operates several concepts in downtown Phoenix.
“We are Pretty Decent Concepts. So far, we have Wren & Wolf, Chico Malo, Trophy Room and soon-to-be Carry On opening this June, which is an aviation-themed bar. The next three concepts will bring our total to seven in downtown Phoenix,” said Teddy Myers, founder of Pretty Decent Concepts.
Here’s what the new venture at the Arizona Center, near 3rd and Van Buren streets, will bring to downtown.
“We took one of the most prominent locations in the center, it's facing Van Buren right across the street from the Sheraton and [will offer] valet. There will be multiple entrances to our space, [although] they'll all be under one roof. We took a former restaurant that was there, there was about 4,500 square feet, the two adjacent spaces and they expanded to the front. So now it's a 10,000-square-foot space. The upscale dining experience in the cocktail lounge, we'll have a direct entry from the valet and then the main entrance to the steakhouse will be at the front of the center underneath the Arizona Center sign,” explained Myers.
3 CONCEPTS UNDER ONE ROOF
- A steakhouse: This concept will be called the ‘Cleaverman.’
- “We’ll have walked into availability at the steakhouse. So, [the] steakhouse will have two different vibes, it'll have the full-service sit-down table, or reservations [that’ll be] highly recommended [..]and then there will be a bar area that is high energy inside the steakhouse, we will have DJs we're really big on creating a lively environment,” said Myers.
- The cocktail lounge: “Without giving too much away, it is not a speakeasy. Absolutely not, we want people to know it's there. There's not going to be a secret entrance. It's [going to] bring back some old-school grandeur. It's going to be martini-focused, but not Fufu, early 2000s, martinis- it's going to be more of a vintage martini vibe,” said Myers. “It’s going to feel opulent. It's going to feel elegant. It's going to be old school luxury is how I would frame the martini bar.”
- An upscale dining project: This concept will be a “multicore chef's tasting menu,” according to Myers.
- “Yeah, so it's going to be a 12-course chef's tasting menu, all steak focused, sitting at a 12-seat counter around a small kitchen,” explained Myers.
- This upscale dinning concept will be inside of the steakhouse, and it’s guaranteed to be a very different experience.
- “It's going to be branded as a completely separate experience. It has its own kitchen; it's buried inside of the restaurant. There will be very limited on reservations, we'll only have six or 7,000 people annually join us. So, you'll have to make your reservations far in advance. It's a special occasion, destination. So, we anticipate it being something that when we release reservations, you know, a month in advance that they book up right away,” said Myers.
WHEN IS THE OPENING?
Myers told ABC15 that this new multi-concept venture will open this upcoming winter.
“What we are designing and what we are building. These are very ambitious projects. They're very detail-oriented. We've partnered with Peter Max […] and he's a partner in our company. And the design package that he is coming up with is very technical, hard to build, it takes a long time. So, our focus is on getting it right and getting it right for when we open and not necessarily shooting for a hard date. So, when we set that date, know that it's going to be dialed in, and that it's going to be an amazing experience,” said Myers.
According to Myers, the concepts could open in phases with a goal of opening the steakhouse “as soon as possible.”
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