Cocina Madrigal against the clock to open

After months of silence, the hotly anticipated Mexican restaurant Cocina Madrigal may finally be ready to dish up enchiladas and margaritas in Maricopa. But it’s working against the clock.

In an email to InMaricopa, broker Scott Johnson said chef Leo Madrigal — owner and brains behind the South Phoenix restaurant — would be ready to “get the Maricopa project moving” this fall.

But despite tireless attempts to contact Madrigal and his son, Brian, InMaricopa has not been able to confirm a timeline for the restaurant’s construction or opening.

The eatery needs to be up and running in mere months, per a contract.

Named one of Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in 2022, Cocina Madrigal is slated for a half-acre of land just south of the Maricopa Library and Cultural Center on Bowlin and White and Parker Roads. That’s right by the proposed Civic Center Park and a tentative “Restaurant Row” concept.

Last year, Maricopa City Councilmember Amber Liermann said once opened, she hoped Cocina Madrigal could “become a culinary cornerstone of Maricopa City Center.”

InMaricopa obtained a copy of the purchase and sale agreement between Madrigal and the city of Maricopa. In the contract, Madrigal agreed to purchase the land for nearly $68,000 and to have a restaurant “open and operating” within 24 months after close of escrow.

In an April 5 email to an owner of Cocina Madrigal, former city projects manager Chance Love said the restaurant had to be “up and running February/March 2024.”