Following a series of raids by federal agents, Zipps Sports Grill has partially resumed operations, with its south Tempe location opening doors to the public again on Wednesday. According to a report by AZ Central, the establishment announced through social media that the restaurant, situated near McClintock Drive and Warner Road, would be back in business starting 11 a.m. that day.
The reopening comes in the wake of extensive search warrants being executed by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at 14 Zipps Sports Grill outlets across the Valley, a situation that also affected Goldie's Sports Cafe in Scottsdale. As reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, the warrants were served on Monday and were authorized "based on information presented to a federal judge," partaking in an investigation into alleged criminal violations of federal law.
This series of actions led to the apprehension of more than 35 undocumented immigrants, as stated by Homeland Security officials. The ongoing investigation aims to clearly address federal law violations that include the unlawful employment of aliens, identity theft, and document fraud. To thoroughly execute the warrants, HSI Arizona worked in collaboration with various law enforcement partners, such as the IRS-CI, ERO, US Marshals, and Border Patrol, according to the same source from FOX 10 Phoenix.
In response to the raids, Zipps has communicated its intent to cooperate with the ongoing law enforcement proceedings. "We are cooperating fully," affirmed the company in a statement released on Tuesday. The Tempe restaurant is currently the only known location to reopen, with Zipps promising to gradually restart operations at additional venues in the following days and aiming to keep customers updated on these developments through their Instagram account announcements.
