2025 September issue of InMaricopa Magazine

Food & Beverage

20 25

Fork in the road Experts share forces shaping city’s dining scene, and how it could change BY MONICA D. SPENCER

Restaurants by the numbers

A better and brighter future So, what’s the state of Maricopa’s restaurant economy? “We don’t have the individual numbers, but I think the future is going to be better and brighter as the city moves forward,” Chucri said. That optimism comes from the fact that, for the most part, Maricopa is still a young community — it’s only just reached drinking age in human years — with improving highway infrastructure and still-af- fordable home prices. “The city still doesn’t have as many restaurants as other [Pinal County] communities like San Tan Valley or Queen Creek, but I would say it’s growing very quickly. It’s just a mat- ter of time before you start to see more restaurants cropping up that want to meet the needs and wants of Maricopa residents,” Chucri said. Anderson agreed, not- ing the excitement and op- portunity that comes with new restaurant openings. Kelly said she hopes devel- opers will carve out space that can support a more diverse mix of restaurants, opening the door to finer dining in the future. “If I could change just one thing, it would be to accelerate commercial infrastructure and devel- opment, especially when it comes to sit-down- ready spaces,” she said. “Too often, great ideas get delayed or lost due to a lack of suitable locations or the high cost to build from scratch.”

SATIATING STATISTICS 90% of restaurants in the country are small businesses Spending $1 in Arizona restaurants contributes $1.89 to the state’s economy Restaurants are the third largest employer in the state Arizona’s restaurant industry employs more than 300,000 people Arizona is home to 13,000 restaurants Arizona’s restaurants will post more than $23 billion in sales by the end of 2025 Restaurants paid $4.8 billion in taxes nationwide

QUICK SERVICE 51 (60%) Quick, cheap and everywhere. More than half of Maricopa’s restaurants are classified as quick service — restaurants that emphasize inexpensive meals from premade ingredients that can be eaten on the go. Think places like Slim Chickens, McDonald’s or any drive-thru establishment where

FAST CASUAL 9 (10.6%) These restaurants are a couple of notches above fast food with a more upscale menu, but service is more limited than what you would expect at a typical sit-down restaurant. You may or may not need to go inside to order and you sit down at a proper table — but menus are fairly stagnant with a mix of fresh and premade ingredients. Service is speedier than cooking it yourself, but we’re talking minutes rather than seconds. Don’t count on a waiter or waitress here. Chipotle is a popular example.

“Be patient, [sit- down restaurants are] coming. You want the quality to be there, and you don’t want them to be a flash in the pan, no pun intended, where they come in and then close because they were unsuccessful.” STEVE CHUCRI, ARA CEO

IF THERE’S ANYTHING to know about Arizona’s restaurant economy, it’s this: Restaurants are the state’s third-largest employer. They generate billions of dollars in revenue. The restaurant economy, at the conclusion of 2025, “will post sales of just over $23 billion. That’s billion with a B,” predicted Arizona Restaurant Association CEO Steve Chucri in an interview with InMaricopa . For context, legislators approved $17 billion for the entire Arizona state budget. As head of the ARA, Chucri is the authority on the state’s restaurant economy. The association has been around for 86 years, watching restaurants in every category come and go — far longer than most of us. For him, serving in this role is both a passion and a privilege. “Restaurants touch people’s lives each and every day. We’re the cornerstone of the community, we’re that mainstay that people always have some kind of commonality with,” he said. hold that role, he said: “Food is the biggest and greatest negotiating tool, it’s an equalizer. I’ve never met a person in Asked why restaurants

orders are turned around in seconds and wait staff are nonexistent.

Sources: Arizona Restaurant Association, National Restaurant Association

Paula Kitzmiller

Fast food in Maricopa is at the

“The reality is, opening and sustaining a restaurant here comes with high barriers: limited available space, rising operational costs, difficulty securing financing, long permitting and development timelines, and the risk associated with a still- maturing market,” she said. But Chucri said locals shouldn’t be discouraged. “It just takes time, and it takes time for the economy to grow,” he said. “Be patient, [sit-down restaurants are] coming. You want the quality to be there, and you don’t want them to be a flash in the pan, no pun intended, where they come in and then close because they were unsuccessful.”

He’s not wrong. Just glance at the comments on any social media post mentioning fast food. That likely stings for quick-service restaurant owners, but there’s a reason they’re often the first to arrive, Chucri said. “Because both the cost and barriers to entry are far less. The price point is far less and it’s far easier when you have a drive thru. It’s just easier to run a restaurant like that and it’s very affordable for most,” he said. “It’s not uncommon in a newer community like Maricopa to see more quick-service than fast- food restaurants.” Anderson said she hears similar concerns.

most mediocre. There’s nothing unique about it and it usually tastes horrible. POLL ABOUT FAVORITE FAST-FOOD RESTAURANTS IN THE CITY.

CASUAL DINING 25 (29.4%)

FINE DINING 0 (0%)

Casual dining is traditionally the

Elegant, expensive and luxurious define this type of restaurant. Unfortunately, Maricopa has yet to bring in a restaurant that offers a truly upscale dining experience. Think Capital Grille or Fleming’s in Phoenix.

largest segment of a city’s restaurant industry, accounting for most sit-down restaurants. A couple of local examples are The Roost and Native Grill & Wings. Nothing you’d don a tux for, but someone will wait on you, and you’re expected to tip at the end.

Why fast food leads the way The most common complaint about

Arizona Restaurant Association CEO Steve Chucri

restaurant industry, and also with Kelly Anderson, who follows the city’s business landscape at the local level, to better understand where Maricopa’s dining economy may be headed.

industry in Arizona — and in Pinal County and Maricopa — is promising. “It’s an employment hub and it’s constantly growing,” he said. That’s why we spoke with Chucri, the state’s leading voice on the

my 24 years running this association that has said to me, ‘I hate going out to a restaurant, I hate dining out,’” he said. That, combined with the state’s still- high growth rate, is why he says the restaurant

Maricopa’s restaurant economy? Fast food. “If I had a nickel for every time I heard a community wanting more sit-down restaurants, I probably wouldn’t be in this job. I would be retired,” Chucri said.

26 (37%) INDEPENDENT

CHAIN 45 (63%)

InMaricopa.com | September 2025

September 2025 | InMaricopa.com