The Orchard: Luci's Healthy Marketplace Owners to Open Restaurant and Second Market in North Phoenix

In the upcoming months, Lucia and Ken Schnitzer, owners of Luci's Healthy Marketplace, and partner Jerry Mansoor will open The Orchard, a restaurant, market, and event venue at 7100 North 12th Street in North Phoenix. The project includes two re-purposed buildings and a shared lawn. One building will house Pomelo, a restaurant, and the other will house Luci's at The Orchard, a marketplace and coffee/juice/wine bar similar to the couple's other business.  

The couple is working on The Orchard with Jon Kitchell and Lorenzo Perez of Venue Projects, the same folks behind Upward Projects' Windsor restaurant. 

Pomelo will take over a 1920s adobe home that overlooked an orchard that once sat on the property. The approximately 125-seat restaurant will include a front porch, bar, lounge, patio, and private dining room in the basement, in addition to the main dining space. The couple is still nailing down the details of the menu but says you can expect American cuisine and a few dishes and a cocktail that utilize the citrus fruit for which the restaurant's named.

"We want it to be affordable," she says. "A place where you can come a few times a week." 

Across an open lawn and inside a converted 1940s ranch home, you'll find Luci's at The Orchard. The "European-style market" will offer grocery staples, Schnitzer says, including items like eggs, butter, and bread but will mostly focus on specialty food items like interesting crackers, cheeses, and wines. Schnitzer says it will be a destination to pick up food to bring to a party and maybe an interesting hostess gift. Like Luci's Healthy Marketplace, the new market will offer unique gift items, though Schnitzer says the merchandise at Luci's at the Orchard will be completely different from what you'll find at Luci's Healthy Marketplace. 

In addition to the market, Luci's at the Orchard will also serve as a grab-and-go option for diners. The market will include a coffee bar, a juice bar, and a wine bar, as well as an ice cream shop called Splurge. Diners and drinkers will be able to pick up growlers of beer, pop in for a coffee and freshly made pastries, or grab a cheese board and a bottle of wine to enjoy on the lawn. 

Schnitzer says she also hopes to host special events like wine tastings, community gathering dinners, and possible even an urban farmers market on the lawn separating the two buildings. There will be ample outdoor seating, a splash pad, and a bike valet on weekends. 

"We really wanted to keep the community in mind," she says. "We wanted to create a place where families can gather, even couples on date night." 

Pomelo will be open for lunch and dinner in addition to brunch on weekends, and the market will be open from about 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Schnitzer says they hope to open Pomelo in mid-January, with Luci's at The Orchard expected to open in February. 

For more information check The Orchard Facebook page. 

Editor's Note: This post has been changed from its original version.