I Love This Bar coming to CityNorth
Apparently there is a lot of love in Arizona for Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill.
At least Boomtown Entertainment is banking on it. The Phoenix-based company is planning a third Valley location, at CityNorth, for the bar and grill named for the country star’s hit song “I Love This Bar.” The deal was announced this past week by De Rito Partners Inc.
The 14,500-square-foot restaurant is targeted to open by next summer just east of Kona Grill on High Street at CityNorth, the mixed-use development northwest of Loop 101 and 56th Street.
“We believe that CityNorth is primed for growth and our research suggests that (I Love This Bar) will help spearhead traction in this area,” said
ENTREPRENEURS Frank Capri, Boomtown Entertainment president and CEO.
Boomtown opened an I Love This Bar at 98th and Northern avenues in Peoria in July and another one in Tucson in April. The Mesa Riverview location debuted in 2009.
Boomtown owns and operates 15 I Love This Bar locations in 12 states and has 15 others under construction, Capri said.
The planned Western bar and grill at CityNorth adds to the restaurant/bars along High Street, including Ocean Prime and Kona Grill.
If you have not been to CityNorth in a while, you are not alone. At least half the retail space is vacant and shoppers are scarce.
Scanlan Kemper Bard Cos. and Wayzata Investment Partners bought CityNorth in April for $67 million, and the partners are trying to attract new tenants.
CityNorth opened as the recession hit in November 2008 and has struggled to fill 175,000 square feet of retail space. disabilities.
» Showstoppers Soft Serve Frozen Treats, a company selling ice cream from a vending truck.
» Arden Reed, a mobile tailor.
The other competitor was Cheersable of San Francisco, which developed an app allowing customers to send adultbeverage credits to friends that can be redeemed at 4,000 restaurants and bars.
The judges were Daymond John from ABC’s “Shark Tank” series and Thom Brodeur, executive vice president of venture management of Tallwave,
STACIE SCOTT/THE a Scottsdale company.
Also, serving as judges were Lance Rios, creator of the online magazine “Being Latino,” and David Rice, founder of Desarrollo, a community group that supports Arizona entrepreneurs.
Tool maker seeks funding
Phoenix native Stephen Walden is in the last few days of a Kickstarter campaign to raise $60,000 to launch Bosse Tools, an ergonomic tools company.
His first prototype is a shovel with an adjustable handle.
Walden, 24, is a recent graduate of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
He previously won $20,000 in business competitions to develop his concept.
As of Friday, Walden had tallied about $52,000 in Kickstarter pledges. He has until 4:55 p.m. Arizona time on Wednesday to get pledges for another $8,000.
For information, go to bosse tools.com/kickstarter.