Amber Kovarik, a 20-year mortgage industry veteran, always wanted to open a restaurant. In 2023, after her husband Mike bought an old building in downtown Chandler (a pink autobody shop wrapped in barbed wire), he encouraged her to design and open her dream eatery: an all-day spot with a scratch kitchen that produces clean food without seed oils. The indoor/outdoor restaurant, which also has a grab-and-go market with specialty coffees and pastries, opened in mid-March.
How did you come up with the name George & Gather?
When my husband bought the building, he started calling it “the George,” because it’s on Washington Street. When we decided to open the restaurant, the first word that came to my mind was “gather.” I want this to be the gathering spot for the community, so we married the two and came up with George & Gather.
Are you seeking out local vendors and products?
I found local purveyors that are so passionate about and pour so much love into their craft, like Barrio Bread, Culture Clash Greek Yogurt, Queen Creek Olive Mill and Rango Honey. It has been really fun to highlight these local purveyors, and it’s just another way for us to feel part of the community.
Did any local restaurants inspire your vision?
I tell people if La Grande Orange, Olive & Ivy and The Henry had a baby, it would look like this. I feel like I took pieces from those three restaurants that I’ve really enjoyed as a consumer and added my twist of ingredient integrity that makes me really proud of the food that we serve.
Now that you’re open, how is it going?
People are coming in because Chandler was looking for [a restaurant concept] like this. I’ve lived here for the last 20 years, and I’ve been driving to Phoenix and Scottsdale to have this kind of experience. Since we’ve opened, I’ve talked to a lot of guests who say, “Oh my gosh, I feel like I’m in Scottsdale or in Arcadia.” It has been fun to bring that to the East Valley.
