Charcuterie and community: How Mingle + Graze became a Chandler staple

For some, entrepreneurship is a leap on a lightbulb idea, and for others, it’s a calculated decision. Opening Mingle + Graze in January of 2019, nestled in downtown Chandler, was always part of the plan for Mahfam Moeeni-Alarcon and husband Cristobal Alarcon, even if the vision for it wasn’t abundantly clear from the beginning.

The duo met in the hospitality industry as banquet cooks for the Arizona Biltmore Resort. Both had gone to culinary school and set sights on opening a restaurant together after they wed. To prepare for the adventure, they consciously continued to collect experiences that would aid their future success, working in various roles to gain knowledge and expertise. Mahfam worked as a wine and craft beer buyer and cheese specialist at Whole Foods Market, while Cristobal held management positions at La Grande Orange, Postino WineCafe and Barrio Queen.

In 2015, Mahfam began selling marinated olives to test the early concept of what would become Mingle + Graze.

“I wanted to get my feet wet as a business owner. (Starting) very small, obviously,” she said. “From there, if I didn’t sell out of my olives at the farmer's market, I would take what I had left afterwards and I would drop off samples to local bars and resorts just to get my product out there.”

Her business soon expanded to include pickles, soups and other elevated bar snacks. Then, a favor for a friend in 2017 provided the sign Mahfam had been looking for.

“A friend of my in-laws asked if I could help with her daughter's wedding, and they're from Wisconsin. This is way before the cheese board craze, grazing tables and everything," Mahfam recalled. "She said ‘I'm going to have some cocktail rounds during happy hour for 100 people. Can you just make some cheese boards and put them on the different cocktail rounds?’”

Mahfam and Cristobal began brainstorming, using New Zealand and Australia as inspiration, where grazing tables had already grown in popularity.

“It was a huge hit, everybody loved it,” Mahfam said. “She wanted cheese boards because the family was visiting from Wisconsin, and Wisconsin is a big cheese state. Then I posted photos on social media because everybody knew me for doing pickles, olives and soups.”

Soon, other friends began reaching out for their events. She began booking wine parties and private gatherings, working from a shared commercial kitchen, and filling her calendar sufficiently to quit her full-time job and go all in on the charcuterie craze.

“It was really hard to quit," she said of her job at Whole Foods. “But this was our sign. It's time for us to open up our business.”

Diving into a dream

The couple, Chandler residents for the last 15 years, found the perfect space downtown in their home city. Originally seeking a private kitchen for their new catering company, rather than a storefront, they were asked to pivot given the public-facing nature of the new space.

“The landlord explained, ‘You need to keep your doors open since this is a historic downtown area. You can't just run a catering company,'” Mahfam said. “And I didn't want to lose the location."

While it wasn't originally part of the plan, the duo set out to open a restaurant. These days, Mingle and Graze has an abundance of sandwiches, soups, snacks and boards available to eat on-site or take to-go. This spring, they began offering dinner service in their 26-seat dining room with a seasonal menu that includes delectable choices like steak frites, braised lamb and a grilled cheese flight.

Many ingredients are sourced locally, including breads from Arizona Bread Co. and vegan and allergy-conscious options are available. There are many gluten-free options and a hummus board for dairy-free consumers.

As far as libations go, all of the beer options are brewed in the Valley or in Northern Arizona, the gin for their premium small-batch cocktails is sourced from Sedona and wines are from small family vineyards. To take their boutique wine and spirit selection further, the entrepreneurs opened Spin the Bottle in 2023, just a few doors down from their first brick-and-mortar.

Boards that started it all

Sticking to the original business plan, grazing tables and charcuterie boards are still available for gatherings and holiday parties. Curated boards are thoughtfully designed to fit the festivities, like cheeses and sage flavors that pair well with Thanksgiving turkey.

Holiday boards feature peppermints, and the New Year’s Eve-themed board is designed to enjoy with Champagne. All boards include charcuterie meats, fruit, spiced nuts, marinated olives, sweet treats and crackers from Chandler-based Urban Oven. Vegetarian boards are available with no meat and extra cheese, as well as gluten-free options. Ordering in advance is recommended to guarantee availability.

Mahfam serves on the Chandler Arts Commission, is President of the Chandler Sister Cities program and has two kids going to school in the city. Being a resident local business owner, and Arizona native, originally from Tucson, Mahfam finds great joy in expanding her network through their small businesses.

“Being part of the community (is the best part), hands down. We've created an extended family with our regulars and our customers and love meeting new people,” Mahfam said. “Everything we've done has been word of mouth, we have not spent a single penny on advertising just because we're a small business, so our budget is very slim with that. We really rely on our great customer service and just welcoming everybody. Everybody is welcome at Mingle + Graze. So being a part of the community is what makes it really endearing.”

With a commitment to quality, local sourcing and fostering community, Mingle + Graze has become more than a restaurant — it’s a cherished part of downtown Chandler’s evolving story.

Mingle + Graze

48 S. San Marcos Place, Chandler