A variety of Phoenix restaurateurs and hospitality professionals gathered for an “Accelerate” event hosted by What Now Media Group at Devil’s Hideaway. The event provided a valuable opportunity for Phoenix’s restaurant community to connect, exchange ideas, and discuss strategies for navigating today’s competitive hospitality market.
Devil’s Hideaway, a neighborhood cocktail bar and restaurant located at 401 S Mill Avenue in Tempe, hosted the free event, bringing together dozens of representatives from businesses featured on What Now Phoenix. This included local restaurants and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners. Attendees networked over food and beverages before a presentation on strategies for growing and succeeding in today’s competitive market.
The event was hosted by Mariah Medley, Director of Events and Partner Engagement at What Now Media Group, and featured a wide range of notable restaurateurs, franchise operators, and hospitality professionals from across the Valley. Attendees included Julian Wright, owner of Fork & Dagger Hospitality, the hospitality group behind Devil’s Hideaway, Idle Hands, Tropic Thunder, and Carmine Cantina, as well as Josh Long, operating partner of the growing concept group.
Additional restaurant operators included Justin “JT” Turner, a HTeaO franchisee who continues to expand throughout Arizona with its popular iced tea concept, and Theresa Eubanks, Tom Eubanks, and Aspen Eubanks of 16 Handles, the frozen yogurt brand preparing to debut in Chandler.
Other attendees included Kyle Bridges, a franchisee of Project Lean Nation, a fast-growing meal prep and wellness concept entering the Arizona market; Steve Kraus, owner and founder of PRESS Coffee, a beloved local coffee company known for its specialty roasting program; and Ty Williams, regional sales representative for the brand.
The evening also featured Johann Warnholtz, owner of Exceptional Vibe, Armando Acevedo and Luisa Acevedo, co-owners of Padel Pals, an upcoming Mesa-based social and recreational concept centered around the rapidly growing sport of padel, and Jared Tolman, co-owner of Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, which is preparing for continued expansion throughout the Valley.
Additional restaurant professionals included Anthony Gianmugnai, operating partner of Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, a fast-casual Mediterranean concept expanding across Arizona, and Teresa Rodewald and Megan Rodewald of Turquoise Wine Bar, a new Glendale wine bar bringing an elevated, approachable wine experience to the area. Brandon Casey, owner of Caseys Woodshed, also attended the event.
Representatives from several of What Now Media Group’s Preferred Partners attended to provide valuable guidance and support for restaurant operators looking to grow their businesses. Melanie Butcher of Auris spoke with attendees about HR and payroll solutions designed to streamline workforce management for hospitality businesses.
Representatives from Easy Ice, including Ann Darden and John Navarro, discussed commercial ice machine rental programs that help restaurants avoid costly equipment maintenance and downtime. Lawrence Chavez and Timothy Rodriguez from Global Payments shared insights into payment processing and POS technology solutions tailored specifically for restaurant operators.
Additional Preferred Partners included Bryan Marshall from Keurig Dr. Pepper, who spoke on beverage solutions for restaurants and foodservice operators, and Casey Adams from OpenTable, who connected with restaurateurs on reservation management and guest engagement tools.
The event also welcomed Brandon Castellano and Vincent Branciforte from Prudential Overall Supply, who discussed uniform and linen programs for hospitality businesses, and Christin Morrissey and Nicole Philips from SpotOn, who shared operational tools and POS solutions designed to help restaurants improve efficiency and the customer experience. Gene Rotondo of Tagrisk LLC was also in attendance, offering insight into insurance solutions tailored specifically for hospitality operators.
The restaurant owners and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners shared valuable insights, operational highlights, and expert advice, creating an engaging and informative evening that was both enriching and beneficial for all attendees.
This led Mariah Medley to carry the conversation even deeper by discussing critical business points, such as having an exit plan and efficiently managing operations after expanding to multiple locations. After Mariah and the guests shared their tips, knowledge, and concerns, everyone became quickly interested in learning more about their businesses and how they could help one another.
This event served as a valuable platform for both restaurant owners and industry partners to collaborate, brainstorm, and form new connections. It’s clear that the Phoenix restaurant community is eager to continue innovating and evolving, and What Now Media Group’s Accelerate events provide the perfect space for these conversations to take place.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 33 cities across North America, breaking news, and provides timely insight into yet-to-open brick-and-mortar businesses. The platform shares news of thousands of openings across all 33 cities annually.
The industry-leading experts in What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners help new businesses open and existing businesses grow.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2026. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
Click here for a complete list of our partners. To learn more about becoming a preferred partner, click here.
