Sam & Luca Rustic Kitchen, an Italian-style rustic kitchen locally owned and operated in Mesa at 1959 S Power Road, Suite 104, has officially changed owners.
The Tuscan restaurant recently announced on social media that Kim and Steve Lippe have taken over ownership of the eatery and are bringing on their son, Josh, as general manager and Mark Coakley as the executive chef. Steve Lippe owns Tukee’s Sport Grille, while Coakley spent the past five years at BKD’s Backyard Joint. The new owners will take over the space and will keep the name. The restaurant was launched in May 2018 by Sam Arikat and Zoran Klisara and named after the latter’s son.
Sam & Luca Rustic Kitchen offers a variety of Italian classics, as well as some new and improved menu items, such as their shrimp scampi, made with roasted tomatoes, capers, white wine, and scampi butter tossed with linguine. The restaurant previously offered a handful of weekday specials, such as takeout Tuesday, where customers can enjoy 25% off all takeout orders. It’s unclear if the new owners will add any new weekly specials, but the restaurant’s website says daily specials are coming soon.
The restaurant can be found on the northeast side of a busy intersection of East Baseline Road and Power Road, across from the Superstition Springs Shopping Center. Sam & Luca Rustic Kitchen is the anchored tenant next to the Fry’s and Fry’s Fuel Center, sharing a building with Panda Express, Cold Stone Creamery, and more. The new owners should have no problem getting a warm welcome from the neighborhood, considering they will only have to compete with a handful of pizza eateries.
