A new coastal Mexican restaurant and bar called Carmen opened this week on the southwest corner of Mill Avenue and Sixth Street in downtown Tempe, bringing tiki huts, bamboo accents and tropical plants to a stretch of the street that's been reshuffling its lineup of restaurants and bars. The concept comes from veteran restaurateur Julian Wright, who's built a reputation around town with other spots before turning this corner into his latest project.
Carmen quietly opened its doors on Thursday night, according to Mouth by Southwest, which reported the restaurant finally opened on the southwest corner of Mill Avenue and Sixth Street in downtown Tempe. Wright is also the force behind Pedal Haus and Devil's Hideaway & Idle Hands, giving him a well-established footprint in the Valley's bar and restaurant scene before taking on this coastal-themed concept.
A Name Pulled Straight From the Riviera Maya
The name isn't random. Carmen is named for Playa del Carmen, one of Julian's favorite destinations, per the same outlet's reporting, and that beach-town influence shows up throughout the space. The restaurant's menu centers on Asian-fusion tacos and small plates with seafood or meat, paired with a drink program built around agave spirits and cocktails.
The physical space leans hard into the coastal fantasy, with open-air dining and bar areas designed to feel like an escape from a typical Tempe night out. The build-out includes two large patios and two outdoor bars, giving guests plenty of room to spread out between the tiki huts and tropical landscaping that define the look inside and out.
Replacing a Tenant Wright Knew Well
Carmen isn't a stranger to this particular building. The restaurant replaced Anoche Cantina at the location, but Wright's history there goes back even further — he previously ran Canteen Modern Tequila Bar in the same building for three years before that concept gave way to its successors. That track record on the same corner suggests Wright had a clear sense of what could work there before Carmen ever broke ground.
As for when exactly guests can show up, the picture is a little muddled. The opening-day report states plainly that Carmen's hours have not been announced yet, while a separate business listing on the Downtown Tempe website describes the restaurant as open for lunch, happy hour, and late night. Neither source resolves the discrepancy, so specific daily hours remain unconfirmed for now.
Part of a Bigger Shift on Mill Avenue
Carmen's debut lands amid a broader wave of new business activity along the corridor. With the city's $40 million downtown refresh project complete, several businesses have taken their pick of vacant spaces, according to The Arizona State Press. That same report pointed to other new arrivals ranging from Trophy Tempe and Level 1 Arcade Bar to restaurants and dessert spots like Goat & Ram, Jeni's Ice Creams and Culinary Gangster.
That building boom is unfolding alongside a notable shift in how much people are actually drinking. A 2025 Gallup survey found that 54% of U.S. adults reported that they consume alcohol, marking a 4% decrease from the previous year, as reported by Cronkite News. The same survey found an even steeper drop among younger drinkers: only 50% of young adults between the ages of 18-34 reported actively drinking in 2025, nine points less than in 2023, per the state press's reporting on the trend.
Wright himself has spoken to that shift. In comments to Cronkite News, he said bar owners are adapting by making their physical spaces more appealing — a strategy that tracks with Carmen's heavy investment in patios, tiki-bar aesthetics and an overall experience built to draw people in even if fewer of them are ordering drinks all night. Whether that bet pays off on Mill Avenue's increasingly crowded restaurant row is something only time, and foot traffic, will tell.
