Current editorial archive
The Arizona News homepage shows only a small top layer. This archive keeps the current editorial summaries, recurring series, and current published work together.
Black Rock Coffee Bar adds three Arizona shops
Black Rock Coffee Bar is preparing openings in Glendale, Chandler and Prescott Valley. The first shop is expected in June, with two more planned for July.
Atashi Yokocho planned for Scottsdale development
Atashi Yokocho is planned for The Sydney at 7339 E. McDonald Drive in Scottsdale. The Japanese inspired dining project is expected to open in 2028 with about 15 restaurant concepts.
Luna Grill plans three more Phoenix area restaurants
Luna Grill expects to open at least three more restaurants in the Phoenix area before the end of 2026. The planned locations include Tempe, Avondale and north Phoenix.
Grandioso targets mid July opening on Grand Avenue
Grandioso is planned for 1227 Grand Ave in Phoenix, with Justin Piazza aiming for a summer opening. The bar focused restaurant will serve several pizza styles along with drinks, wings, appetizers and panino sandwiches.
Angry Crab Shack opens Chandler restaurant June 11
Angry Crab Shack is opening a new restaurant at 3033 S. Gilbert Road in Chandler. The June 11 celebration will include a spicy wing contest, children's activities and local nonprofit support.
Picacho Peak travel stop closes after 40 years
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.
Project LeanNation eyes a summer debut in Peoria
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 looks at Avondale and Surprise for future growth
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 plans first Arizona restaurant at Chandler Fashion Center
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.
Pinnacle Brewing plans Downtown Mesa taproom and kitchen for 2027
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.
Panda Express opens new Goodyear restaurant on West Yuma Road
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 aims for first permanent Phoenix restaurant in early 2027
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 sets opening date for its first Arizona restaurant in Gilbert
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.
Scottsdale details first visible upgrades funded by Prop 490
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 launches matching marketing fund for Old Town businesses
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.
TSMC says Arizona expansion is central to meeting AI chip demand
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 partners on new Phoenix restaurant
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.
EPA summer E15 waiver revives Arizona air-quality fight
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.
Hurricane Harbor Phoenix opens for the 2026 season
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.
Aldi joins next phase of Deer Valley mixed-use project in Phoenix
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.
SRP launches its first company-owned solar site in Florence
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.
Tesoro gives Tucson’s north side a live-music Latin cantina alternative
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 selects Gilbert for its first permanent Arizona venue
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.
Maricopa housing slows sharply as listings pile up and prices soften
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.