The Z'Tejas sign near Hayden Road and Via de Ventura is gone. A mural of big sunset-colored flowers now hangs inside the old building, there's a glass wine room, and mesquite smoke drifts from a grill that used to belong to an Arcadia restaurant. Across the corner, a space that has changed hands more than once now serves Thai, Korean and Vietnamese plates. Farther up Hayden, a chef who has lived in McCormick Ranch for 17 years is finishing a 12-seat cafe that will sell his other restaurants' mac and cheese to go.
Three openings on one short stretch of Hayden in one year don't look like coincidence. The chain and short-lived spaces around this corner are being taken over by chef-owned restaurants, and the people running them say outright that they're building for the neighborhood around them.
A corner that had been waiting
Z'Tejas closed all of its Arizona locations in June 2025, which left a large lakeside building near Hayden and Via de Ventura empty. Starfish Scottsdale's space had a similar history: according to Mouth by Southwest, it was previously Agave del Scottsdale and then, for a short time, Okay Maguey.
After four decades in Scottsdale real estate, I've learned that a vacant commercial space tells you more about a neighborhood than a busy one does. Whoever signs the next lease is placing a bet on who lives nearby and how they eat. This year the bets along this stretch of Hayden went to independent restaurant groups with track records elsewhere in the Valley, and each chose a format that leans on locals coming back.
Vecina brings Arcadia to the lake
Vecina opened its second location on Friday, September 18, 2026, at 8300 Hayden Road, Suite D-101, in the former Z'Tejas building. James and Raenee Fox first opened Vecina in Arcadia in 2019. It was a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2020, and Phoenix New Times still keeps it on its Top 50 list.
James Fox told Phoenix New Times why the couple chose McCormick Ranch: "It kind of feels like Arcadia. I think we'll fit in with our neighborhood vibe." The restaurant's name means "neighbor" in Spanish.
The Scottsdale building is nearly three times the size of the Phoenix original. It has a lakeside patio and more room for large parties and private dining. Right now it serves dinner only. The chef plans to add lunch in the coming months, along with more wood-fired grill dishes and raw bites such as oysters. Regulars from the Arcadia location will recognize the Faroe Island salmon tacos with yuzu kosho aioli and Cara Cara oranges, the oversized community table and the floral mural by artist Tato Caraveo.
There's also a frozen cocktail on the Scottsdale menu that nods to Z'Tejas, for anyone who misses the old place.
Starfish took the spring opening
Starfish Scottsdale reached the corner first, opening for limited reservations on May 1 with a grand opening on May 5. It sits at 8390 E. Via de Ventura and is the first Arizona restaurant from Starfish Hospitality Group, founded by Archie and Gretchen McConnell.
KTAR describes the concept as Asian coastal, drawing on Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese cooking, with more than 70 shareable plates. PHOENIX magazine included it in its roundup of May openings.
Of the three restaurants, Starfish keeps the longest daily schedule. Lunch runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day, happy hour runs from 3 to 6 p.m., and dinner starts at 3 p.m. Closing time is 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. KTAR reported a 1,400-square-foot patio, and Mouth by Southwest put patio seating at 90. As the weather cools, either figure means plenty of room to sit outside.
Dash makes the neighborhood argument most plainly
If Vecina is a destination restaurant that wants to feel like a local spot, Dash was planned as a local spot from day one. Chef Matt Carter and his longtime business partner Brian Raab are behind it. Carter's earlier restaurants include The Mission, Fat Ox and Zinc Bistro. According to PhoenixBites, Carter has lived in McCormick Ranch for 17 years, and he has said the menu is partly made of things he wishes he could eat in his own neighborhood.
The format reflects that. PhoenixBites reports 12 seats inside, 40 on the patio, online ordering and dedicated curbside pickup. The name comes from the idea of dashing in and dashing out. The planned menu changes over the day:
- Morning: coffee with house-made syrups using dates and fig leaves, croissants, breakfast bowls and sandwiches, fresh-squeezed orange juice and matcha
- Midday: chopped sandwiches, salads and Roman-style pizza, including a BLT with Nueske's bacon and salt-cured tomatoes
- Evening: Portuguese-style charcoal-roasted chicken and potatoes, plus daily specials
- Anytime: soft serve, house-made root beer, a ginger-and-grapefruit soda and a mushroom-infused cola, with beer and wine expected at opening
There will also be a small market selling prepared foods, including Zinc Bistro's mac and cheese, Fat Ox polenta and The Mission's chips and guacamole. Longtime Fat Ox pastry chef Lisa Graf is part of the team.
Dash will be at 9619 N. Hayden Road, Suite 101. It isn't open yet. As of October 14, Arizona Pulse reported that November was the expected month but no opening day had been announced, and the restaurant's own site still says "Coming Fall 2026."
The three side by side
| Vecina | Starfish Scottsdale | Dash | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address | 8300 Hayden Rd, D-101 | 8390 E. Via de Ventura | 9619 N. Hayden Rd, Suite 101 |
| Status | Opened Sept. 18, 2026 | Opened May 2026 | Expected November 2026 |
| Previous tenant | Z'Tejas | Agave del Scottsdale, then Okay Maguey | New concept |
| Meals now | Dinner, with lunch planned | Lunch, happy hour, dinner | Breakfast through dinner, planned |
| Food | Latin American, mesquite grill | Asian coastal, 70+ shareable plates | Coffee, sandwiches, Roman-style pizza, charcoal chicken |
| Format | Lakeside patio, community table, private dining | Large patio | 12 seats inside, 40 on the patio, curbside pickup, market |
Once Dash opens, the three together will cover breakfast, lunch, happy hour and a full dinner along the same stretch of Hayden.
Meanwhile, the road between them is changing
The Hayden Road medians running south from Via de Ventura are changing too. The McCormick Ranch Property Owners' Association has a Hayden Road landscape plan covering about 1.25 miles from Indian Bend Road to Via de Ventura. It calls for 144 new trees and low-water landscaping, though the March 2026 update did not give a construction start date.
The plan grew more complicated this month. In an October 13 release, MRPOA said the two Aleppo pines originally scheduled for removal are already gone, and 12 more mature Aleppo pines in the medians between Via de Ventura and Indian Bend have declined significantly. An arborist found yellowing and browning foliage, resin around holes in the bark and woodpecker damage. The report lists several possible stressors, including prolonged heat and drought, limited soil and water storage in the median, reflected heat and recent trenching. It attributes the decline to the combined effect of these conditions and does not name a single confirmed cause. Staff increased irrigation to try to save the trees.
MRPOA staff were scheduled to meet with the City and the landscape architects on October 20. The Landscape Committee votes on a recommendation October 22, and the Board takes up that recommendation October 28. No replacement species has been chosen. The calendar lists the October 28 board meeting at 9248 N. 94th Street.
Homeowners who notice similar symptoms in their own pines can read MRPOA's guidance. It points out that these signs alone don't confirm bark beetles and suggests getting an assessment from a qualified arborist.
MRPOA's release says the mature pines "contribute to the character, scale, and appearance of McCormick Ranch," and whichever species the Board picks will become the view from the patios on this stretch of Hayden.
Two more reasons to be out this season
The new restaurants aren't the only draw this fall. McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park is running Spook-Track-Ula through October 31 with timed evening entry. This year it adds a haunted-train walkthrough and a storybook train ride for kids. Holiday Lights follows in late November and runs through December 30, with new additions including S'more Land, visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus, and Grinch dates. The City's event calendar lists November 28 as opening night, while the park's own page says November 27, so check with the park before you book a timed-entry slot. Dinner at Vecina or Starfish before the lights makes an easy evening for visiting family.
Franklin has already put in a request for any patio that welcomes Akitas. If you own a commercial space near Hayden and Via de Ventura, or a home a short walk from this corner, and you'd like to talk about how changes like these affect value, Lee Fisher is glad to compare notes over lunch at whichever of the three is serving. Contact Us.
