Valley couple and top Phoenix chef team up to open dual-concept eatery

Over the past few years, Katie Schnurr and her husband, Stephen Roach, have watched the influx of massive, splashy, spendy restaurants backed by heavy-hitting restaurateurs in Old Town Scottsdale. The quaint streets of the Valley hotspot were also where Roach had a showroom for his custom cabinetry business.

One day, the couple were sipping old fashioneds in the basement of their historic Phoenix home, a rarity in the Valley that they had turned into their own personal speakeasy. Chatting over their drinks, the duo decided the area needs more everyday neighborhood joints. Now, they’re opening one in Roach’s former showroom. 

Ari & Lloyd, an American bistro and cocktail lounge, is set to open at the corner of Stetson Drive and Sixth Avenue this summer.

“We’re missing that intimate, mom and pop, small, cozy East Coast-vibe space,” Schnurr says, noting that the twee restaurant will take cues from compact but comfortable New York City eateries.

Schnurr most recently led sales for a liquor distributor but came up through the hospitality industry, including working as a tequila sommelier, or as she calls it, “tequila goddess,” at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. Working at a well-regarded luxury resort shaped Schnurr’s perspective on hospitality. While pouring spirits at La Hacienda and later immersing herself in concepts around the Valley as a salesperson, she couldn’t help but consider, “What if I had a restaurant?”

“Now I get to really put that thought into action,” she says.

What to expect at Ari & Lloyd

The restaurant is named after the owners’ dogs. Inside, the space splits into two distinct areas, each with about 25 seats. Diners will order lunch or dinner in The Ari, an homage to their cockapoo. Those in search of a top-shelf tipple and snacks will head to The Lloyd, the “speakeasy zone” named for their pit bull-mix rescue pup.

“That’s going to be more craft cocktail-oriented, light bites, cool vibes,” Schnurr says.

To build out the menu, she and Roach have brought in chef Devan Cunningham, a private chef and the co-founder of CC’s on Central. Since Cunningham departed the acclaimed Southern restaurant, he’s consulted on kitchens and menus around Arizona, including Pour Therapy in Casa Grande.

To get some ideas of what he could do at Ari & Lloyd, Schnurr asked Cunningham to cater a birthday party for her mother-in-law, who became a fan of the chef during his turn on season 2 of the Food Network show “Ciao House.”

“He’s a mastermind,” Schnurr says. “We’re just beyond thrilled to have Devan help us curate everything.”

Cunningham is crafting the menu around “real, approachable, good food,” he says. “We want to make something where you could come every week.”

The menus are still in development, but Schnurr and Cunningham offered some teasers. Tapas-style appetizers will include charcuterie, chips and onion dip, olives, shrimp cocktail, crudo and oysters.

Larger plates will include salads and sandwiches or entrees of chicken or steak. Roach’s favorite burger, inspired by New York’s shuttered Bar Sardine — topped with smoked cheddar, crispy potatoes and a barbecue mayo — is also coming to the menu, Schnurr says. 

After the initial opening, the restaurant will add brunch service, Schnurr says. Overall, they are “striving” for a seed oil-free kitchen. 

At The Lloyd, classic cocktails, with subtle twists, such as a fig old fashioned or a guava Negroni, will make up the drinks list. Other staple sips, such as espresso martinis, wines by the glass or bottle and a handful of draft beers, will round out the bar. 

An ‘adventure’ building a restaurant 

Retrofitting the former showroom into a restaurant hasn’t been easy, Schnurr says, calling it a “whole different ballgame” from taking over a turn-key restaurant. 

For Schnurr and her husband, that has meant navigating the installation of grease traps, a large exhaust hood and making other adjustments to the building. Having a partner who can build out the space helps.

“It’s been a learning adventure for sure. I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Schnurr says. “It’s definitely had some crazy plot twists.”

In addition to the important yet often unseen parts of the restaurant, the couple will layer details to make diners feel at home. They’re aiming for a cozy, neutral aesthetic, with plenty of unique touches, including portraits of the couple’s dogs hung on the walls and bag hooks at the bar.

“I love going into restaurants where my eye is constantly being fed,” Schnurr says. “The whole experience is just curated.”

The owners want Ari & Lloyd to be a casual, come-as-you-are spot. But they intend for the food and service to go beyond the everyday, Schnurr says. For her, that means “an honest, genuine experience with people who genuinely love hospitality – and bringing that culture back.”

Ari & Lloyd

Opens this summer
7107 E. Sixth Ave., Scottsdale