With its Italian pastas, pizzas and cocktails, the Arizona-born chain is looking to set a new tone for food in Tempe, one that meets the demands of the area's rapidly growing demographic of professional residents. North is part of the Fox Restaurant Concepts empire and the company determined the area currently lacks a place for people to take clients and business partners.
"There's definitely a need in that area for full-service upscale dining," says regional manager Antonia Wagner. "We're right next to Mill (Avenue), and all the other restaurants in that area are much more fast-paced, sports bar, not so much focused on the quality of food but more the experience. So we want to not only bring the experience but also the food to that area."
But that's not to say going to North on game day is necessarily off the table. The new restaurant's bar will be nearly twice the size of that at any other North location, with 44 seats and surrounding indoor and outdoor high-tops.
The menu changes seasonally, and guests can initially expect Trottole Chicken Pesto pasta, spicy meatball pizza, and new strombolis: the Hot Italian and vegetarian Giardino. The drink menu features cocktails such as as the Iwai Japanese whisky-based Marco Polo and zero-proof options including the black cherry Limonata Rossa.
"In talking with ASU, they mentioned that they want more 'adult restaurants,'" Wagner says, "and I think we're definitely considered an adult restaurant. Everything else is more catered to the students... We also want to make sure that we're taking care of all the faculty and administrative (staff)."
Additionally, the spot fills the gap in North restaurants between its Arcadia and Gilbert locations.
This will be North's 43rd location nationally and its sixth in Arizona. Despite the expansion, North considers itself an Arizona brand, even down to the name. It's called North because, in 2002, proprietor Sam Fox came up from Tucson to Scottsdale "to see if he could make it big." He opened his restaurant in Kierland Commons and named it North "because it's north of Tucson, not necessarily because it's Northern Italian food — we serve food from all regions of Italy," Wagner says.
North later opened in Tucson, but has now expanded out to as far as Florida, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Its newest location, making it debut soon, is a little closer to home.
North Italia
697 S. Novus Place, TempeOpening Feb. 5
