What Now brought together Phoenix-area hospitality operators and industry service providers for its Accelerate networking event on Wednesday, October 14, from 3 to 5 p.m. The gathering took place at Turquoise Wine Bar, located at 504 E. Roosevelt St., with Marian Ebhamen, What Now Event Host, moderating the occasion.
The event welcomed 36 attendees representing 25 businesses and organizations. Of those, 20 individuals represented 14 F&B businesses, while 16 represented 11 of What Now’s preferred partner companies.
Food-and-Beverage Attendees
Ari & Lloyd — 7107 East 6th Avenue, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Owner Katie Schnurr represented Ari & Lloyd, a planned dual-concept American bistro and cocktail lounge from her and partner Stephen Roach. The concept is targeting to open sometime this fall.
Soju Station — 1976 West Southern Avenue, Mesa, AZ 85202
Owner Jaong Woo of Soju Station attended with family members Jennifer Woo, Grayson Woo, and Jaxson Woo. The Mesa business is a two-story, late-night Korean pocha spot, blending Seoul-inspired dishes and fresh seafood on the main floor with a themed pop-up cocktail lounge upstairs.
OBON Sushi Bar Ramen — 1 E. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85004
Pocholo Vilar and Shannon Day, F&B Operations, represented OBON Sushi Bar Ramen, which operates under the Blueprints Restaurant Concepts umbrella. The restaurant serves Japanese-inspired fare, including sushi and ramen.
Army Ant’s Cheeseburgers — Avondale, AZ 85323
Anthony Garcia, Owner/Executive Chef, and Victoria Kays, Principal Manager, represented Army Ant’s Cheeseburgers. The team is developing an old-school burger restaurant in Avondale, with plans for burgers, fries, shakes, and a neighborhood-style atmosphere.
Matcha House — 1616 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ
Owner Rocio Sheyko and Rain Montoya, Barista Supervisor, represented Matcha House, an independent café concept planned for downtown Phoenix. The concept recently announced it will open next month in the Muse Apartments.
PRESS Coffee — 3133 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85016
Ty Williams, Partner, represented PRESS Coffee, an Arizona specialty coffee company that roasts coffee and operates cafés across the Phoenix metropolitan area. The company just celebrated the opening of its most recent location this past weekend.
Tipsy Scoop — 355 N. Central Avenue, Suite 102, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Franchise Owner Tamika Wooten represented Tipsy Scoop at the event. The dessert brand is known for alcohol-infused ice cream and specialty frozen treats, and recently debuted a shop downtown.
HTeaO — 9161 W. Glendale Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85395
Franchisee Justin “JT” Turner represented HTeaO, a beverage franchise known for freshly brewed iced tea in a variety of flavors. Turner launched his second location in Glendale recently, under his corporation TZONA, LLC.
Nadu and Feringhee — Phoenix and Chandler
Kishore Thadikamalla, General Manager/Beverage Director, represented Nadu and Feringhee Phoenix, operating under Zest Hospitality Group. Feringhee serves progressive fusion dishes, while the newly-opened Nadu focuses on traditional, hyper-authentic regional classics.
BLT Culinary – 739 E. Dunlap Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85020
Carson Irvin and Vivianna D’Ambrosio, Senior Sales Manager, represented BLT Culinary. The corporate catering and dining services management company specializes in full-scale cafeteria management, chef-attended action stations, executive buffets, drop-off corporate lunch catering, and large-scale concession events across the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Slice House by Tony Gemignani — 3115 S. Val Vista Drive, Gilbert, AZ 85295
Jason Pastore, franchisee, represented Slice House by Tony Gemignani, a pizza franchise offering different styles of pizza by the slice and whole pie. His Gilbert location opened earlier this year in February, and is the brand’s first in Arizona.
Gathered Grounds — 4 West Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85013
Owner Jared Olesen represented Gathered Grounds, a family-owned coffee business that began as a mobile trailer serving events and pop-ups. The company is preparing to open its first permanent café, with a soft opening planned for January.
Altar by Pinnacle Brewing — 104 West Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85201
Grant McLennon, co-owner, represented Altar by Pinnacle Brewing. The independent brewery is planning a second Valley location in downtown Mesa, scheduled to open in 2027.
Exceptional Vibe – AZ
Johann Warnholtz, Founder and Chief Vibes Officer, represented Exceptional Vibe. The company manages creative multimedia, digital branding, and live experiences for localized hospitality clients.
Local First Arizona – 111 West Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85201
Jose Gamiz, Manager of Food Programs Outreach and Education, represented non-profit Local First Arizona. Local First Arizona is opening a new food hall in downtown Mesa coined Main Street Market.
Six Byrd Cider — 1920 E. University Drive, Tempe, AZ 85288
Co-Owner Jackson Thorn represented Six Byrd Cider, a local cider business. The company has a flagship in Arcadia and opened a second location in Tempe, in the former Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewery.
Starfish Scottsdale — 8390 East Vía de Ventura, Scottsdale, AZ 85258
Nick Chester, Assistant General Manager, represented Starfish Scottsdale. The California eatery chain debuted in Arizona in May, offering a shareable menu with more than 70 items.
Partner Attendees
Mist America
President & CEO Dave Johnson and Ray Rios represented Mist America. The Arizona-based manufacturer and provider specializes in premium high-pressure outdoor cooling and patio misting systems for residential and commercial clients.
SpotOn
Hospitality Specialists Bryan Quezada and Nicole Phillips represented SpotOn. The company provides restaurant technology, including point-of-sale systems, payment processing, online ordering, and tools for managing restaurant operations.
Auris
Laura DiFrancisca, Payroll Client Advisor, represented Auris. The platform provides automated payroll, tax filing, and HR compliance solutions for small and mid-sized businesses, with over 50,000 clients nationwide.
OpenTable
Casey Adams, Account Executive, represented OpenTable. The company provides restaurant reservation and guest-management technology, allowing diners to discover restaurants and book tables, while helping operators manage reservations and guest relationships.
Human Interest
Kylie Storey and Keith Miller, PAMs, represented Human Interest. Human Interest provides retirement benefits and 401(k) plans designed to help businesses offer workplace retirement savings programs to employees.
Tagrisk LLC
Gene Rotondo, Hospitality and Commercial Specialist, represented Tagrisk LLC. Tagrisk is a specialized insurance agency that provides tailored coverage solutions specifically for the hospitality industry, including restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and hotels.
Restaurant Technologies, Inc.
Blake Powers, Regional Account Executive, represented Restaurant Technologies, Inc. (RTI). The company provides automated cooking-oil management solutions for commercial kitchens, including oil delivery, handling, and removal systems used by restaurants and other foodservice operations.
Global Payments — Genius Point of Sale
Teddy Unger, DSM, and Rafael Varelas, SRM, represented Global Payments’ Genius Point of Sale business. The platform provides payment technology and point-of-sale solutions that support transaction processing and business operations.
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.
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.
