“The overall vibe is a place that you can trust to bring your first date, your hundredth date, your family — we just want to make sure we do the small things right,” says Steve Ellefson, part-owner of The Eleanor. “We’re flexible, we’re here for the neighborhood."
Ellefson brings knowledge of running welcoming, community-focused spaces from his role as part-owner and director of operations at Fate Brewing Co.
In contrast to many of Scottsdale’s popular party brunch spots, The Eleanor, located at Hayden and Osborn roads, is intended to be more intimate and family-focused — giving the community a clean, comfortable dining option compared to the overly loud, club-like brunch scene typically found in the area.
“We are family-oriented people that want to care as much about your family as we do about ours,” Ellefson says.
After being introduced to one another through a mutual friend in March 2022, Steve Ellefson and Kent Macaulay are excited to work together at Scottsdale's newest brunch spot, The Eleanor.
Nikki Michelle Charnstrom
A unique spin on homemade recipes
With convenience and accessibility in mind, The Eleanor team designed its food and drink menu for two types of customers: those who crave a sit-down meal and those who need something quick when they’re on the go. Head chef and partner Kent Macaulay hopes the restaurant will become an integral part of the community’s daily routines, whether that means grabbing a coffee and breakfast burrito on the way to work or picking up a freshly packaged deli sandwich or pint of egg salad for lunch. The Eleanor will offer a grab-and-go section at the front of the restaurant, complete with designated pick-up parking spots.
“That’s going to be something I feel like we’re going to continually change and push whatever’s seasonal or whatever we feel like creating at the time. You can’t just go somewhere and get an egg salad," Macaulay says. "Memories of home, that’s what we’re trying to create."
The Eleanor will offer a variety of traditional breakfast options, including a fresh take on Eggs Benedict called Eggs Blackstone. The dish has bacon, roasted tomatoes, poached eggs and Meyer lemon hollandaise on an English muffin and is served with breakfast potatoes.
Nikki Michelle Charnstrom
The drinks menu will include craft cocktails, mimosas, wine and beer. The Eleanor will also feature specialty coffee and espresso-based beverages crafted from beans roasted by James Coffee Co. out of San Diego, California.
“We tried to keep (the menu) traditional just done with a lot of care. Execution is super key when it comes to breakfast,” Macaulay says. “I mean for me, going out to eat with my family was a big deal when I was a kid — we didn’t do it much… especially, nowadays where things are so expensive, you want to make sure you’re giving people what they came here for.”
And that means offering flexibility as well.
"We have the menu built out," Ellefson says. "(But) if someone comes in and they just want an egg on a plate, we’re going to make them an egg on a plate… you can have whatever it is that you want here.”
The grab-and-go section and adjacent community table will cater to locals looking for a quick bite to eat. While items might vary slightly depending on the season or what's in the kitchen, customers can expect to find fresh-made sandwiches, salads and drinks.
Nikki Michelle Charnstrom
More to come
Transforming the former Scottsdale Dry Cleaners building into an upscale but approachable brunch restaurant is just the first phase of a larger hospitality project led by part-owner Tom Frenkel of Clayton Companies and the design team at ALINE Architecture Concepts. The duo is responsible for other generational reuse projects in the Valley like Fate Brewing Co. and The Clayton House. The Eleanor is just one of the concepts the team is executing in the same plaza — its neighboring building, the iconic Polynesian Dairy Queen that was dismantled in 2019, is set to open next spring as a lunch and dinner restaurant.
Originally built in 1964 near McDowell Road and 68th Street and owned by Eleanor (the brunch spot’s namesake) and Don Drake, the reconstructed A-frame will serve as the plaza’s focal point and overall inspiration for the Polynesian-themed design. Clayton Companies and ALINE Architecture Concepts aim to revamp the entire plaza by creating a bustling shopping and dining area for the neighborhood to gather regularly.
“It’s the first project in a center that we’re hoping the neighborhood is going to love. Once you realize how much you love (The Eleanor) it’s going to carry over into how much you’re going to love the next one and the next one,” Ellefson says.
The Eleanor opened on Monday and is now serving customers seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The new restaurant's grand opening celebration is scheduled for Saturday.
