east valley
Volume 3 Issue 26 Mesa, AZ
January 10, 2021
Mesa’s Asian District weathering pandemic BY KENZEL WILLIAMS Tribune Contributor
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IN THE BIZ
esa’s Asian District continues emerging as a hub for the Valley’s fast-growing Asian-American community despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. The district – home to more than 70 Asian-owned businesses including grocery stores, restaurants and other retail services – has been hit hard due to the pandemic, but there are signs of recovery. People can still plan a whole day out in the district. Dine in at Unphogettable or Spicy Pot after going grocery shopping at H Mart or Asiana Market. Grab some tea at Cha Tea or Boba Tree before shopping at Hong Kong Gifts or TokTok Beauty. There are even a few karaoke bars to finish off the night. While most businesses are remaining open, the pandemic has affected all of them. Yet, the sense of community remains strong. Niquole Figueroa, who works at Wholly Grill, a Filipino cuisine restaurant, said everyone knows each other there. “These Filipino old ladies come up to you and just start talking to you,” said Figueroa. “It feels like I’m just talking to a family friend, which is both terrifying and kind of funny at the same time.” Figueroa saw the plaza’s struggle when the pandemic first hit Arizona. Many people avoided going to businesses, inPublic Notices ............... page 3 © Copyright, 2021 East Valley Tribune
cluding Mekong Plaza on Dobson Road near Main Street. “I was told I can’t come in because there’s no customers especially because Mekong is an Asian supermarket and COVID was associated with Asia,” said Figueroa. “So, it was barren for the longest time.” Mekong Plaza is one of the district’s most recognizable areas. Opened in 2008, the 100,000-squarefoot facility lured many small business owners. Jaye O’Donnell, the city’s assistant economic development director, said Me(USPS 004-616) is published weekly
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kong Plaza played a critical role in the district’s growth. “I think it has really been a strong anchor for other Asian-related businesses to come and open up because the natural flow of retail development is to cluster,” said O’Donnell. “You can see over the last 10-12 years, there has been a great number of Asianowned or Asian-related businesses that have clustered in that area,” she added. “I think that catalyst was Mekong.” Mekong Plaza provides many Asian-
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Food Park, farmers mart big in East Mesa BY SRIANTHI PERERA GetOut Contributor
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ortheast Mesa has a new open-air dining destination that also doubles as a community gathering spot. The Power Food Park on Power Road between Brown and McKellips roads had two successful opening weekends in December and is now ready to serve its own brand of fare and fun. Four to eight food trucks will be available 5-9 p.m. Monday to Saturday on a rotating basis. Maui Wowi, Detroit Coney Cruiser, 4 Ate O, Classics Crepes Eatery and Bonzai Boyz are among those that have participated. Some trucks sell new concepts, while others are established. The Red Mountain Farmers Market is held at the site on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. The site has plenty of seating placed apart and features campfire pits that are available by reservation. Grassy areas are available for recreational backyard games such as cornhole. David Darling of Mesa, who co-owns the business with Ray Johnson, is the owner of the one-and-a-quarter acre site and the adjoining acre that’s used for parking. “I’m originally from the Pacific Northwest and there’s a big food truck community in the Pacific Northwest. We’ve always had an affinity toward them and that community,” he said. Darling owned the property for many years and attempted to do many projects on it. “We felt like the best use for the property would be creating a community space and supporting a small business. Within that community space, I’ve created an outdoor gathering space especially during COVID,” he said. “We decided we’ll create a food park where we can come together as a community in a safe way during COVID and support small businesses.” Darling figured correctly about the area needing a community space: During the two days in December that the park was open, there were more than 2,000 people each night. “One of the more encouraging aspects of what we’ve done is how supportive
the community has been and how enthusiastic they’ve been about supporting the space,” he said. Among his supporters is Amy Gregory, who decries the lack of dining spaces in the area. She took her extended family there recently; it is about four miles from her home. “It was so great to have a fun dining option close to home, in the heart of Mesa: a great ambiance, awesome food and really just a fun environment for families,” she said. “Mesa never has anything fun and finally they have this.” Usually, Gregory takes her family to a dining spot in Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe or Ryan Alarie, who created the Red Mountain Farmers Market three seasons ago, also sells a brand of seasonings Scottsdale. “I love Mesa and I want to called RA Seasonings. (Special to GetOut) build Mesa. I don’t want to build Scottsdale, I want to build Mesa,” said Gregory, who’s a real estate agent. Ryan Alarie, who grew up in east Mesa, created the Red Mountain Farmers Market three seasons ago. He started at Mesa Community CollegeRed Mountain Campus and had to move because of the pandemic. He moved the market to the parking lot at Zaharis Elementary School, but Mesa Public Schools asked him to move – again because of the pandemic. Alarie thinks he’s found the perfect location in the Power Food Park. “It’s great; there’s plenty of seating, rides, games, it’s a real nice set up for a farmer’s market,” he said. Open on Saturdays from October to April, the market features 60-70 vendors from across the Valley mainly selling meats, fruit, vegetables, artisan fare, pantry goods, spices, hot sauce and jewelry. It attracts about 1,000 people each day. Alarie himself sells all-natural seasoning blends, called RA Seasonings. Darling said his idea caught on easily because it has been a really difficult year for small businesses because of COVID. Husband and wife team Justin and Lindsey Olsen of east Mesa debuted their new mobile eatery, 4 Ate O, at the park; they created the
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business due to loss of employment. Justin, a chef of nearly 17 years, has worked in many prestigious restaurants and was last employed by Scottsdale Beer Company, which laid him off because of the pandemic. Lindsey is also a restaurant professional, who has worked at Lons at the Hermosa Inn and Sheraton Hotel Downtown Phoenix, among others. “We started this business out of need and desire to do our own thing,” Justin said. “My wife and I decided to take a leap of faith and pour everything we have into our own business where we can make decisions that are best for us and our family. We ordered a custom-built trailer and within about four to five months we are up and running with perfect timing. “Our first official night open was with them on their grand opening as well,” he added. “It was a crazy busy night for us and we were so pumped for them to give us the opportunity to be there. It’s a great venue, nothing else like it in town or possibly the state.” “That’s what we’re trying to foster,” Darling said. “It’s supporting these small businesses and the food trucks during a difficult time.” Keep in touch with Power Food Park at facebook.com/powerfoodpark.
JANUARY 10, 2021
Asian...continued from page 1 themed services, but it also creates a sense of belonging for the community. More Asian-Americans have dubbed the Asian District as the go-to space for their community, especially after the closure of the Phoenix Chinese Cultural Center in late 2019. The district’s influence on the AsianAmerican community goes along with Mesa’s recent initiative to promote diversity and inclusion within the city. According to a 2014 report by the city Human Relations Advisory Board, about 79 percent of respondents said that the city should be responsible for promoting awareness of diversity, inclusion and tolerance. The same report stated that more than 55,000 Mesa residents were born outside of the United States and that 13 percent of those came from Asia. The U.S. Census estimated in 2019 that nearly 3 percent of Mesa residents identify as Asian. Andrea Alicoate, the city diversity administrator, said Mesa is always looking for ways to support its various communities. “Diversity and inclusion initiatives have been part of the city of Mesa for well over a decade when the Diversity Office and Human Relations Advisory Board were developed as part of the City’s structure,” said Alicoate. “In more recent years, we’ve strengthened that commitment by incorporating diversity and inclusion into our core values and equity as a priority in how we deliver programs and services,” he added. Alicoate said that the city has helped develop the Asian District as part of Mesa’s commitment to inclusion.
Public Notice CITY OF MESA MESA, ARIZONA NOTICE OF VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING Harris Basin Park Project No. CP0934 Please join us for the live online Virtual Public Meeting to learn about the Harris Basin Park. The
Sam Q. Kim, a director of H Mart, outlined the national Asian market chains plans for Mesa’s newly rebranded Asian District during a press conference early last year. (Tribune file photo) “The city has also historically been very supportive of these communities through the attendance and promotion of cultural events such as the Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival,” said Alicoate. The city used some of its federal pandemic relief money to help small businesses cover bills and build better marketing strategies. “The small business community is really important to this economy and they’re the backbone of any economy,” said O’Donnell. “It’s so critical that they not only stay alive and stay open, but they learn to thrive and they learn better practices for operation.” O’Donnell says when the city was discussing branding efforts for the Asian District, Asian Americans in the district “just had really moving stories about why they felt comfortable there, why they chose to open up a business there and how special it is to have families, couples and students coming to this vibrant district and feeling
City of Mesa is developing plans to build a new playground at the Harris Basin located at 2421 N Harris Dr. Mesa, AZ 85203. To accommodate the new playground the City is developing plans to re-grade the existing drainage basin to include a pad for the new playground while maintaining the basin’s ability to retain surface runoff. The playground will be designed with aim for children ages 2-12 and include ADA
EAST VALLEY BUSINESS
like they belong.” Today, most of the businesses in the district are doing better than when the pandemic started. Most small shops have limited the number of people who can come inside the store at one time. Sanitizing hightouch surfaces has become a priority and restaurants are placing an emphasis on carry-out options over dining in. Overall, the Asian District is growing again, the Korean grocery chain H Mart last summer and last month, Two Hands Corn Dog opened up in the same plaza. Alicoate said the city is still looking for new and innovative ways to work toward their goals of diversity and inclusion. “Although the way we celebrate cultural and diverse events has changed due to the pandemic in order to keep our community healthy and safe,” said Alicoate, “we still will be finding innovative and fun new ways to honor, support and celebrate significant moments in 2021.”
access. The project is being funded through 2018 General Obligation Parks Bonds. A short presentation will be given followed by a questions and answer session. Date: Thursday, January 14, 2021 Time: 6:00pm to 7:00pm Location: Virtual Public Meeting: online at mesaaz.gov/engineering If you have any questions or
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concerns regarding this project, please contact Curt Albright, Michele Arrollado, Lucy Lopez, or Juanita Gonzales with the City of Mesa Engineering Public Relations Department at (480) 644-3800. Si usted tiene preguntas de este proyecto, favor de llamar a Lucy Lopez, con la Ciudad de Mesa al (480) 644-4431. Published: East Valley Tribune, Jan. 3, 10, 2021 / 35347
JANUARY 10, 2021
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