PHOENIX — In 2024, the Valley welcomed new eateries — like Randy’s Donuts, Salt and Straw, Cielito Rosa Bakery, and Velvet Taco — and new shops and entertainment destinations like Slick City, the "world's first" indoor waterless slide park.
2025 will be another year of new attractions and business ventures opening in Arizona! Here’s your guide to the new developments and restaurants set to open in the Valley:
In a video released by the City of Goodyear, the Director of Buc-ee's Construction said, that, “if everything goes to plan,” they should be open by Christmas of 2025.
ABC15 previously reported that the 24-hour location will have 120 fueling stations for passenger vehicles only and an approximately 74,000-square-foot convenience store.
The City of Goodyear said that the location is expected to bring 200 full-time jobs to the area.
DIN TAI FUNG
The world-renowned restaurant is popular for its wide variety of steamed dumplings and buns, wontons, noodles, and specialties that include the Shrimp & Kurobuta Pork Pot Stickers, Truffle & Kurobuta Pork Xiao Long Bao, and the black pepper beef tenderloin.
Macerich, a real estate company, announced the lease signing with the restaurant chain in their 'Q2 2024 Macerich Earnings Conference Call' for a Scottsdale Fashion Square location.
Here’s what was said about the restaurant opening in Arizona: "Scottsdale Fashion Square, we’re very excited to announce the signing of the world-renowned Chinese restaurant Din Tai Fung. Din Tai Fung will open in early 2025 and will join Catch and Elephante in the newly created porte-cochère."
Learn more about the opening of Din Tai Fung, right here.
SWEET PARIS CRÊPERIE & CAFÉ
The French-inspired restaurant with a specialty in making crepes will finally make its Arizona debut!
Their first location will open in the Scottsdale Quarter. It was originally set to open in fall 2024 but now has a projected opening date of January 2025. You can learn more about the restaurant here.
The Florida-based company currently has more than 60 stores in the country and recently announced that its fast-casual concept will be expanding to Texas, Virginia, and Arizona! The company plans to open 12 new restaurants in Maricopa County.
“We are scouting locations and hope to open the first restaurant in 2025,” a representative for the company said to ABC15.
The popular restaurant founded in Georgia is finally headed to Arizona! The chicken restaurant chain, also known for its sauces, is bringing its southern flair to The Vineyard Towne Center located in Queen Creek.
According to Zaxby’s representative, this location is slated to open in fall 2025.
CLEAVERMAN, FILTHY, AND AN UPSCALE DINING PROJECT
Teddy Myers, founder of Pretty Decent Concepts, has been quite busy in 2024. The local hospitality group recently opened ‘Carry On’ in Downtown Phoenix and is now in the process of opening three new concepts at the Arizona Center.
The new venture near 3rd and Van Buren streets will include a steak house, a martini bar, and an upscale dining project.
These projects are slated to open in 2025. Here’s what you can expect at "Cleaverman," "Filthy," and an unnamed upscale dining project.
FILTHY ANIMAL & DROP DEAD GORGEOUS
Pretty Decent Concepts is working on two other concepts coming to Mill Avenue in Tempe called "Filthy Animal," which will offer a culinary experience, and "Drop Dead Gorgeous," which is said to be “a lounge meant for those who appreciate the artistry of an atmosphere as much as they do a perfect cocktail.”
ANDRETTI INDOOR KARTING & GAMES
The company had originally projected an opening date of June 2024 but now has an anticipated opening date of Spring 2025.
The entertainment location will “sit on about 12 acres near 99th and Glendale avenues in the city's sports and entertainment district.”
Scottsdale Fashion Square recently added a handful of new businesses to its lineup including Johnston & Murphy, Élephante, Aroma360 Luxury Scenting, Princess Polly, and Lucky Rose Boutique.
The retail destination will welcome the restaurant "Catch" in spring 2025 and "Zadig & Voltaire" in early 2025.
VAI RESORT
The Glendale destination is said to open in late 2025, but it will be opening in phases. Here's what that means:
“It will be a phased opening starting late 2025 […] with the other phases opening through the first half of 2026,” said Rian Kirkman, Senior Vice President of Marketing at VAI Resort. “The amphitheater will certainly be phase one, as well as that Amphitheater Tower. And so, you know, we're, we're going to be a luxury resort that's really going to be about entertainment...we're going to have this playful sophistication around us. So, phase one will really incorporate that amphitheater and that concert experience, the room product, and the restaurants in there.”
What’s next? “Phase two - as anyone who has worked on […] a major construction project - can be a little bit more fluid, but we anticipate a couple of other towers,” said Kirkman to ABC15. “And then [the] conference center and some of the other elements in the resort in a third phase. Now those things, again, can be fluid and can change, but that's at least [that’s] what the plan is for right now.”
You can read more about the timeline of the $1-billion entertainment venue concept with hotel towers, right here.
A representative for the toy manufacturing and entertainment company informed ABC15 that their opening date will now be in 2025.
"VAI Resort has greatly expanded its initial vision for the Glendale property," they said in an email to ABC15. "These vast expansions impact hospitality, dining, and other entertainment offerings and remain under construction. Mattel Adventure Park is a key anchor tenant of the resort. To ensure the best experience for our guests, Mattel Adventure Park will open in 2025 as part of VAI Resort’s phase one opening. Updates can be found on matteladventurepark.com as they become available."
Maybe in 2025, we’ll have to wait and see…
BOJANGLES
The North Carolina-based chain that specializes in fried chicken, biscuits, and tea is officially bringing its southern flavor to Arizona! Bojangles announced the signing of a multi-unit development agreement that will bring 20 new restaurants to Phoenix.
A projected opening date has not been announced for any of the locations, nor where they will be located.
Stewart + Reindersma Architecture posted on their Facebook page back in October 2023 that their team “is proud to have completed the first Prototype store for Caffenio, [which is] making their debut into the US market from Mexico.”
Caffenio created a US Facebook page that shares the excitement of their arrival to the Valley and that their East Valley location was “almost ready to steal the show in 2024.”
ABC15 has reached out to Caffenio representatives throughout the 2024 year but has not received confirmation of any expected opening dates for the Mesa location.
