From Farmers Market Pop-Up to Uptown Plaza: DiMaggio’s Comes Full Circle
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There is something deeply satisfying about a restaurant ending up almost exactly where it started, just with a much bigger dining room and, apparently, a secret VIP entrance.
Which is a very specific way to come home.
DiMaggio’s Italian Restaurant is opening a second Valley location at Uptown Plaza in Central Phoenix, with a late October opening currently targeted. The new restaurant will take over the former Lou Malnati’s space at 100 E. Camelback Road.
For Brandon and Michele Gioffre, though, this is less “new market expansion” and more of a full-circle moment.
The couple first built a following at the Uptown Farmers Market in 2021, selling hand-pulled mozzarella, filled-to-order cannoli, zeppole and other Italian specialties. They eventually moved into a Scottsdale brick-and-mortar, and the restaurant took on the DiMaggio’s name in 2024 after they partnered with Frank DiMaggio.
Now they are coming back to Uptown — this time with walls, reservations and significantly better climate control.
A Much Bigger Version of DiMaggio’s
The Uptown Plaza location is expected to be about 30 percent larger than the Scottsdale restaurant and will include a private dining room with its own separate entrance.
That separate entrance has already been described as a discreet VIP entrance, which is obviously a very specific energy.
I have questions.
Mostly about whether I am glamorous enough to use it or if someone quietly redirects me toward the regular door.
The new restaurant is planned for the courtyard at Uptown Plaza, with the same old-school Italian-American feel as the Scottsdale location — just with quite a bit more room to breathe.
The Menu Is Staying Familiar
One thing DiMaggio’s does not appear eager to mess with is the core menu.
Current reporting says the new location is expected to keep the restaurant’s existing lineup of Italian-American dishes, including pasta, chicken, veal, seafood and Brandon’s hand-pulled mozzarella.
That feels like the smart move.
If people are already following you across town for bone-in veal parm, pasta and giant bowls of red sauce, this is probably not the moment to suddenly decide everyone wants foam.
Nobody asked the veal parm to reinvent itself.
The Scottsdale restaurant has built its identity around nostalgic East Coast-style Italian-American cooking, and that appears to be carrying straight into Uptown.
Why Uptown Makes Sense
The location itself is part of what makes this story interesting.
Brandon and Michele were literally selling food just a couple blocks away at the Uptown Farmers Market before they had a full restaurant. That original market stand eventually led to catering, then a brick-and-mortar, and now back to Central Phoenix with a much larger footprint.
So yes, this is technically a second location.
But “second location” undersells it a little.
It is more like the pop-up grew up, moved out, built a following and then came home with better lighting, a bigger dining room and a door for people who apparently arrive mysteriously.
What Else Is Coming
The Uptown location is not expected to launch with every possible add-on from day one.
Happy hour and lunch service have both been discussed, but current reporting says neither is guaranteed at opening. The team has also said it wants to keep the menu consistent rather than reinvent it for the second location.
There has also been talk of future growth beyond Uptown, but the focus right now appears to be getting this location right before moving on to a third.
Which, again, feels sensible.
We have all seen expansion stories where “more locations” starts sounding more exciting than making sure the current ones are actually good.
One excellent new restaurant at a time feels plenty ambitious.
When Is DiMaggio’s Uptown Opening?
The restaurant is currently targeting late October 2026, though that timing could still shift as opening work continues.
Once it opens, PhoenixBites will absolutely be watching to see how much of the Scottsdale experience carries over — and whether that secret entrance is actually as dramatic as it sounds.
Because if somebody builds a discreet VIP entrance at Uptown Plaza, I need to understand the logistics.
Do I need a password? A tiny envelope? Better posture?
For journalism. Obviously.
DiMaggio’s Uptown Plaza Details
Address: 100 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix
Opening: Targeting late October 2026
Location: Uptown Plaza, Central Avenue and Camelback Road
What to expect: Italian-American classics, hand-pulled mozzarella, private dining and a larger flagship-style space
Disclosure
PhoenixBites received no payment for this story. Information was gathered from DiMaggio’s/Uptown Plaza materials and current public reporting. This is an informational news post.
About the Author - Taryn Jeffries
Editor and Chief Eating Officer of PhoenixBites, 2017 Food Writer of the Year (Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame) Taryn grew up in a small town in Illinois with a doting Grandmother who taught her the way around a kitchen and that food is representative of love. Her current quest is to find the love in local dishes and the chefs behind them. In addition to running all things PhoenixBites, Taryn is also a freelance writer, sharing her insight on the best dishes and where to get them each and every month.
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