The José Andrés Group operates the chef's 40 restaurants across the globe as well as his media company. Andrés is also the founder of World Central Kitchen, an organization that brings chef-prepared meals to people affected by natural disasters, war and humanitarian crises.
Bar Mar, a seafood-driven eatery, is the first of what will be 11 signature restaurants at the 60-acre, 1,100-room hotel and entertainment complex in Glendale next to State Farm Stadium. VAI and José Andrés Group announced their partnership Tuesday.
VAI Resort CEO Grant Fisher says a visit to Bar Mar in Chicago made a lasting impression.
“(I) didn’t really know much about José or what to expect. That 90-minute to two-hour experience blew me away,” he says, noting that as he finished his nightcap there, he set out to convince the team to open their first restaurant in Arizona. “It was a match at first sight.”
José Andrés Group CEO Sam Bakhshandehpour says although they’ve been approached to open restaurants in Arizona before, VAI was a fit because of their commitment to entertaining guests.
“What I loved was the energy and the vision these guys had,” Bakhshandehpour says. “Culinary excellence is the north star, but the reality is we want to have fun, we want to create memories.”
Bar Mar is a seafood-driven eatery whose menu includes raw items, conservas, shareable plates and larger bites. Mussels in escabeche, pictured, are served with sourdough.
José Andrés Group
The forthcoming restaurant from Andrés’ hospitality group will celebrate “the bounty of the sea,” according to the press announcement, promising an immersive dining experience and a menu featuring “modern takes on classics you know and love, festive cocktails and a vibrant design” from Lázaro Rosa Violán, who brought Bar Mar’s Chicago location to life.
While the menu has not been finalized for Bar Mar in Glendale, VAI’s vice president of food and beverage Ryan Littman says it will be akin to the Chicago restaurant. That menu features small plates, oysters, Andrés’ brand of conservas and larger bites, including lobster rolls and hanger steak.
Littman says the team will also work to infuse local flavors into Bar Mar’s offerings at VAI. The resort will boast 28 places where guests can get food or drinks, including those 11 signature restaurants, ranging in genre from Mexican and Italian, and steakhouses to quick-service spots. The through-line with every restaurant will be creating energized spaces with music, he says.
“We’re an entertainment resort. Fine dining in the traditional sense doesn’t really fit our model,” Littman says. “Bar Mar is a great fit. It’s unpretentious, it’s not stuffy service, it’s fun.”
In addition to this array of dining options, VAI Resort will also boast the Mattel Adventure Park, five acres of artificial beaches with temperature-controlled water, a nightclub, a 2,000-person concert venue and an 11,000-seat amphitheater.
But, eager diners won't be able to try Bar Mar just yet. The resort announced this summer that it was again facing delays. The hotel, concert venue and amphitheater are slated to open in late 2025, Fisher says. Other amenities at VAI will open in phases, he says, with Bar Mar anticipated to open in 2026.
VAI team members teased that Andrés is the first of a group of celebrity chefs anticipated to open restaurants at the resort. Whether Andrés’ group will open more than one restaurant remains to be seen, but “nothing’s off the table,” Littman says. Fisher says they aim to engage Andrés with special events at the resort.
The celebrity chef is one of several, including Richard Blais and Giada De Laurentiis, who are opening their first outposts in the metro Phoenix area. Fisher calls it a rising tide in the Valley for food and entertainment.
“Arizona’s the place to be,” he says.“There’s a lot of action happening right in our backyard.”
Bar Mar at VAI Resort
Anticipated to open in 20269601 Cardinals Way, Glendale
