"It's another example of a national or out-of-state concept making way for a local Arizona family to create something of its own." That's how Forking Scottsdale described the news in September that the OEB Breakfast Co. space at 17757 N. Scottsdale Road had sold.
The line could describe most of this fall in North Scottsdale. The restaurants that opened along Scottsdale Road between September and now mostly moved into spaces that already had names and regulars. You know the parking lots and probably remember the old menus. The signs are new, and the people behind several of them are families who started small and built their own places.
Two Doors at 17757 and 17767
One small cluster on Scottsdale Road shows the pattern best. Two neighboring addresses changed hands, and both reopened within weeks of each other.
At 17767 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 100, KUZA opened September 16 in the former Chauncey Social space. It comes from Clive Collective, the group behind Cala, according to What Now Phoenix. Executive Chef Erik Davila built the menu around a binchōtan-fired robata grill, a raw bar, sushi and globally influenced dishes. The open kitchen puts the fire in the center of the room. Forking Scottsdale reported that KUZA brings in seafood from Tokyo twice a week. Reservations and hours are on KUZA's site.
Next door at 17757, Suite 103, The Breakfast Table took over from OEB Breakfast Co. The company posted a notice on its own site saying it "has concluded its U.S. operations." The Scottsdale location closed, and the Newport Beach restaurant is becoming OEB Kitchen, a separate concept under local ownership. PHOENIX magazine reported that OEB had been on Scottsdale Road for six years.
A local Arizona family, Ken, Susie and Kenny, bought the space and turned it into a family-owned breakfast and lunch restaurant. PHOENIX magazine listed it among September's openings, with a menu of waffles, pancakes, burritos, omelets, skillets, burgers and wraps.
So one short walk now covers a family breakfast table in the morning and a robata grill at night, in two spaces that each sat under someone else's name a year ago.
The Corner Just North of the Canal
About a mile south, the busiest corner on this stretch got the same kind of handover.
The Arizona Republic placed 17007 N. Scottsdale Road on the northeast corner of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, just north of the Central Arizona Project canal. Its September 23 report said Quiriego Cocina Rústica was replacing the shuttered Carrabba's Italian Grill and would be the restaurant's first U.S. location. The Scottsdale Scoop reported the soft opening on September 28.
There's a family story behind it too. Forking Scottsdale's first look reports that Mario Abeyta leads the project, with chef Carlos Abeyta and other relatives helping. Quiriego opened in Hermosillo in 2019 and expanded to Mexicali before coming to Scottsdale. The name comes from El Quiriego, Sonora, where the family's grandmother was from.
Quiriego's own site calls the food rustic Sonoran cooking: seafood and steaks cooked over fire, cocktails, and house-made breads and desserts. Dinner runs 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It's dinner only, which suits a corner most people reach on the evening drive home.
The Map, Space by Space
Here is how this fall's openings line up against what was there before, running from south to north and then east.
| Address | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|
| 14601 N. Scottsdale Rd., Suite 110 | LaCo Smashburgers & Tacos | Smashed Burgers & Cocktails, same owner |
| 14692 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. | Costa Bella Italian Kitchen | |
| 17007 N. Scottsdale Rd. | Carrabba's Italian Grill | Quiriego Cocina Rústica |
| 17757 N. Scottsdale Rd., Suite 103 | OEB Breakfast Co. | The Breakfast Table |
| 17767 N. Scottsdale Rd., Suite 100 | Chauncey Social | KUZA |
| 7605 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd. | Thai Basil | Baan Thai Bistro |
| 8900 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd. | Il Segreto | |
| 10405 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Rd., Suite 100 | Café Au Plait | Turquoise Wine Bar North Scottsdale, planned |
Six of the eight spaces had an earlier restaurant locals would recognize. At most of them, the new name came from a different operator. One room is the exception.
The One Room That Kept Its Owner
At 14601 N. Scottsdale Road, near Acoma Drive, the owner is staying and only the name is changing. What Now Phoenix reported that SoCal Flavor LLC, the company listed as the owner in Arizona liquor records, ran LaCo Smashburgers & Tacos there after it opened in October 2025. It is now redesigning the space as Smashed Burgers & Cocktails. SoCal Flavor also owns La Cocina – Authentic Mexican Kitchen at 32527 N. Scottsdale Road.
CEO Bill Momary told What Now Phoenix that a soft opening was expected in late November, with a grand opening event planned for Tuesday, December 1. LaCo's posted menu included Wagyu smashburgers, tacos, cheesesteaks, chicken sandwiches, loaded fries and churro bites with ice cream. Updates are on the restaurant's Instagram.
Smashed shows the same habit from the other direction. A local operator who knows the room decided to change its name and keep the space.
East on Pinnacle Peak and Up Toward the McDowells
The pattern holds off Scottsdale Road, closer to where many North Scottsdale errands begin and end.
Baan Thai Bistro moved into the former Thai Basil space at 7605 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, so a Thai kitchen replaced a Thai kitchen. PHOENIX magazine lists panang curry, Thai BBQ chicken, tom yum fried rice, pad Thai, and crispy whole pompano with tamarind and ginger sauce.
Farther east at 8900 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Il Segreto is a seasonal Italian fine-dining restaurant with a bar and lounge, a dining room, and a menu that includes handmade pastas and meat entrées, according to Mouth by Southwest. Back toward the canal, Costa Bella Italian Kitchen at 14692 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard serves Italian classics, pasta, seafood, risotto and ravioli, the same outlet reported in October.
Up McDowell Mountain Ranch Road, the former Café Au Plait space near Thompson 105 is the planned home of Turquoise Wine Bar North Scottsdale. Owner and operator Ariel Sheely, who holds a WSET Level 2 certification, described the concept to Forking Scottsdale as a neighborhood wine bar, tasting room, bottle shop and bistro. Plans include wine flights, food built around wine, live music, food-and-wine pairings, community events, and a dog-friendly patio facing the McDowell Mountains. The publication said it seemed less like another giant Scottsdale concept and more like the kind of neighborhood place where the owners hope people become regulars.
Holiday Dates on the Same Stretch
The holiday season on this corridor starts November 20, and the dates run alongside the restaurant news.
- November 20 through December 24. Photos With Santa at The Quad at Scottsdale Quarter, 15191 N. Scottsdale Road. Reservations are encouraged, and walk-ups are welcome.
- November 20 through January 2, 2027. Christmas at the Princess at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, 7575 E. Princess Drive, with lights, skating and other seasonal attractions.
- November 28, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Scottsdale Quarter's free Annual Tree Lighting Event on The Quad.
- December 1. The planned grand opening event for Smashed Burgers & Cocktails at 14601 N. Scottsdale Road, a short drive south of The Quad.
Scottsdale Quarter, at 15279 N. Scottsdale Road, has its own new arrival this season. Its homepage lists Hill House Home as now open. Tree-lighting night puts the Quad, the Quiriego corner and the KUZA and Breakfast Table pair all within a few minutes' drive.
When a familiar space changes hands on your street, the new operator shapes how the neighborhood feels day to day. Following those changes is part of how we track North Scottsdale. If you'd like to talk through what this season's changes along Scottsdale Road could mean for your own plans, The Studebaker Group is glad to help. Schedule a personalized consultation.
