North Italia Opens Sixth Arizona Location in Tempe
A ribbon cutting ceremony will celebrate the arrival of the neighborhood Italian eatery to Novus Place
(PRESS RELEASE) On February 5th, Arizona-born restaurant concept North Italia, locally and nationally beloved for its scratch-made Italian cuisine and craft cocktails, opens its newest location in Tempe. Situated in Novus Place, an entertainment district on Arizona State University’s campus in downtown Tempe, the new restaurant marks North Italia’s sixth outpost in Arizona and succeeds Peoria, which opened in October 2024.
On Thursday, February 6 from 4pm – 5pm, North Italia invites the Tempe and surrounding communities for a celebratory ribbon cutting hosted by the Tempe Chamber of Commerce and city officials. The ceremony will culminate with a mixer and passed bites at North Italia Tempe. Visit tempechamber.org for more information and to register.
Located on 697 S. Novus Place, North Italia Tempe is walking distance to ASU student and staff hot spots like Old Main, Noble Library, Hayden Library, and the ASU Art Museum. It is also conveniently near popular sports centers like Mountain America Stadium, Desert Financial Arena, Mullett Arena and Sun Devil Fitness Complex, in addition to the Tempe Improv, Tempe Town Lake Rural Road Bridge, and Tempe Beach Park. Whether guests are looking for game day refreshers, lunch between classes, or a happy hour after work, North Italia Tempe is set to become a staple within the community
The 9,787-square-foot dining space comfortably seats 157 guests in the dining room and features the largest indoor/outdoor bar of any other North Italia location. Ideal for taking in Arizona’s 300+ days of sunshine per year, the fully covered patio seats an additional 141 guests. Walls are donned with artwork that celebrates both the local Tempe community and Italian heritage, including a multi-dimensional mural showcasing the lore of a rooster – a symbol of good fortune and/or good luck in the kitchen per Italian tradition.
Led by four long-time Arizonians – Regional Manager Antonia Wagner, Regional Chef Chris Barch, Executive Chef Luis Arellano, and General Manager Matthew Shaloo – North Italia’s talented kitchen and operations teams are thrilled to welcome Tempe community members, neighbors and visitors to the newest location. During all meal periods and happy hour, guests can experience fan-favorites like the shareable Zucca Chips, White Truffle Garlic Bread and Chef’s Board. Carb-load for game day with classic pastas like the Trottole Chicken Pesto and Spicy Rigatoni Vodka or hand-tossed pizzas like the Hot Honey & Smoked Prosciutto. Enjoy standouts from North Italia’s latest seasonal menu, like the Seasonal Vegetable Salad with butternut squash, brussels sprouts, pistachio, and more; the Lasagna Bianca al Forno with braised short rib, grana padano, provolone, and mozzarella; or the lunch-exclusive Hot Italian Stromboli packed with calabrese salami, Italian sausage, grilled piquillo pepper, red onion, ricotta, provolone, smoked mozzarella, basil and pesto. Complement any meal with craft cocktails and zero-proof options like the Marco Polo with Iwai Japanese whisky, Montenegro, honey, ginger, and fresh lemon, or the Piña No-Lada made with coconut, pineapple, fresh lime and bubbles. Jump Start the school day with the appropriately named zero-proof drink made with double expresso, chocolate, and cream, or choose between five different Spritz options during weekend brunch.
North Italia Tempe is now open for lunch on Mondays – Fridays from 11am – 4pm, dinner on Sundays – Thursdays from 4pm – 10pm, dinner on Fridays – Saturdays from 4pm – 11pm, and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am – 4pm. Reservations are encouraged through OpenTable. To view full menus or place takeout and delivery orders, please visit NorthItalia.com.
VALENTINE’S DAY AT NORTH: On Friday, February 14, all North Italia locations including Tempe will offer a Valentine’s Day prix fixe menu perfect for celebrating that special someone, especially if their love language is Italian food. Alongside a selection of North’s signature menu items, the prix fixe includes new dishes like the Carne Di Crudo with beef tenderloin, black truffle, roasted garlic emulsion, picked red onion, shaved grana Padano, and grilled ciabatta, as well as the Lump Crab & Lobster Bruschetta with lemon aioli, watermelon radish, torn basil, Aleppo pepper, and grilled ciabatta. Pasta lovers can indulge in a new Lobster Tortelloni, and those who save room for dessert can savor the latest seasonal butter cake flavor – White Chocolate Spiced Apple Butter Cake – or the reimagined Hazelnut Torta, which may appear on North Italia’s next seasonal menu. Photos available here.
ABOUT NORTH ITALIA: North Italia was conceived by Fox Restaurant Concepts founder Sam Fox in Arizona in 2002. Since then, the neighborhood Italian restaurant has expanded to 42 locations across the U.S. and counting. Using only the season’s best ingredients, North Italia’s chefs create a variety of modern Italian dishes, including pastas made from scratch daily, hand-tossed pizzas like the classic Margherita or fan-favorite The Pig, and savory lunch and dinner entrees like the Pulled Porchetta and Seared Sea Scallops that deliver flavors that go above and beyond the expected. Complementing North Italia’s food menu is a full-bodied wine and beer list accompanied by an array of handcrafted cocktails, such as the Sicilian Margarita and Pomegranate Mule. For more information, visit northitalia.com.
ABOUT NOVUS INNOVATION CORRIDOR: Novus Innovation Corridor is a 355-acre, multi-phased development, which at completion, will encompass over 10 million square feet of urban mixed-use developments. Strategically integrated with the ASU campus on Tempe Town Lake, the Novus Innovation Corridor is a partnership between master developer Catellus Development Corporation and Arizona State University, ranked as the nation’s “Most Innovative University” by U.S. News and World Report. The University Real Estate Development Office leads ASU’s Novus activities.
Catellus will oversee approximately 8 million square feet of additional new development in Tempe. Novus will include a variety of sustainable urban neighborhoods that feature office, retail, hospitality and residential activities, creating the potential to bring nearly 40,000 new jobs and 5,000 new residents to the thriving Tempe community. Additionally, Novus will feature a main street retail district, Novus Place, nestled in the core of the development. As Novus’ “live, shop, dine” epicenter, Novus Place is designed to be an energetic, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly district. For more information about the Novus Innovation Corridor and development opportunities, visit NovusASU.com call (480) 566-9900 or email NovusASU@catellus.com.