Bowlin’s Picacho Peak Travel Center and its adjacent Dairy Queen have closed after four decades serving drivers on Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson. The stop had become a familiar place for fuel, food, restrooms and souvenirs for generations of Arizona road-trip families.
Pinnacle Brewing plans to open its second Valley location at 104 W. Main St. in Downtown Mesa in 2027. The Scottsdale brewery says the new site will pair its beers with a food program to be announced later.
Project LeanNation Lake Pleasant is under construction at 9785 W. Happy Valley Road in Peoria and is waiting on final city approvals. Kyle and Courtney Bridges plan to offer prepared meals, body scans, and nutrition coaching from the new shop.
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Bowlin’s Picacho Peak Travel Center and its adjacent Dairy Queen have closed after four decades serving drivers on Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson. The stop had become a familiar place for fuel, food, restrooms and souvenirs for generations of Arizona road-trip families.
Pinnacle Brewing plans to open its second Valley location at 104 W. Main St. in Downtown Mesa in 2027. The Scottsdale brewery says the new site will pair its beers with a food program to be announced later.
Project LeanNation Lake Pleasant is under construction at 9785 W. Happy Valley Road in Peoria and is waiting on final city approvals. Kyle and Courtney Bridges plan to offer prepared meals, body scans, and nutrition coaching from the new shop.
Crust Simply Italian is considering future restaurants in Avondale and Surprise. The Arizona brand has already opened in Peoria this year and is still moving ahead with its Mesa project at The Grid.
Wagyu House is planning a 2027 opening at Chandler Fashion Center in the former Kona Grill space. The restaurant at 3111 W. Chandler Blvd. would be the brand's first Arizona location.
Panda Express has opened at 17211 W Yuma Road in Goodyear. The May 22 launch included a ribbon cutting, free shirts for the first 88 guests, and a $1,000 donation to Agua Fria Food & Clothing Bank.
Bikini Q BBQ is working toward its first permanent restaurant in early 2027. Until then, Veronica Hansen's barbecue business continues to serve from a food truck at 3220 W. Bell Rd. in Phoenix.
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille says its first Arizona location will open June 8 in Gilbert's Northside at SanTan Village. The move gives the Phoenix area another major upscale dining entrant and marks the brand's expansion into its 12th market.
Less than a year after voters approved Scottsdale’s Parks & Preserve sales tax, the city says residents are already seeing upgrades in parks, trails, ballfields, and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Officials highlighted new landscaping, court resurfacing, storm repairs, field improvements, and maintenance investments made since the tax took effect in July 2025.
Scottsdale’s Tourism & Events Department is offering dollar-for-dollar marketing support to qualifying Old Town businesses. Individual businesses can seek up to $5,000, while collaborative campaigns involving multiple businesses can receive as much as $20,000.
A new federal waiver will allow sales of E15 gasoline in Arizona during May, a move framed as a way to blunt fuel-price pressure tied to the Iran war. Critics argue the waiver reopens a familiar problem in hot-weather states, because the higher-ethanol blend can evaporate more easily and contribute to ozone formation during Arizona’s summer smog season.
TSMC told investors that demand tied to artificial intelligence is strong enough to push the company to raise capital spending this year, and Arizona is a key part of that plan. Executives said the company’s second Arizona fab is already structurally complete and is scheduled to begin volume production of 3-nanometer chips in the second half of 2027.
Queen Creek Olive Mill is teaming with In Good Spirits Hospitality to open an Italian-inspired concept called The Olive Farmer in Phoenix this fall. The project will take over the former Santo Arcadia space near 44th Street and Osborn and is being pitched around local ingredients and a seed-oil-free approach.
Hurricane Harbor Phoenix opened for the season with refreshed areas, more shade, and expanded seating at its main cafe. The west Valley water park will operate through late September and is also planning a larger July 4 celebration tied to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
A large Deer Valley development is moving into a new construction phase that pairs industrial space with housing and retail, including an Aldi grocery store. The project adds momentum to north Phoenix growth near Interstate 17 and Turf Paradise, where land assembled years ago is now being built out in stages.
Salt River Project said its new Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center solar project in Florence can generate enough electricity to serve about 11,000 Arizona homes annually. The utility is also using the site as a research platform to compare panel performance, durability, and output under Arizona conditions ahead of expected summer demand growth.
Tucson Foodie spotlights Tesoro, a Latin restaurant and cantina that transformed a former Mimi’s Café site on the city’s north side into a more energetic dining and nightlife destination. The piece centers on general manager Angel Martinez’s effort to create a place where people can relax, dance, hear live music, and stay out without heading downtown.
Sandbox VR says it will open its first permanent Arizona location at SanTan Village in Gilbert on May 15, positioning the East Valley site as a social indoor entertainment option ahead of summer. The company is promoting the launch with online prebooking discounts and a lineup of 11 immersive group experiences.
Pinal County leaders held a work session to understand what incoming data-center proposals could mean for water, power and the local economy. The discussion did not settle the debate, but it showed how quickly Arizona’s AI and cloud infrastructure boom is reaching communities south of the Phoenix metro core.
The University of Arizona’s Maricopa Agricultural Center is hosting a May workshop to show growers how to convert OpenET evapotranspiration data into field-level irrigation decisions. The training is designed for Arizona producers trying to make more informed water-use choices during a period of continuing supply stress.
Fresh local market data shows Maricopa home sales running far behind last year while inventory and price cuts rise. Buyers appear to have gained leverage in the city, even as well-priced homes are still moving relatively quickly.
Chandler is inviting the public to an Asian American Community Connection gathering on May 12 at the ASU Chandler Innovation Center. City officials describe it as a free evening focused on networking, listening and community dialogue in recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Chandler is bringing back its three-week Code Enforcement Resident Academy this spring, with sessions set for May 12, 19 and 26 at Sunset Library. The city says the program is designed to help residents understand how code enforcement works and how neighborhoods can stay safe, clean and well maintained.
Scottsdale says the voter-approved 0.15% Parks & Preserve sales tax is already producing tangible work less than a year after taking effect. The city points to new sod, plants, trees, storm repairs and preserve maintenance as early proof that the funding stream is changing how quickly park and trail projects can move.
A proposed immigration detention project in Surprise has been reduced from 1,500 beds to 542 as federal plans run into local resistance and internal DHS review. The Arizona development was cited as part of a broader pullback on controversial warehouse-style detention expansion.
Arizona Public Service agreed to a new shutoff rule as part of a $7 million settlement with the state. The utility will no longer disconnect residential customers for nonpayment when forecast highs reach 95 degrees or more, expanding protections beyond the old summer calendar window.
Governor Katie Hobbs announced a $3 million statewide grant round aimed at lowering child-care costs for working families. The Bright Futures AZ Out-of-School Time program will support 59 providers and is expected to reach more than 2,500 children ages 5 to 12.
The Arizona Commerce Authority said the inaugural Arizona Tech Week ran April 6 through April 12 as a decentralized statewide event intended to draw thousands of attendees. Organizers positioned it as a showcase for Arizona’s technology leadership and backed it with a shared event and RSVP system for participating hosts.
Burlington Stores has started work on a future distribution center in Buckeye that the Arizona Commerce Authority said is expected to open in 2028. The project is being described as one of the retailer’s most advanced facilities, with automation and upgraded logistics technology built into the operation.
QuikTrip told ABC15 it is planning three new Arizona stores built around its new “Gen 4” format, with locations in Tucson, Queen Creek, and Casa Grande targeted for 2027. The redesign gives the chain a bigger kitchen, brighter layout, and a store footprint positioned between a standard convenience store and a travel center.
A proposal to build a Target near Higley and Ocotillo roads has ignited resistance from nearby Gilbert residents who say the site was long expected to become a smaller shopping center. Supporters argue the project would create jobs and tax revenue, while opponents warn about traffic, noise, and the loss of the area’s neighborhood character.
ABC15 reports that a bipartisan coalition of Arizona mayors is working together to defend the state’s Colorado River allocation as federal planning discussions continue. Local leaders say the stakes are enormous because one scenario under discussion could leave Arizona with only a fraction of its current access.
Citadelle Center in Glendale has announced a new wave of tenant growth with the arrivals of Pizzicata, Fit Mind Wellness, and Estetika Beauty Clinic. The updates strengthen the center's mix of food, mental health, beauty, and everyday-service offerings near Arrowhead Ranch.
Phoenix Sky Harbor is using April to spotlight airport sustainability work, student education and public Earth Day programming. The campaign combines hands-on activities for middle school students with passenger-facing events and a broader message about long-term environmental resilience across the city's aviation system.
The FAA is planning four virtual public workshops in May tied to the Phoenix Area FAA Modernization Project, which would update satellite-based flight procedures serving Sky Harbor and nearby airports. Residents will be able to hear an overview of the proposal, review findings from the draft environmental assessment, and ask FAA staff questions directly.
Arizona announced a new push to strengthen business ties with Taiwan by hosting a delegation of 30 investors and university leaders across Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, and Flagstaff. The visit was paired with a memorandum of understanding between the Arizona Commerce Authority and Sustainable Impact Capital to help Taiwanese founders use Arizona as a U.S. landing point, especially in technology-heavy sectors.
A new Cambria Hotel is under construction in Mesa at 3501 South Ellsworth Road, with plans for 107 guest rooms and a public rooftop bar and restaurant. The project team says the four-story property is targeting an early 2027 opening and is being positioned as an upscale lodging option with amenities aimed at both travelers and local visitors.
A new neighborhood wine bar is headed to Glendale at 23423 N. 67th Avenue, Suite 109. The project is being led by the mother-and-son team of Teresa and Connor Rodewald, who are positioning the venue around a curated wine selection and a welcoming atmosphere.
The Tendit Group filed a WARN notice in Arizona covering 143 employees at its Phoenix facility on East Rose Garden Lane. The filing gives advance notice of workforce reductions but does not explain the reason, timeline, or specific roles affected.
Project Lean Nation is planning its Arizona debut in Peoria at 9785 West Happy Valley Road, Suite 1170. The healthy-meals concept was identified locally through social discovery and confirmed on the company’s website, with franchise owners Kyle and Courtney Bridges tied to the new store.
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