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The Republic
A family-run nursery in Queen Creek could add a restaurant, bakery and event space to create a place where the community can come together and enjoy a meal surrounded by flowers and plants.
After moving from Chicago during the pandemic, Michael LaPidus, a restaurateur with accolades including the Michelin Bib Gourmand, befriended the owners of Desert Horizon Nursery, Billy and Kerry Stevenson, located on about 10 acres at the corner of Ellsworth and Ryan Road.
“Walking through the kindergarten was like meditation,” LaPidus said.
The friendship grew stronger and the group decided to work together to expand the daycare’s offerings and create a special place for the community.
“Billy and Kerry always had plans to do more,” LaPidus said. “Now we can do more, something the community will be excited about.”
LaPidus said Queen Creek has many chain restaurants and national retailers, but the community would like to see more locally owned restaurants or places that offer something different.
“We are creating this community gathering place where people can walk onto our property, find beautiful scenery and eat in a dining room where they feel like they are in this beautiful garden setting,” he said.
LaPidus said he wants everyone to feel comfortable at the restaurant and that someone stopping by after work should feel just as comfortable as a family with children or a couple looking for a fancy night out.
The restaurant will be named “True Story,” a tribute to the story LaPidus wants to tell with the food and ambience.
“We want to make sure we tell stories in everything we do,” he said.
True Story will not limit itself to a single style of cooking, he said.
“We want a great atmosphere, we want to cook over wood and be playful with our specialties,” he said. “We want to have a playful connection with food and respond to the different flavors that exist.”
Another benefit of building a restaurant in a nursery is access to fresh, hyperlocal produce, he said. Locally grown herbs and citrus fruits are used in the restaurant for drinks, sauces and marinades.
The documents submitted to the city show that the restaurant and bakery are expected to employ around 66 people in the off-season and around 91 in the high season.
LaPidus began his career in the restaurant and hospitality industry in franchises, and he and his wife owned several franchise locations. He later opened a barbecue restaurant that quickly grew to five locations in Chicago. That restaurant twice received the Michelin Bib Gourmand award, which is given to restaurants that the Michelin Guide considers to offer the best value for money.
Before moving to Arizona, he also owned a restaurant specializing in wood-fired Chinese dishes and a gourmet hot dog restaurant.
Desert Horizon Nursery will remain a nursery run by the Stevensons, LaPidus said. Billy Stevenson will also own a stake in the restaurant. The group has been developing the idea for several years, LaPidus said, and with “agritainment” locations becoming increasingly popular in places like Queen Creek, it was a natural move to offer the town something new.
The first phase will see the restaurant built, followed by a standalone bakery and cafe. Future phases include the restoration of a barn on the site for event use.
The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approving the proposal at its Aug. 14 meeting. The measure will go before the City Council for final approval at a future meeting.
If approved, LaPidus said, construction on the restaurant would likely begin in late fall and is expected to take about 12 months.
You can reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter @CorinaVanek.
