The vacant property that once housed a Circle K at the northeast corner of Rural and Warner will soon have a new tenant.
That’s because Aaron Chamberlin, owner of two trendy central Phoenix restaurants, plans to transform the 3,200-square-foot space into an upscale restaurant. Construction is slated to begin in late January with completion due by mid-summer.
Chamberlin’s two other restaurants, Phoenix Public Market Café and St. Francis, have proved popular destinations for diners seeking a hip, urban setting while they munch on healthful cuisine such burrata fig salad or what the restaurant is famous for: wood-fired dishes, such as pork chile verde pot and Moroccan meatballs. Menus indicate gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian items. There’s even organic ice cream for a dessert with earthy origins.
Chamberlin’s brother, David, specializes in real estate and handles the business side of the ventures. The pair is planning for Tempe Public Market Café to open later this summer.
Though guests will encounter many of the same food items that have helped make St. Francis and Phoenix Public Market Café favorites in the central downtown area, Aaron says the Tempe restaurant will specialize in pizzas yet be similar by offering fresh market cuisine prepared with many ingredients sourced from farmers markets in the Valley.
With this restaurant’s arrival, the Warner Road corridor is becoming home to a number of family-owned enterprises. Oink Café, another mom-and-pop shop with locations in Phoenix and Tucson, plans to open in the space that formerly housed Marcello’s, which closed several months ago.
Nick Bastian, a local Realtor, said he feels the addition of Tempe Public Marketplace Café bodes well for the area. “I think it’s awesome. It’s just a great addition to our neighborhood,” Bastian said. Bastian said architectural renderings of the future Tempe restaurant show a large covered patio with seating and a fireplace that will be key features. The restaurant, to be built on the spot occupied by a onetime Circle K store, is expected to bring new life to the property, which at one time was considered for a scuba dive center and training pool. The prospective buyers said they backed off, however, due to the anticipated costs.
