GILBERT, AZ — Tucson-based eegee's is expected to open its first restaurant in the Valley in Gilbert in July. A specific opening date has not yet been announced.
Ahead of the anticipated opening, the fast-food joint known for its fruit-flavored drinks, called eegee's, is looking to fill some 60 positions, including cashiers, team members, cooks, and managers.
A job fair will be held at the Gilbert location, which is currently under construction near Val Vista Drive and Baseline Road, on Saturday and Sunday, June 12 and 13, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. People can also apply online, here.
Applicants should be prepared for on-site interviews, a news release said.
ABC15 broke the news in October that eegee's planned to open at least five restaurants in the Valley, a return to Phoenix rather than a debut. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, there were some eegee's restaurants reportedly in the Valley, but all of them ultimately closed. It's not clear why.
Confirmed eegee's locations opening in the Valley:
- Gilbert: Val Vista and Baseline Road
- Gilbert: Val Vista and Loop 202
- Mesa: US 60 and Crismon
- Phoenix: Interstate 17 and Bell Road
- Scottsdale: Loop 101 at 90th Street, next to Dutch Bros.
CEO Ron Petty, who bought the business and brands in 2018, told ABC15 previously that he plans to open more locations in the Valley, including in the West Valley and Southeast Valley. He has not yet announced any additional locations other than the ones listed above.
"For us to continue to grow, we have to go to a new market and the next logical place to go is Phoenix. If you look at the numbers, we have 33 stores, we’ll probably end up with 36 stores in Tucson in a population of a million people. That’ll give you a feel for how many stores potentially we could put up here when you have 5 1/2 million people," he told ABC15 in October.
To promote the opening, eegee's plans to hold surprise pop-ups with complimentary eegee's desserts around the Valley. Those details would be shared via its social media accounts, according to a news release.
Eegee's was founded in 1971 in Tucson by Ed Irving and Bob Greenberg. The name was created by combining their initials -- E for Ed and G for Greenberg -- to form "EGs," or eegee's," said Petty.
The restaurant chain was sold in 2006 to CEO Foods, a restaurant group based in Southern California, and sold again in 2018 to 39 North Capital and Kitchen Fund.
In addition to their frozen drinks, eegee's menu features sandwiches, grinders, salads, hot dogs, and seasoned fries.
IF YOU GO:
eegee’s hiring fair - June 12 & 13
3535 E. Baseline Road, Gilbert, AZ 85234
9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Editor's note: This article was updated to include additional info about the Scottsdale location and number of locations in Tucson.
