Windy City restaurants like Portillo’s and Gino’s aren’t the only culinary space invaders in P-Town. Denver-based eateries also have major game when it comes to westward migration.
• Smashburger: One of the first “better burger” joints to hit Tempe in 2009. Fresh beef and a mountain range of toppings made the chain a smash. Multiple locations followed.
• Snooze: With its retro starburst motifs, dessert-worthy hotcakes and build-your-own Benedicts, the a.m. eatery snuggled its way into three more popular Valley ‘hoods since opening its first Phoenix location in late 2013.
• MAD Greens: Co-founders Marley Hodgson and Dan Long opened their produce-heavy equivalent of Chipotle at Tempe Marketplace in 2015, delivering healthier fast-casual fare. The seventh Valley location is set to open in 2017.
• Tacos Tequila Whiskey: Founded in 2010 as a food truck, this nontraditional taqueria featuring triple-cooked beef tongue, braised lamb and fried chicken skins is expected to open in early 2017 in Arcadia.
Chicagoans are fiercely loyal, even when it comes to losers. And especially when it comes to food. Fans chow down on subpar burgers at Wrigley Field while rooting for a team that, until last season’s history-maker, hadn’t won a World Series since 1908. Locals literally cried when breakfast queen Ina Pinkney closed her West Loop eatery after a 30-year run. And Chicago transplants lined up by the hundreds when Portillo’s Hot Dogs opened at Tempe Marketplace in September of 2013 – the first in a migration of Chicago-based restaurants to appear in the Valley.
Why are so many Windy City eateries showing up here? One obvious reason: We have a ton of Chicago transplants. U.S. Census data from 2013 highlighted Phoenix as a major destination for displaced Chicagoans, second only to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. “We ship our products nationwide. Phoenix is one of the top locations people order from,” says Meggie Lindberg, PR and marketing manager for Lou Malnati’s, a Chicago-based pizzeria that opened its first location outside Illinois at Phoenix’s Uptown Plaza last May.
East Valley residents Robert Frederick and LaVon Ersery were among the masses of native Chicagoans who flooded Lou’s during its opening week. “When a place claims to have authentic Chicago food, they damn better,” says Frederick, who also attended the Portillo’s grand opening. “I’ve been disappointed with the places that serve deep-dish style here.” The Chicago food invasion should make him happy – Giordano’s, another deep-dish legend, was slated to open in Peoria in late 2016, followed by north side rival Gino’s East in Arcadia.
Several Phoenix eateries have also migrated to Chicago, but the latter’s reception hasn’t always been warm. Chicagoan David Shiba, a condo association president in the city’s River North area, collected 150 signatures and founded a website protesting Scottsdale-based Bottled Blonde Pizzeria + Beer Garden’s fall 2015 opening, citing its nightlife vibe as a poor fit for the upscale neighborhood. Despite initial struggle, Les and Diane Corieri of Evening Entertainment Group successfully debuted their Bottled Blonde outpost on Chicago’s Wells Street in November 2015.
Other Valley restaurateurs are following suit. Fox Restaurant Concepts unveiled True Food Kitchen at River North in late 2016, and steakhouse legend Jeffrey Mastro (Dominick’s, Steak 44) anticipates a smooth launch of Steak 48 in River North – likely because the eatery’s upscale clientele and fine dining ambience preclude any comparison to Hooters.
“We’re excited to be in one of the steak capitals of the world,” Mastro says. “There are a lot of steakhouses in Chicago, but we’re hoping to be well-received.”
Some Chicagoans are dubious. Conceived as a sister eatery to Mastro’s Steak 44 in Phoenix, the restaurant is set to open in one of the city’s toniest districts. That didn’t stop Crain’s Chicago Business from printing a skeptical article questioning whether the area can support another beef palace.
Malnati’s rep Lindberg says breaking into a new market is always difficult. “Like any major city, it’s hard to make it [in Chicago],” she says. Competition for properties, resources and talent is high in both cities.
What would happen if a major Phoenix pie player such as Pizzeria Bianco tried to open in Chicago? Windy City residents may be loyal, but they also appreciate a good wager. Marc Malnati, who took over Lou’s after his father died in 1978, is game for a Phoenix vs. Chi-Town throwdown. “Marc and Chris [Bianco] actually know each other,” Lindberg says. “We would love to compete with Bianco’s!”
In fact, they already are.
