First there was The Whining Pig, a less than 500-square-foot beer and wine bar located on the northeast corner of Bethany Home Road and 16th Street in Phoenix. Then came The Pig's Meow, a second, larger spot located in Arcadia that opened last fall.
Now Greg Malkin, the former bankruptcy attorney behind both successful spots, is ready to expand again. Later this year, Malkin will open a third beer and wine bar, this time in Scottsdale.
See also: The Pig's Meow Beer & Wine Bar, From the Owner of the Whining Pig, Is Now Open in Arcadia
The third bar will be located at 6990 East Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale, just west of the intersection of Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard. At about 975 square feet, the next spot will be about the same size as The Pig's Meow.
Malkin hasn't settled on a name yet, but says he's considering The Great and Powerful Pig. He expects to open in mid-September.
According to Malkin, the new space is about the same width as the original Whining Pig, but twice as long. The bar will run the length of the space, and will be a full rectangular shape as opposed to the U-shaped designs found at The Whining Pig and The Pig's Meow.
The design means there won't be space for 20 taps like at his Arcadia bar. Instead he expects to offer about eight handles, though there will be more beer and wine than at The Pig's Meow. At the Scottsdale bar, Malkin will also add a reserve wine list.
The Scottsdale bar will have more food options than The Pig's Meow and The Whining Pig. In addition to the selection of grilled cheeses found at those spots, Malkin says he might add a menu of meatballs and sauces.
And of course, as at both existing bars, there will be games. Malkin says he hasn't decided yet if that will include vintage game systems like those found at The Pig's Meow.
The lawyer turned barman says he's not stopping with the Scottsdale bar. Malkin says he hopes to open between five to seven new "pigs" within the next year. Some of the neighborhoods he's hoping to find locations for the bars include Gilbert, Chandler, and the West side of town.
Malkin attributes much of the bars' success to the fact that bartenders at all of his bars are also part-owners.
For more information, check The Whining Pig Facebook.
