Native committed early to Maricopa, commits to stay until at least 2022

Like many passersby, Maricopa was known to Pat Kieny as a site along the way to San Diego. Unlike others, one such trip prompted him to build a second restaurant.

“As soon as that Bashas’ came up in the summer of ’04, my wife and I said, ‘Hey, this might be good,’ and we started negotiating with the property owner,” said Kieny, who built his first Native Grill & Wings franchise at Dobson and Guadalupe roads in Mesa in 2001.

The negotiation and subsequent construction took 18 months. Native New Yorker, as it was known then, opened in July 2005.

“The first three years was fantastic business-wise, as everyone down here realized,” he said, “and then the housing crash in ’08 really made a dent on the customers and how much money they had to spend.”

Kieny, who in mid-November inked a lease extension until 2022, is optimistic about Maricopa’s future.

“There will be a lot more new business coming to town, which is going to help everybody,” he said. We need to keep people in Maricopa spending their money.” 

Lately, those businesses have been other restaurants, the impact of which varies.

“Sometimes there’s hardly any impact at all, and other times it’s really big,” Kieny said. “When the Luxe [Lounge] opened that had an effect on us. When Firehouse Subs opened, we didn’t notice anything.”

Kieny employs 40 to 55 people depending on the season.

“We enjoy Maricopa, he said. “The people are great.”

Native Grill & Wings
21164 N. John Wayne Parkway
520-568-6077
Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily (bar open until 2 a.m.)
Stores: 30
States: Arizona, Colorado and Texas

Owner Pat Kieny:

PERSONAL

Family: Wife, three daughters, three granddaughters, two dogs

Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska

Current residence: Gilbert

Education: Studied business at University of Nebraska at Omaha
 
Interests: Family, hiking, golf, friends

Pets: Ody, a 3-year-old lab/pit bull, and Mr. Wiggles, a 6-year-old schipperke

Pet peeves: Roadside political signs

Car: Volkswagen Jetta

I wish I was … hiking with my wife.

Currently reading: “The First Phone Call from Heaven” (Mitch Albom)

Lowest round of golf: 74 (Dobson Ranch, 10 years ago)

Handicap: 12

Holes in one: Zero

Dream foursome: (Wife) Sue, (daughter) Erika, (granddaughter) Jaden 

BUSINESS

First job: Newspaper boy

Favorite job: This one

Why this business? I like dealing with the people, and I like the physical nature of it.

Why Maricopa? Because of the growth. That’s why we originally came here in 2005.

Greatest challenge: Economic change and government regulations (Obamacare and minimum wage); running the restaurant, staff and customers is easy.

Greatest opportunity: To get more embedded in the community.

What person has most influenced your career? Rod Ticknor, who owns Natives in Ahwatukee. I’ve known him 30 years. We worked at Wendy’s together back in the ‘80s. He was my boss at my first restaurant job, and we started together at Native 17 years ago.

Best advice you give others: Whatever your situation is currently – good or bad – don’t worry, it’s going to change. Don’t be too worried about what’s happening right now.