High-end California Restaurant To Open First Arizona Location in Scottsdale

High-end California Restaurant To Open First Arizona Location in Scottsdale

by  Brandon Brown

Source: Phoenix Business Journal | Brandon Brown

Macerich Co. (NYSE: MAC) has signed a lease with the California-based Wish You Were Here Group to open a new location of its upscale Italian restaurant Élephante at the Scottsdale Fashion Square.

The retail development company said the new restaurant will fill a 12,000-square-foot space in the south wing of Scottsdale Fashion Square. An opening date has not yet been determined for Élephante.

Wish You Were Here Group has eight different restaurant and bar concepts in Los Angeles, New York and Las Vegas. The first Élephante location opened five years ago down the street from Macerich’s Santa Monica Place.

The restaurant will feature the wood-fired pizzas, fresh pastas and the famed whipped eggplant dip the Southern California location is known for, but Élephante’s owners said the Scottsdale location will have an expanded menu that will include a new grill section with a curated selection of premium meats, seafood, and larger family-style dishes.

“We are thrilled to bring Élephante to Scottsdale, a city that boasts a stunning landscape and a thriving culinary scene,” Nick Mathers, the founder of Wish You Were Here Group, said in a statement. “With its vibrant community that appreciates elevated dining experiences, it’s a favorable market for restaurants, especially in Scottsdale Fashion Square.”

The Scottsdale Élephante will also include a cocktail lounge within the restaurant, something that is new to the brand.

The addition of Élephante will be part of the renovation of Scottsdale Fashion Square’s south wing, which is anchored by Nordstroms. The center is getting a facelift from the food court to Nordstrom, which will include upgrading the columns, flooring and lighting as well as relocating elevators and escalators. The signage on the outside of the mall and porte cochere entry space will also get a new look. The renovation is slated to cost between $80 million and $90 million, according to Macerich’s latest filing with the SEC.

“Unique, upscale experiential restaurant concepts like Élephante continue to differentiate Macerich’s A+ property in Arizona and further cement its place as one of the top luxury retail destinations in the entire country,” Doug Healey, Macerich’s senior executive vice president of leasing, said in a statement.

Scottsdale Fashion Square has continued to be one of Macerich’s highest-performing properties over the past few years. In the late 2010s, the center underwent a massive renovation and refocused its leasing operations on luxury retail tenants and high-end restaurants. Francine, Nobu, Ocean 44 and Toca Madera already call the shopping center home.

Earlier this year, LifeTime opened its most unique club in its portfolio at Scottsdale Fashion Square and next year Caesars Entertainment Corp. (Nasdaq: CZR) and HCW will open the 11-story, 265-room Caesars Republic Scottsdale hotel on the north side of the mall.