Scottsdale-based Concept Entertainment Group is set to expand its Thirsty Lion brand with a new two-story location positioned in the heart of Glendale's Westgate Entertainment District, a space that eclipses the size of its typical establishments; this follows the company's steady growth in Arizona and its larger national footprint, as reported by ABC15.
The new Thirsty Lion venue, sprawling over 12,000 square feet with an additional 2,000 square feet of outdoor patio, is under construction at the bustling intersection of W. Entertainment and Sunset Boulevard snugly nestled between Desert Diamond Arena and Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa, a development that is expectant to open in early October and projected to be the largest of its kind in the state, a notable scaling up from the company’s original restaurant prototype of around 6,000 square feet.
Billionaire Bob Parsons of YAM Properties, which owns the Westgate Entertainment District, played a pivotal role in this upscaling, urging Thirsty Lion CEO John Plew to conceptualize a grander establishment for the property; “I would love to do one here, but they're not cheap to build,” Plew expressed in consideration of Parsons' request, as noted by Phoenix Business Journal. Despite the challenge, a favorable lease agreement with YAM Properties has rendered the $8 million project viable and profitable for Plew's vision.
With an eye towards catering to the burgeoning crowds, whether for Cardinals games or concerts at the arena, the Westgate Thirsty Lion is specifically designed to accommodate a variety of gatherings including private events, thanks to its thoughtful architectural elements like an upstairs rooftop patio, a dedicated bar, and bathrooms—this is significant during peak attendance times when, for instance, the Cardinals play at home, not to mention the added flexibility of a private parking area dedicated for potential expansion of the restaurant's service capacity during high-traffic events.
Moreover, John Plew’s renewed interest in the West Valley's potential for business expansion has been buoyed by the unexpectedly high performance numbers of other restaurants in the vicinity, such as Yard House, and the injection of economic drivers like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) presence and the relative industrial growth, a stark contrast to his initial reluctance to invest in the area during the mid to late 2010s; evidently the region has proven ripe for ventures such as Thirsty Lion, signaling a likely trend of further expansion, mirroring the moves of other local culinary players like Fox Restaurant Concepts and Upward Projects, as detailed by the Phoenix Business Journal.
