A.R. Mays Construction is nearing completion on the Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria in Scottsdale. See article below:
From the Phoenix Business Journal
The much anticipated Scottsdale location of Chicago-based Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, known for its deep-dish pizza, is nearing completion at the corner of Scottsdale Road and Chauncey Lane.
The 10,000-square-foot, newly constructed, full-service restaurant, full bar, carryout and delivery is set to open in September. It will be the company’s largest Arizona project to date. The company declined to say how much it was investing in the location.
Malnati’s is building on the success of its first Arizona restaurant that opened with lines around the block at Uptown Plaza at Central Avenue and Camelback Road in Phoenix during May 2016.
In September 2017, the company opened a carryout and delivery location in the Arcadia area of Phoenix at the southeast corner of Indian School and 56th Street.
Currently in north Scottsdale, workers are completing infrastructure and carpentry of the restaurant’s unique design, boasting huge garage doors.
Amidst the bustling of the construction activity, Sasha Milosavljevich, Malnati’s director of facilities and real estate, points out the venue’s distinctive highlights.
“There will be two spacious outdoor patio areas with seating for 120 people and the most advanced, state-of-the-art misting system,” Milosavljevich said.
Inspired by the Scottsdale desert ambiance, the inside entrance will feature six-foot petrified palm trees. Vintage posters of Chicago and its landmarks will embrace Malnati’s heritage and large percentage of its Chicago transplant customer base.
In the patio area, for example, the cedar plank ceilings complement the dining ambiance and vintage-inspired design.
“The large garage doors give an outside feel to the inside,” notes Milosavljevich.
Another difference in the Scottsdale location compared with other Malnati locations will be private dining rooms.
“We are very excited about the separate area for private parties,” Milosavljevich said of the section where another garage door will be constructed inside. “And we will take reservations for private parties in that private section.”
The seven double-stack pizza ovens and walk-in coolers are installed, and the special water filtration system — vital to making the dough from scratch — is almost complete.
Malnati’s Arizona District Manager Mike Sterner emphasizes Malnati’s pride that its dough is prepared fresh, on site.
“We work very hard at getting the water and the dough right so Arizona pizza lovers will have the same Chicago pizza experience,” he said.
Sterner adds the Scottsdale site will offer the same menu and employ an additional 185 to 200 people.
Owner Marc Malnati is committed to growing the Lou Malnati’s family since they opened in Phoenix.
“We’re eager to employ people that have a commitment to teamwork, customer service, and desire to grow within the company,” he said. “Our employee retention is a testament to a commitment to creating a relationship-focused culture from the inside out.”
The Scottsdale restaurant, designed along with Knauer Inc., a Chicago architecture firm, is leased from Phoenix-based LGE Design Build, which is developing the adjacent residential and mixed-use office and retail projects.
The Scottsdale location will be Malnati’s second-largest restaurant nationally, just behind its larger flagship restaurant in Chicago’s famous Gold Coast.
The Scottsdale restaurant marks the company’s 56th venue nationally since 1971, when Lou Malnati and his wife Jean opened the first restaurant in the Chicago suburb of Lincolnwood, Illinois.