The Churchill: A New Kind of Outdoor Food Space Coming in Spring 2018

A project under construction called The Churchill will be a new kind of food space. Although it will have multiple eateries, it won’t be a food hall. Although it will unite food establishments and retail shops, it won’t be quite like Barnone. It will be something else. The Churchill will be, in the words of co-founder Kell Duncan, “a community gathering place” for Phoenix.

That gathering place will consist of four restaurants, two bars, and four retail shops. Each will work out of a shipping container. Restaurant shipping containers will be just under 500 square feet. Retail spots will measure in at under 200.

“The idea is that there’s an 8,000-square-foot community space that will be shared by everyone,” Duncan says. “The small businesses will circle the common area.” At the common area, people will be able to eat and hang out.

The Churchill is slated to open in spring 2018. It takes its name from Evans Churchill, the ‘hood where the project will be. More specifically, it’ll be on the northeast corner of First and Garfield streets.


The community aspect is serious. Tenants of The Churchill “pay,” as part of their rent, four hours of community service a month. Not all tenants have been made public, but there will be a smoothie and acai bowl concept, a bar called Pobrecito from Barter & Shake (of Counter Intuitive and UnderTow), and the first brick-and-mortar location of mobile pie slinger Freak Brothers Pizza.

“I love the community aspect of the space,” says Nathan Coury, co-owner of Freak Brothers. “For us, it’s super-important — the kinds of events we go to and the vibes of those events. This space seemed perfect.”

Freak Brothers does quasi-Neapolitan-style pizza with a 1,000-degree oven that can crisp pies in 90 seconds. It has experience making pies in a tight space, and that experience will be needed when operating in a shipping container. At The Churchill, Freak Brothers will be serving unique pies such as Sriracha chicken and Pesto Madness (pesto, cherry tomatoes, and banana peppers).

Freak Brothers will aim to do collaborations inspired by community members. This kind of project seems to be right in the spirit the innovative undertaking hopes to encourage.

The full list of Freak Brothers’ future neighbors will be released soon.