2025 August issue of InMaricopa Magazine

BUSINESS

5 DD214 VA Claims

BRIEF

1 Authentic Dominican Food A new food truck serving up the flavors of the Dominican Republic has rolled into Maricopa. The mobile eatery began operating last month alongside other food trucks at Central Arizona College’s Maricopa campus. The trailer is owned by Alfredo Jimenez, a resident of Copper Ridge. Two people staff the truck from 4 to 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The truck marks Dominican cuisine’s debut in Maricopa. 2 Black Rock Coffee Black Rock Coffee Bar is bringing a new drive-thru to Maricopa, setting up shop directly across the street from the city’s only Dutch Bros — potentially igniting a rivalry between two Oregon-based chains. Black Rock proposes building a 1,484-square-foot modular shop with drive- thru and patio service near the southeast corner of Edison Road and John Wayne Parkway. The 0.8-acre site sits between the Sherwin-Williams paint store and a future planned 5,000-square-foot commercial building. The drive-thru site was originally slated for an eegee’s restaurant that never progressed after a 2022 announcement. 3 Burrito Express The fast-casual Mexican chain wants to open a location inside the Circle K at Honeycutt and Porter Roads. Jeremy McMurtry, a facilities coordinator for Circle K’s corporate offices in Tempe, confirmed the project is progressing quickly and anticipated starting construction by early August. 4 Christian Brothers Automotive A new shop is planned for the corner of Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway and Stonegate Road, marking the first full- service auto repair facility along the booming corridor. Ziad Kaakouch, president of Z & Co., the civil engineering firm overseeing the site, confirmed the location.

The project was first revealed in a memo filed with the city. The document outlines a 1.8-acre site that would house the nationally known repair chain, which offers diagnostics, brake work, suspension repairs and other mechanical services while excluding high-noise operations such as bodywork or tire recapping. 5 DD214 VA Claims Paul Smith, a U.S. Air Force veteran and retired senior veteran services representative for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, has started a small business to help his fellow former servicemen and women get the benefits they earned. “A lot of times, veterans are unaware of what the entitlements are and what they’re eligible for,” said Smith, who also operates Bubba Brewing Company from his home in The Lakes at Rancho El Dorado in honor of his late son who died of peritoneal mesothelioma. His new company will charge $214 to complete and submit benefits applications. 6 Fast & Friendly Car Wash Maricopa’s two Fast & Friendly car wash locations are officially under new ownership. Goodyear-based Dash Car Wash has acquired both sites and is rebranding them under its growing Southwestern brand. Dash added the two Maricopa car washes to its map of locations, bringing the brand’s total in metro Phoenix to 10. Maricopa residents can expect to see the Fast & Friendly signs swapped out for Dash-branded ones in August, according to an employee. 7 Filiberto’s food truck A new Filiberto’s food truck is now operating in town, marking a long- anticipated arrival for fans of the iconic Mexican food chain that tried for years to bring a brick-and-mortar location to the city but ultimately failed. The bright yellow truck with #ItsFiliTime branding is parked

in the LMR Pools lot next to the historical water tower. The truck offers takeout only with two cooks at a time. It is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. 8 Headquarters Lounge The local landmark bar has closed following the March death of longtime city matriarch Alma Farrell, who owned the establishment, with no estimated reopening date. Because the liquor license remains in Farrell’s name, there is currently no person responsible for managing the license. For that reason, the lounge closed down, according to state liquor officials. A Headquarters diner employee said the adjacent lounge “won’t be open for a while.” 9 Home Is Our Sanctuary A new Maricopa business is working to expand extracurricular options for homeschool families through locally led classes, tutoring and enrichment pods. Home Is Our Sanctuary was founded by a Rancho El Dorado family who moved to the city four years ago and saw a need for more flexible, community-driven programs. The company will offer art, sewing, Spanish, mindfulness, pickleball and more — based on demand from local parents. Classes will be taught by local instructors and hosted at various locations including libraries and private homes. Foundational art courses were held at the Maricopa Public Library in June and July, with fall programming already in the works. Founders are gathering feedback through their Facebook group, Maricopa Extracurriculars, where parents can vote on upcoming offerings and connect with other families. 10 Maricopa Towne Center Maricopa City Council unanimously approved a rezoning and land-use change for the proposed Maricopa Towne Center, a major 184-acre retail and residential development on the city’s southern

Authentic Dominican Food

11 Monsoon Coffee The beloved mobile café run by father- son team Dave and Gunnar Verlennich officially ceased operations, marking an end to five years of community staple in Maricopa. 12 Motor Vehicle Processing Jan Kortsen, owner of Willcox-based Motor Vehicle Processing, confirmed that her family-owned business will open a storefront offering third-party Motor

edge. The approval marks the first formal step toward construction of what could become one of the city’s largest commercial hubs. The developer, Phoenix-based Vestar, is known for high-profile projects including Tempe Marketplace and the Scottsdale Promenade. While no tenants have been officially announced, Vestar representatives told InMaricopa they intend to bring in a major grocery store or large-format retailer, possibly Target.

Vehicle Division services this fall. The business will take over the former Arizona State Express Title & Registration office at the Maricopa Fiesta, which shuttered in June after 12 years, creating a gap in the city. Korsten, who lived for many years in Stanfield, said expanding her business into Maricopa “feels like I’m going home.” Kortsen opened the first MVP office in Willcox in 2010. Maricopa will be the company’s sixth location.

August 2025 | InMaricopa.com

InMaricopa.com | August 2025