New downtown Chandler restaurant George & Gather to open this spring

While she was studying at Arizona State University, Amber Kovarik would bring a notebook with her to restaurants. She'd jot down thoughts and what she’d change if she had her own spot.

“I’ve had this idea on my heart for as long as I can remember,” she says.

Now, more than 20 years later, she and her husband Mike are opening an all-day restaurant and community spot in downtown Chandler. George & Gather will transform a former auto shop located on Washington Street near Frye Road. It's slated to make its debut on March 12. An opening celebration will be held on March 15, featuring one month of free organic drip coffee for the first 100 customers, complimentary pastries and live music.

This is the couple’s first foray into the restaurant business. Kovarik worked in the mortgage industry, while her husband focused on the supply side of food service. But, they decided to take the leap to provide something they feel is missing from the East Valley burg: a restaurant that showcases clean foods in a communal setting.

“I am basically building the dream restaurant that I would love to have,” Kovarik says. “(We’re) really focusing on making delicious, crave-worthy food with ingredients that you can trust. For me, that means as much local and organic as possible, no seed oils and non-GMO.”

While Kovarik says she’s always been into health and fitness, her mindset changed after losing her sister at 32 to cancer.

“I made a decision when that happened that I would be a better version of myself for her,” she says. “She’s inspiring a lot of this as well and I’m so passionate about people being able to put good food in their bodies to live their best and feel their best.”

'You know what's not in the food'

George & Gather will be open all day, offering a counter-service breakfast and full-service lunch and dinner. The Kovariks have partnered with Flagstaff chef Fiona Nicholson to consult on the menu.

“We’re a scratch kitchen, so everything is made in-house,” Kovarik says.

In the mornings, specialty coffee drinks and pastries crafted without refined sugar will be available. There will also be gluten-free, vegan, keto and paleo-friendly treats along with traditionally made options.

Breakfast dishes include gluten-free crepes served with honey-sweetened Greek yogurt, berries and almonds; carrot cake pancakes with whipped cream cheese frosting, pecan-oat granola and maple syrup; coconut milk chia seed pudding with lemon curd and blueberries; and English muffin breakfast sandwiches.
The lunch menu will center around organic salads and sandwiches. The Kale Salad mixes in Spanish flavors with manchego, Honeycrisp apple, oranges, smoked almonds, crumbled bacon and a manchego vinaigrette. Among sandwich selections is a Wagyu meatball sandwich with pomodoro sauce, provolone and Grana Pandano on house-baked bread.

During dinner, guests can choose from small plates, such as whipped goat cheese, followed by entrees and several pizzas made with the restaurant’s 130-year-old sourdough starter. Among those larger plates are braised short rib with cauliflower puree and a pesto chicken pizza with pesto, garlic confit, arugula and lemon oil.

“We want it to be unique,” Kovarik says of the pizza dough choice. “But there’s also the health benefits of sourdough.”

Drinks will include iced tea blends created for George & Gather by AZ Zen Tea, along with craft cocktails and mocktails. Kovarik wants to share the ethos for selecting ingredients.

“Part of my passion for this is in educating people,” she says.

But, she’s not calling George & Gather a health-food eatery either.

“It’s not all necessarily healthy stuff, but all of the ingredients are going to be quality. It’s all made from scratch and you know what’s not in the food,” she says.

A community gathering spot

Kovarik is just as passionate about the vibe as she is the food at her upcoming restaurant.

“You’re creating moments and memories and experiences for people,” she says. “I love creating experiences beyond what people expect to have.”

The reimagined space will have an airy, al fresco feel with a wall of glass sliders and a roll-up garage door to let in light and the breeze. Taking inspiration from “The Great Gatsby,” the restaurant will feature Art Deco-style decor.

The 80-person dining room will be open seating during breakfast to encourage people to grab a bite and work. The restaurant will shift to more formal dining service over lunch and dinner.

The space features a 36-seat patio with an indoor-outdoor bar and fireplace. The restaurant also includes two private dining spaces, one of which boasts a full kitchen. In that room, Kovarik hopes to host paired farm-to-table dinners that spotlight local growers.

“We want it to be a community gathering spot,” she says.

For those who can’t dine in, there will be a case with grab-and-go items, a wine wall with bottles for purchase and a selection of locally made goods.

As a long-time community member, Kovarik says she and her husband are excited to bring George & Gather to Chandler.

“This is my dream becoming a reality, and I have to pinch myself many days,” she says. “We have a lot of history and love for downtown Chandler so it’s exciting to be able to give back to it.”

George & Gather

Opens March 12
336 S. Washington St., Chandler