If there’s anything to know about Arizona’s restaurant economy, it’s this: Restaurants are the state’s third-largest employer. They generate billions of dollars in revenue.

The restaurant economy, at the conclusion of 2025, “will post sales of just over $23 billion. That’s billion with a B,” predicted Arizona Restaurant Association CEO Steve Chucri in an interview with InMaricopa.

For context, legislators approved $17 billion for the entire Arizona state budget.

As head of the ARA, Chucri is the authority on the state’s restaurant economy. The association has been around for 86 years, watching restaurants in every category come and go — far longer than most of us. For him, serving in this role is both a passion and a privilege.

“Restaurants touch people’s lives each and every day. We’re the cornerstone of the community, we’re that mainstay that people always have some kind of commonality with,” he said.

Asked why restaurants hold that role, he said:

“Food is the biggest and greatest negotiating tool, it’s an equalizer. I’ve never met a person in my 24 years running this association that has said to me, ‘I hate going out to a restaurant, I hate dining out,’” he said.

That, combined with the state’s still-high growth rate, is why he says the restaurant industry in Arizona — and in Pinal County and Maricopa — is promising.

“It’s an employment hub and it’s constantly growing,” he said.

That’s why we spoke with Chucri, the state’s leading voice on the restaurant industry, and also with Kelly Anderson, who follows the city’s business landscape at the local level, to better understand where Maricopa’s dining economy may be headed.

Why fast food leads the way

The most common complaint about Maricopa’s restaurant economy? Fast food.

“If I had a nickel for every time I heard a community wanting more sit-down restaurants, I probably wouldn’t be in this job. I would be retired,” Chucri said.

He’s not wrong. Just glance at the comments on any social media post mentioning fast food.

“Fast food in Maricopa is at the most mediocre. There’s nothing unique about it and it usually tastes horrible,” Paula Kitzmiller commented on a poll about favorite fast-food restaurants in the city.

That likely stings for quick-service restaurant owners, but there’s a reason they’re often the first to arrive, Chucri said.

“Because both the cost and barriers to entry are far less. The price point is far less and it’s far easier when you have a drive thru. It’s just easier to run a restaurant like that and it’s very affordable for most,” he said. “It’s not uncommon in a newer community like Maricopa to see more quick-service than fast-food restaurants.”

Anderson said she hears similar concerns.

“The reality is, opening and sustaining a restaurant here comes with high barriers: limited available space, rising operational costs, difficulty securing financing, long permitting and development timelines, and the risk associated with a still-maturing market,” she said.

But Chucri said locals shouldn’t be discouraged.

“It just takes time, and it takes time for the economy to grow,” he said. “Be patient, [sit-down restaurants are] coming. You want the quality to be there, and you don’t want them to be a flash in the pan, no pun intended, where they come in and then close because they were unsuccessful.”

A better and brighter future

So, what’s the state of Maricopa’s restaurant economy?

“We don’t have the individual numbers, but I think the future is going to be better and brighter as the city moves forward,” Chucri said.

That optimism comes from the fact that, for the most part, Maricopa is still a young community — it’s only just reached drinking age in human years — with improving highway infrastructure and still-affordable home prices.

“The city still doesn’t have as many restaurants as other [Pinal County] communities like San Tan Valley or Queen Creek, but I would say it’s growing very quickly. It’s just a matter of time before you start to see more restaurants cropping up that want to meet the needs and wants of Maricopa residents,” Chucri said.

Anderson agreed, noting the excitement and opportunity that comes with new restaurant openings. Kelly said she hopes developers will carve out space that can support a more diverse mix of restaurants, opening the door to finer dining in the future.

“If I could change just one thing, it would be to accelerate commercial infrastructure and development, especially when it comes to sit-down-ready spaces,” she said. “Too often, great ideas get delayed or lost due to a lack of suitable locations or the high cost to build from scratch.”

Satiating statistics

• 90% of restaurants in the country are small businesses
• Spending $1 in Arizona restaurants contributes $1.89 to the state’s economy
• Restaurants are the third-largest employer in the state
• Arizona’s restaurant industry employs more than 300,000 people
• Arizona is home to 13,000 restaurants
• Arizona’s restaurants will post more than $23 billion in sales by the end of 2025
• Restaurants paid $4.8 billion in taxes nationwide

Sources: Arizona Restaurant Association, National Restaurant Association

Read about restaurants in Maricopa in the 2025 Restaurant Guide and your September issue of InMaricopa