Carly’s Bistro owner reflects on restaurant's legacy, looks to the future

Sitting on the shaded patio of Carly’s Bistro on a sunny afternoon, Carla Wade Logan says she has no regrets in the nearly 20 years she and her husband John Logan have run their pioneering Roosevelt Row restaurant.

“I have to say, my heart is full. For us, here, things have come full circle,” Wade Logan says.

The eatery will serve its last plates and drinks on May 3. Wade Logan says she and John want to focus more on their family and are ready to move on to other endeavors. But, they’ll stay closely connected to the area and the arts.

“We feel really proud of what we’ve accomplished here and our contribution to the neighborhood in that we’ve really helped create a community space,” Wade Logan says. “We’re just ready for the next chapter.”

‘We wanted to contribute’

When Carly’s first opened on the northwest corner of Second and Roosevelt streets in 2005, the area was a mix of residences, art galleries and vacant lots and buildings.

“An architect once described it as an area with so many missing teeth,” says Cindy Dach, co-founder of Roosevelt Row’s contemporary art gallery Eye Lounge and MADE Art Boutique – which opened in 2001 and 2005 respectively. “There was just a lot of vacancy, a lot of space between us, and people were nervous to come downtown.”

The Logans were both drawn to the area because of the arts and music scene that was emerging. Wade Logan was living in the Garfield neighborhood, working at the now-shuttered cocktail lounge Chez Nous and hanging out in the area for First Friday artwalk events. She then met her future husband, who was part of the art collective Thought Crime, which resided on Central Avenue near Roosevelt Street.

What was needed, Wade Logan says, was more restaurants.

“There weren’t a lot of establishments that were open on a daily basis,” she says. “We wanted to contribute.”

As the couple considered what they could offer, they combined their love of food and the arts and Carly’s Bistro was born.

“We wanted to create an environment where we could encompass all of that,” she says.

Longtime neighbors say the Mediterranean-leaning restaurant and bar served more than a healthy, satisfying meal. While many say they’ll miss the salads, Feta Rosa dip and the cocktails, among other items, Dach says she’s also sad to lose a place that nourished the community, too.

“It was essential. It was where creativity got sparked,” the Roosevelt Row Community Development Corp. board member adds.

Carly’s was a place Dach says she could meet with city or business leaders over a plate of hummus or run into a friend at the bar. Wade Logan says the restaurant has played host to “all the different emotions of life,” from first dates to breakups, baby showers to wakes.

“I think that’s the thing that I’m going to miss the most is the connectivity to the community on a daily level,” Wade Logan says. “When you’re truly part of the community, people experience their life events here, too.”

Musician Mike Montoya lived near Carly’s when it opened. He visited for the food and as a performer with his band Fatigo.

He called Carly’s a “hub” for food, art and music and noted the generosity of the owners.

“It seemed like every way they could, they provided a place for artists to express themselves,” he says.

Dach says she saw the Wade Logans show up time and again as community advocates – from providing space and food for conversations to lending their voices on the future of the neighborhood.

“It was always, ‘How can I help?’” Dach says. “They’re not armchair community activists, they’re community activists.”

Kimber Lanning, founder of the gallery Modified Arts and CEO of Local First Arizona, says Wade Logan’s voice was critical during discussions about Federales. The proposed taco and tequila spot sparked controversy in the neighborhood and has lost two appeals to move the project forward.

“She’s got 20 years of experience that you can’t just replace,” Lanning says, noting the importance of Wade Logan's knowledge as a longtime business owner in the area.

Staying connected to Roosevelt and the arts

Although the restaurant and community gathering space will no longer bear Wade Logan’s name above its blue awnings, she and John aren’t going far.

The couple own the building, which Wade Logan has dubbed the Carly’s Historic Building. And later this fall, the duo plan to open a gallery and sound incubator next door to their former restaurant.

The new concept is a return to their roots – Carla has a degree in art history and was working in art therapy before shifting to the culinary world. John is a longtime musician in bands such as the MadCaPs. The gallery and incubator will allow them to continue to carve out room for the arts.

“Musicians and artists that we’ve supported over the years can still have connectivity to the space and a presence on Roosevelt,” Wade Logan says.

What's next for Carly's?

When it comes to the restaurant space, there are big shoes to fill. And with the Logans as the landlords, they've had a hand in selecting the incoming concept. A partner from Old Town Scottsdale’s Scapegoat Beer & Wine is set to take over Carly’s after it closes.

“We’re really excited about having them in,” Wade Logan says. “They want to focus on customer service and being a neighborhood establishment that knows the neighbors, so when we were looking for people to come into the space we thought that would be a great fit.”

The new restaurant and bar, called Industry Standard, is anticipated to open this fall.

Operating partner Michael Cheathem calls the Logans “literal legends.” With Industry Standard, he says he's looking forward to continuing Carly’s legacy of craft food and drinks, community and hosting live music.

“We’re doing it out of love the same way that (Carla’s) done,” he says. “We just want to keep that same energy going.”

Saying goodbye to Carly’s Bistro

In the weeks before it closes, Carly’s won’t be going out quietly.

The team has hung the artwork for its last exhibition around the restaurant, featuring an array of artists whose work has been featured over the years. Musicians have packed out the calendar with performances. Carly’s last night of service coincides with the May First Friday artwalk.

Part of the reason that Wade Logan says she has no regrets is because the the sendoff gives them time to tie up loose ends and toast the people who came through Carly's. The restaurant will play host to a number of old friends and put on events the Logans had always dreamed of.

One of those is a tribute concert to Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl – the Bisbee-based folk-Americana duo who regularly played at Carly’s. The pair, Amy and Derrick Ross, died in 2013. The tribute show will feature Montoya’s band Fatigo, Lonna Kelley, Robin Vining and Revizor, along with other special guests, who will cover the pair’s works – largely from their last album “Children of Fortune,” Montoya says.

“The fact that people still want to do something for them means so much to me,” says Montoya, whose band played with the duo around Roosevelt Row.

Montoya commends the Logans for closing on their terms.

“It’s bittersweet but I’m stoked to be a part of it,” he says.

Passing the baton

Wade Logan says there's a notable shift happening both in the greater restaurant industry and around downtown Phoenix. Bar and music space The Lost Leaf closed in June 2023 after 17 years. Fellow stalwart Barrio Cafe has also announced it will close.

“It’s the evolution of things,” Wade Logan says.

But, as she considers newcomers on the block – from the fast-casual Lovebite Dumplings to the forthcoming Industry Standard – the longtime restaurateur says she’s ready to pass the baton.

“Let’s see what the next generation can do,” she says. “I'm excited to see what the new restaurants and the new concepts are going to be able to bring, something fresh to the neighborhood.”

The Logans continued connection to Roosevelt Row will make that possible, Dach says.

“They’re not only leaving a legacy but they’re leaving a foundation for so many other small businesses. In many ways they’re allowing the next Carly and John to come in and do what they did,” she says.

True to form, Lanning says she and Wade Logan are already discussing how the restaurateur may be able to help mentor future business owners.

“She always lends a hand,” Lanning says. “That’s their first go-to is helping out, and that’s irreplaceable.”

Carly's Bistro

Closes May 3
128 E. Roosevelt St.