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1 Aldi After giving Maricopans a brief scare that it might not come to the city, Aldi is looking to break ground this year. Developer Thompson Thrift is moving forward on plans for the 54,000-square- foot second phase of South Bridge Marketplace. “After working with the city to bring the Sprouts development, we knew we had to continue looking for opportunities in Maricopa,” said Andrew Call, vice president of development management for Thompson Thrift. “With Lowe’s now open, we’re excited for the next phase of Southbridge and the tenants we are working with.” 2 Apple Dumplin’s Variety Store Stagestop Marketplace welcomed a new business that stocks everything from vintage toys and dusty books to thrifty clothing and fine china. Sorrento couple Jennifer Waite and Mathew Cecil said the idea was born during a long road trip from West Virginia to Arizona. Waite sources most of her stock from estate sales, garage sales and donations. Some locals sell homemade quilts through her store. She cleans up the donated furniture and goods until they look as good as new. “Everybody has a story, and I love to hear the stories,” she said. “It’s been so much fun.” 3 Chilaquiles Modern Kitchen The popular Mexican breakfast spot experienced a slight delay, giving locals a little extra time to build up their appetite as the restaurant puts the finishing touches on its new space in the Shops at Maricopa Fiesta. The spot, formerly The Roost, is being remodeled with a turf-covered patio and an interior shaping up to be the go-to brunch hangout. The family-owned restaurant also
at the Copa Farmer’s Market or ordered for local pickup through the shop’s Facebook page. 6 QuikTrip If you’ve stopped by Maricopa’s QuikTrip, you’ve probably noticed a new face roaming around the store. Or at least a pair of blinking, backlit eyes. Those belong to the Pringle Robotics CC1 Multipurpose Floor Cleaning Robot, to be exact. The bot, which stands about knee-high, does wet and dry floor cleaning on multiple surfaces, self-cleans, self-charges and runs on an automatic schedule. “We recently got ours and it works great,” said Assistant Manager Gideon Bialach. “It takes itself around the store, empties and refills itself, it talks around the store.” Yes, talks. When it approaches a human or other obstruction, Pringle blinks and offers a cheerful greeting: “I’m cleaning the floors, thank you for shopping at QuikTrip.” 7 Thompson Family Sourdough After supplying Maricopa with artisan, organic sourdough for two years, Thompson Family Sourdough launched a pop-up shop inside Mandy’s Wine Bar. The family-run home bakery offers specialties like rosemary garlic, jalapeño cheddar and parmesan garlic bread loaves, as well as occasional unique flavors like everything bagel and chocolate cherry. They also sell handmade scones and bagels. One of their most unique options is a bread flight for those who can’t decide which flavor to take home. The bread flights double as a fun treat for kids at Mandy’s while their parents sip the real stuff. “It’s a sampler essentially, so it’s three tiny loaves of whatever flavors we have this week,” said owner Jenica Thompson of Rancho El Dorado. The miniature and regular-sized loaves are available for pickup from Thompson’s Rancho El Dorado home, at Copa Farmer’s
held a mass hiring event over three days in Maricopa, signaling its approaching opening day. “We’re excited to share that we’re getting close to opening Chilaquiles No. 3,” according to a July statement from the business. “We’re just weeks away from bringing the best brunch to Maricopa.” 4 Gospel Light Church of God in Christ The Gospel Light Church of God in Christ is preparing to put down permanent roots in the Heritage District after operating for several years at Santa Cruz Elementary School on the eastern side of the city. The almost 1-acre property currently holds a 1,279-square-foot, three-bedroom house. The church intends to renovate the structure in phase one, creating an open worship space for about 75 people by removing interior walls and repurposing the existing carport into restrooms. From there, it plans to construct a 3,626-square-foot sanctuary behind the renovated house, accommodating up to 230 people. 5 Harvest & Brine Pickle Company Melissa Whan discovered her love for pickling while seeking delectable simplicity. “I want it cold, I want it crisp. When I bite into a pickle, I want it to crunch. I never knew the simplicity of basic organic ingredients — water, distilled vinegar, dill and kosher salt — can get you a nice crisp, firm, flavorful pickle,” Whan said. The options sold by the pickle business she operates with her husband, Robert, meet those standards. The pickles are tangy, crunchy and hardly comparable to store-bought varieties. Plus, they offer more than just the standard dill. “Currently, we do a regular dill, ranch dill, garlic dill and jalapeño pineapple dill. That last one is one of our most popular and was an original creation,” Whan said. Harvest & Brine pickles can be found
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Market, Maricopa Water & Ice and the monthly pop-up shop inside Mandy’s Wine Bar every first Wednesday. 8 Walmart The Maricopa Planning & Zoning Commission reviewed a development permit request for a 5,600-square-foot online grocery service expansion at Walmart on Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway. Currently, customers can park in one of 10 spaces to pick up their online orders on the west side of the store, but site and floorplans submitted to the city’s development services department show that will change.
The expansion is planned for the east side of the store, in an area currently partially enclosed for deliveries, with 38 dedicated parking spaces nearby. The grocery service addition will be used primarily for stock, storage and order fulfillment, meaning customers are unlikely to see any of the updates. CITYWIDE Desert Relocation and Cleaning Acacia Crossings residents Mike and Rhanda Schaar know the strain of long daily commutes on State Route 347. “In Maricopa, people commute a lot, and they don’t have time to do everything
between sitting in traffic and back-and- forth every day,” Mike Schaar said. Wanting to help busy families reclaim their free time prompted the couple to found Desert Relocation and Cleaning, a service that combines residential and commercial cleaning with moving assistance. For Rhanda, the most rewarding moments are when a customer sees their bathroom sparkle — sometimes for the first time in months — and can’t believe the difference. “There’s the satisfaction of not only serving people but also giving them a quality service and seeing the end result,” she said.
September 2025 | InMaricopa.com
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InMaricopa.com | September 2025
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