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.

A well-known Arizona food brand is making a bigger move into metro Phoenix dining. Queen Creek Olive Mill is partnering with In Good Spirits Hospitality, the restaurant group behind concepts such as The Gladly and Citizen Public House, to launch a new restaurant, bar, and market in Phoenix.

The new concept will be called The Olive Farmer and is scheduled to open this fall at 44th Street and Osborn Road, in the former Santo Arcadia space. KTAR reported that the project is designed as an all-day, Italian-inspired operation, giving the olive mill a more direct presence in one of the Valley’s established restaurant corridors.

Owner Perry Rea said the partnership is built around ingredient quality, while hospitality veteran Bernie Kantak will lead the kitchen. Kantak, a multiple-time James Beard semifinalist, brings a recognizable local culinary name to the project, and the operators are emphasizing local sourcing along with a seed-oil-free menu philosophy.

For Phoenix diners, the opening adds another locally rooted concept in a market where national chains and chef-driven independents are competing heavily for attention. For local suppliers and nearby businesses, it is also a reminder that strong Arizona brands are continuing to expand beyond their original footprint and trying to turn regional identity into a broader hospitality business.