2021 was a good year for restaurant construction

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Plans to open a Chili's Grill and Bar in Maricopa have been abandoned. [file]

Champing at the bit for more places in town to sit down and have a bite to eat? Your patience will be rewarded this year. Here’s a look at the fast-food chains and sit-down restaurants coming to Maricopa in 2022 and beyond, including a fine dining establishment ranked 5th on Yelp’s list of the Top 100 Places to Eat in the United States.

Chili’s Grill & Bar
Location: The Wells, tentatively
Anticipated opening: November
What to expect: A real estate broker for the fast-casual chain restaurant says Chili’s has committed to building a restaurant in Maricopa. The tentative location is at Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway and Stonegate Road at The Wells, next to Jiffy Lube. A favorite in local Facebook discussions about the most-desired restaurants in the city, Chili’s offers American food, Tex-Mex cuisine and dishes influenced by Mexican cuisine. The 5,700-square-foot restaurant constructed here might be a new prototype design that features more exterior glass.

Burger King
Location: The Wells
Anticipated opening: TBA
What to know: This Burger King, the city’s second, would be owned and operated by the same company, Barnett Management of Avondale. With 3,200 square feet and a dual drive-in on 1.2 acres, it would be one of Burger King’s new-design restaurants.

Carl’s Jr.
Location: Maricopa Towne Plaza
Anticipated opening: TBA
What to know: A Scottsdale firm has submitted plans that would bring back the fast-food burger and chicken outlet. A 2,666-square-foot restaurant and drive-thru is proposed for three-quarters of an acre just south of the new Maricopa Animal Hospital. A Carl’s Jr. operated in town until December 2018 at the site of the current Wendy’s on John Wayne Parkway.

Cocina Madrigal
Location: Bowlin Road
(near the new Maricopa Library)
Anticipated opening: 2023
What to expect: This will be the second location for the upscale, sit-down Mexican restaurant. It ranked fifth on Yelp’s list of the Top 100 Places to Eat in the United States. Madrigal specializes in handcrafted tacos, homemade enchiladas ($14.95), fresh salads ($5.95-$13.95), and made-from-scratch specialties. Margaritas go for $8.95.

Cold Beers and Cheeseburgers
Location: Sonoran Creek Marketplace
Anticipated opening: Spring 2022
What to expect: Construction has begun at the casual, sit-down burger joint. The sports bar offers half-pound burgers that run from $14-$16 each. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant is going up at the end of a strip of smaller storefronts attached to Sprouts. A patio will feature an additional 2,000 square feet for outdoor dining.

Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ
Location: TBA
Anticipated opening: TBA
What to know: In March 2021, an item on RestaurantNews.com reported that Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ, a quick-growing franchise started in 2018, would build a restaurant here, but the report did not offer a location or timeline. The report jived with an announcement (still) on Crave’s website that it had signed a local franchisee. The company did not return requests for comment from InMaricopa.

Filiberto’s Mexican Food
Location: Sonoran Creek Marketplace
Anticipated opening: TBA
What to know: Founded in Mesa in 1993, this chain of 24-hour carryout and delivery eateries has more than a dozen outlets in the Valley. It features tacos, burritos and carne asada fries made with fresh meat and ingredients.

Jimmy John’s
Location: Sonoran Creek Marketplace
Anticipated opening: Soon
What to expect: The national fast casual sandwich shop offers takeout and delivery.

Nando’s Mexican Café
Location: Edison Pointe
Anticipated opening: TBA
What to know: This southeast Valley chain selected Maricopa for its fifth restaurant. A pre-application on file with the city calls for a restaurant of 5,125 square feet, plus 700-plus square feet of patio area, at the vacant site. A family restaurant, it features traditional recipes.

Slim Chickens
Location: Currently scouting sites
Anticipated opening: TBA
What to expect: Tom Barnett, owner of the company that operates the Burger King in town (and soon two), has been hot to hatch a Slim Chickens franchise in Maricopa since signing an agreement to bring up to 32 of the restaurants to Arizona. “Of all the places I’m looking at, Maricopa is going to be the best market by far,” he told InMaricopa in October. The company is looking at a location on Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway in The Wells but has not yet signed a letter of intent. It is exploring other sites as well, the company said. The chicken chain, which operates in 22 states, United Kingdom and Kuwait, features wings, tenders and sandwiches, with a list of southern sides and 17 house sauces. It also offers catering.

MOD Pizza
Location: Sonoran Creek Marketplace
Opened in December
What to expect: Founded in the Seattle area in 2008, MOD Pizza is the pioneer of the fast-casual pizza sector. It features individual artisan-style pizzas and salads made on-demand with any combination of toppings for one flat price. The 2,600-square-foot pizzeria received city approval for a Series 12 restaurant liquor license that would allow sales of beer, wine and spirits. A patio offers outdoor dining.

This year in review was first published in the January edition of InMaricopa magazine.