Phoenix eatery CC’s on Central changes name and menu

After shaking up its menu, shifting hours and hosting a cajun breakfast pop-up, CC’s on Central has started a new chapter with a new name. The midtown restaurant will now focus on weekday lunch service, offering afternoon staples and daily featured dishes. To mark this shift, owner Sharon Cunningham has changed the name to Blue Plate Co.

“I think we’ve actually pivoted three times, probably even more,” Cunningham said. “It’s just trying to find our niche and staying true to who we are and making use of the space. So, it’s been a challenge.”

Cunningham opened the Southern-inspired restaurant on the main floor of an office tower on Central Avenue just south of Thomas Road in 2023 with her son, Devan. In that time, the Cunninghams’ stellar cooking drew acclaim, but that hasn’t always translated to more folks coming through the door.

In response to diners’ requests, the owners shifted hours later in 2025 to include dinner with a refreshed menu and cocktails. CC’s leaned into soulful Southern classics, including Sharon’s award-winning fried chicken. When the Cunninghams shared these updates with Phoenix New Times in May, they also shared the news that Devan had stepped away from the restaurant’s daily operations. In October, Cajun Breakfast Joint, a popular brunch concept from Rexford White, popped up at the space in the mornings for about three months, ending its residency in January.

Then, on Jan. 19, Sharon Cunningham debuted the new menu and name, Blue Plate Co.

“As much as people say they like Creole food, it really puts you in a box,” Sharon Cunningham said. “When you’ve got office people around, they don’t want heavy.”

What’s on the menu at Blue Plate Co.?

Cunningham surveyed surrounding lunch spots and decided to put together a new menu “that is a little bit of everything.” In addition to variety, keeping things affordable without skimping on quality mattered to the chef and owner. Blue Plate’s menu includes sandwiches, burgers, salads and soup as well as rotating specials.

“So far, it seems like it’s been received,” she said.

Blue Plate Co.’s everyday menu items include some of CC’s soulful staples, including jambalaya, red beans and rice, fried chicken and Cunningham’s chicken salad, served on a croissant with chips. Daily rotating specials have included chicken Caesar wraps, teriyaki bowls and Old Skool Sloppy Joes with tater tots. 

“It’s just trying to be fun and creative,” she said. “Those American familiar foods with the Sharon twist to it.”

Blue Plate Co. posts weekly menus on social media, or diners can browse the menu online. Cunningham notes that other fan favorites from CC’s, such as wings, will return as specials. The chef will also bring back her popular baked goods and cakes. 

The restaurant is also focusing on catering and using its space for private events or to host pop-ups.

“We’re just trying to tap into all the things to be relevant,” Cunningham said, “to keep our doors open, to be able to afford to pay our staff.”

Blue Plate Co.

Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday
2800 N. Central Ave., A100