The Evolution of Scottsdale’s Dining Scene

From hidden martini carts to fiery tomahawks, Scottsdale’s Entertainment District is leading a new era where dining and entertainment collide. Join us for a Q&A between Alliance Hospitality Group’s COO Travis Strickland and Marketing Associate Gigi Garland on the dining evolution that is happening in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale.

Photo by Jim Poulin for Phoenix Business Journal

Q: What does the future of hospitality in Old Town Scottsdale look like to you in five years, and how do you see the district evolving beyond where it is today?

Travis: The evolution has already begun, in my view, with the opening of Sexy Roman at the W, which has been the landmark of that entertainment and hospitality district for almost 20 years. There is now a new service-forward and food-and-beverage-focused group at the W that is putting forward a highly experiential dining concept at Sexy Roman.

That was followed by the transformation next door at the new REMI Hotel, which has three dynamic restaurants and food and beverage concepts. F/Sixteen is a casual, all-American diner that will be open early for breakfast and late into the night. Kauboi, on the third floor of the REMI, is up a beautiful grand staircase and offers an indoor-outdoor concept with a speakeasy whiskey lounge tucked inside the restaurant, a stunning high-ceiling dining room with dynamic food and creative cocktails, and an outdoor event terrace where the doors open to create a true indoor-outdoor feel, complete with a live-fire cooking station for yakitori skewers. Finally, there’s Allegra, the tallest rooftop in Arizona, located where the pool sits. It offers a 360-degree view of Scottsdale and Camelback Mountain and serves as a rooftop lounge.

All of these venues, I think, have begun the trend of elevating what was previously just a nightlife-related experience in this hospitality district. They’re now attracting a more sophisticated, high-end, discerning clientele that is seeking world-class food and beverage dining destinations.

Kauboi Scottsdale’s fiery tomahawk tableside display.

Q: Do you think the REMI and Sexy Roman are catalyzing this movement and transition? Are they the first to bring that shift in?

Travis: They are, but they’re not alone. Along with our partners in the REMI, the Riot Hospitality Group has done something similar with Shiv Restaurant, which is also in the district. It’s a high-energy venue with live performances, a music-driven supper club concept, and dining all in one.

All of this opening within just a few months of one another is the result of more than five years of planning, development, concept creation, hiring, and execution. This has been in the works for a very long time, and it was always intended to be the first phase of what will ultimately become a redevelopment of the entire entertainment district.

There are also a handful of other properties in the district that we’ve already created development plans for, and we’ll be undertaking some of that work in the near future. It really is a large and dynamic, concerted effort to, as I’ve said, elevate the district.

Sexy Roman’s secret Martini Cart that offers a spectacular tableside show with the press of a button.

Q: It’s also interesting what you’re saying about the 20- and 30-year-olds. It seems like there’s a generational shift, especially with Gen Z, in how they approach nightlife.

Travis: It is a generational shift. Restaurants have now become the place where entertainment happens.

Entertainment can take many forms in a restaurant. It might be a quiet dinner, or it could be a big, splashy event with six or eight people. The experiential concepts we create, like the tableside martini cart at Sexy Roman or the outdoor cooking terrace at the REMI, allow guests to be front and center, engaging with the cooking happening all around them.

There are countless opportunities for guests to have individualized experiences, depending on what they’re looking for.

Q: With concepts like Sexy Roman and the REMI’s dining venues, what role does food play in creating a sense of destination beyond nightlife?

Travis: Food plays a huge role in the entertainment. It’s not enough for a restaurant to simply exist.

There’s a new discernment among today’s 20, 30, and 40-year-olds. They’re more well-traveled, more knowledgeable about food and beverage, and much more demanding of quality. That challenges us, as restaurateurs, to step up our game. We need to deliver exceptional service, high-level food, and the theater of dining—through tableside elements and interactive dishes. That’s the direction food and beverage is heading.

The Lobby at The REMI. Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ.

Q: You mentioned that high-end hotels can become community gathering spots. How are you designing spaces that locals want to frequent, not just tourists or travelers?

Travis: We put a lot of emphasis on how a space feels the moment you walk in. Does it feel warm and welcoming—like somewhere you want to spend time? Or does it feel transitory, like a place you’re simply passing through? At the REMI, which represents five years of work and countless design details, the result is a grand lobby where people want to linger. You can have a glass of champagne or something to eat before heading into one of the restaurants or nightlife experiences within the hotel. That sense of comfort, warmth, and welcome is something we pay a lot of attention to when designing a hotel lobby.

Follow Travis for more restaurant updates on LinkedIn or Instagram at @travisstrickland_la.