Five restaurants, including some first-to-the-market concepts, have signed leases at Novus Place, the new main street entertainment district in the latest phase of the 355-acre Novus Innovation Corridor adjacent to Arizona State University’s Tempe campus.
Among them are Blue Sushi Sake Grill, Eureka!, Over Easy, The Alley and Nautical Bowls.
Flagship Restaurant Group’s Blue Sushi Sake Grill will occupy 6,021 square feet. The restaurant entered the dining scene in 2002 and now has locations nationwide, including in Denver, Chicago and Nashville. Blue Sushi Sake Grill is the largest sushi group running a sustainably sourced seafood program in partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch and also offers one of the broadest menus of vegan sushi in the country.
New to the market is California-based Eureka! Spread over 4,290 square feet, Eureka! will feature a scratch kitchen and exceptional hospitality, creating a one-of-a-kind dining experience with gourmet burgers, great food and creative drinks, including local craft beers, small-batch whiskeys and craft cocktails. The restaurant will have an al fresco patio with a water feature, indoor-outdoor bar, live music stage, and whiskey club lockers for their coveted Whiskey Club program.
Over Easy, the uber-popular local restaurant known for creating energized takes on classic breakfast staples with a focus on creating sharable moments, is also part of the new lineup of retailers. The 3,154-square-foot restaurant will include a spacious outdoor patio. The Novus location will expand Over Easy’s footprint to 14 locations in the Valley and Flagstaff.
Tea purveyor The Alley will make its Arizona debut with signature milk teas and fruit-infused drinks served in an aesthetically pleasing environment to create an unforgettable experience. The trendsetting brand, with more than 400 stores worldwide, will occupy 1,738 square feet.
Rounding out the list will be Minnesota-based Nautical Bowls offering delicious and nutritious acai and superfood bowls which are gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, soy-free, contain zero refined sugars, and are made with organic, all-natural ingredients. They are packed with essential vitamins and nutrients to fuel your life. In its 1,211-square-foot fun and energetic space, the Novus Place location will expand the footprint beyond the Arizona debut location in Scottsdale.
“These concepts will appeal to a variety of palates, and together, they will add to the energy that will be distinctly Novus Place,” said Charley Freericks, senior vice president of Catellus Development Corp.
The new retailers will join Fox Restaurant Concepts, which will serve as the anchor tenant of Novus Place with three concepts – Flower Child, Blanco Cocina + Cantina, and North Italia.
Novus Place will ultimately span 275,000 square feet of shopping, dining and entertainment options, and serve as the central gathering place for residents and visitors who want to stroll along shaded walkways, explore on paved bike paths and people-watch at the community’s urban parks and pedestrian promenades.
This central hub will be part of Novus Innovation Corridor’s vision to create a walkable, sustainable neighborhood destined to become a model for modern urban cities. As one of seven ASU Innovation Zones, Novus will empower businesses of all sizes to grow and scale at an impressive speed while contributing a projected $1.86 billion annually to the local economy.
“These five new restaurants will add to the vibrant entertainment destination Novus Place is becoming to the benefit of the Tempe and Valley communities,” said Morgan R. Olsen, ASU’s executive vice president, treasurer and CFO. “Novus’ location in downtown Tempe on the ASU Tempe campus provides access to extensive educational resources, broad research activities and exciting entertainment venues like Sun Devil Stadium, Desert Financial Credit Union Arena, Mullett Arena and Tempe Town Lake. This is a true live/work/play opportunity that will be greatly attractive to today’s professionals.”
Novus is a public/private partnership between ASU and Catellus Development Corporation. Upon completion, Novus will also encompass 6.5 million square feet of premium Class A office space, hospitality assets and 4,100 residences.