Valley seafood staple to open restaurant in downtown Phoenix

A Valley seafood staple is casting a wider net with a new downtown Phoenix restaurant. Chula Seafood plans to open a fourth outpost at the Arizona Center next year.

Chula Seafood made its debut a decade ago, on the promise of providing ultra-fresh fish in the desert. Its owners have made good on that thanks to their boat, which fishes off the Pacific Coast. Since 2015, Chula has grown to three locations in Phoenix and Scottsdale. In March, Yelp named the restaurant the best place for seafood in the state. 

Chula’s downtown restaurant, bar and seafood market is anticipated to open in the second quarter of 2026.

It joins an influx of new local eateries coming to the shopping, entertainment and office complex located near Third and Van Buren streets. That charge is being led by Pretty Decent Concepts, which will open three concepts there, including a steakhouse and a hidden cocktail lounge, Cleaverman and Filthy Martini Bar, on Nov. 21. 

Mandy Helfin runs Chula’s restaurants with her husband Jon and their business partner  Hogan Jamison. They were intrigued by the area, a spot where more housing is being built and Arizona State University is growing its footprint.

“The Arizona Center, we really love that they’re trying to revive down there and bring it back,” Heflin says. “We’re excited to be part of that revamp.”

Downtown will serve more than seafood

Like at Chula’s other locations, downtown customers will be able to browse seafood cases for a filet or shellfish to cook at home, or they can have the restaurant’s chefs take care of the cooking. Chula’s menu features seafood in poke bowls, tacos and sandwiches. We are partial to the flavorful Southwestern rendition of a classic tuna melt stuffed with green chiles and Oaxacan cheese and served with a side of chimichurri.

The Arizona Center’s food menu will feature classic Chula dishes, but the team also plans to shake things up. While the downtown menu is still in the works, Helfin teases “Chula land food instead of Chula Seafood.”

“We definitely will keep core items, but part of what we do is listening to the customers and those around us and evolving,” she adds. “It’ll be a new, exciting shift in who we are, but we’ll still obviously be focused on being fresh fish in the desert.”

The owners are also working on a fresh look for the downtown space. The restaurant is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, and the team is getting inspired by that fish tank feel. In addition to the dining room, Chula will feature a bar and patio.

In the midst of opening this new location, Helfin teases that Chula Seafood is poised for even more growth.

“We hear you East Valley, loud and clear, we hear you West Valley. We’re always looking,” she says. “Through our restaurants, we develop special relationships with our customers, and we’re looking forward to doing that in more locations around Arizona.”

Chula Seafood

Opening in 2026
455 N. Third St., #1180