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Writer's pictureDiana Brandt

Introducing The Vig McDowell Mountain


Neighborhood favorite modern tavern, The Vig, is slated to open its fifth location at McDowell Mountain in early June.

Genuine Concepts is pleased to introduce the fifth location of The Vig, opening at McDowell Mountain this summer. The Vigs have become neighborhood favorites in all of the other four locations including Arcadia, Uptown, Fillmore and McCormick Ranch, and the new Vig feels right at home in the McDowell Mountain area. The Vig McDowell Mountain (VMM) sits at the corner of Bell Road and Thompson Peak Parkway in North Scottsdale and has been creating buzz throughout the community for months already. Neighbors are eager to have a new hot spot for brunch, lunch, dinner and all day cocktails. This location boasts spectacular views of the McDowell Mountain range from nearly every seat in the house. The open floor plan, heavily inspired by the timeless design of Frank Lloyd Wright, offers an indoor/outdoor vibe, incorporating the beautiful natural surroundings into the restaurant’s setting.

Genuine Concepts partner, Tucker Woodbury, comments on the building’s design and concept, “I had the pleasure of once again collaborating on the design of the property with Artie Vigil and his team at AV3 Design. We both love the simplicity of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West’s iconic structure and the Usonian style of architecture it represents, which was the inspiration of the design. With a lot of help and collaboration with our development team, YAM Properties, Alexander Building Company, K&I Architects, the City of Scottsdale and our Genuine Concepts team, we were able to bring our vision to fruition. The end result is an astonishing property and we can’t wait to show it off! “

The Vig is known as a bustling, modern tavern which has proved to be a successful staple establishment among all of its current locations in Metro Phoenix. The Vig Arcadia was the original location which opened in the Fall of 2006 by longtime friends and business partners, Tucker Woodbury and Jim Riley. The venture was an immediate hit within the community, drawing rave reviews from the local press. The Vig’s atmosphere is one of its many highly rated perks with beautiful patios, live music and excellent, high quality dining and cocktails at a modest cost. VMM will be Woodbury and Riley’s second Vig in Scottsdale, right behind the most recent Vig location in McCormick Ranch.

VMM occupies over 13,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space and is built on one of North Scottsdale’s last undeveloped corners. The City of Scottsdale resisted other development ideas while waiting for the perfect restaurant group to claim the space. Less than a mile away from the space is the city’s Gateway Center which is a recreational preserve gathering people from all over the country for its immaculate hiking and biking trails. With this in mind, Woodbury and Riley were quick to come up with the clever idea of making sure that VMM would be suited with sets of lockers and an outdoor restroom. Guests can clean up after their outdoor activities before lounging on the patio for a leisurely meal with friends and family. McDowell Mountain will offer a slew of opportunities to VMM including the TPC and its Waste Management Open Golf Tournament, the Barrett Jackson car show at West World, the Ice Den, Notre Dame High School and the everyday bustle of the North Scottsdale community.

“We’d been looking for several months for the ideal spot for a North Scottsdale Vig and were fortunate to find this location,” says Woodbury. “Its proximity to Sonoran Mountain Preserve, the surrounding demographic, ample parking and a large enough property to allow us to execute the site plan we had in mind, made it an easy decision to build our 5th Vig here. It’s an incredibly active community and we wanted to take advantage of our proximity to The Sonoran Mountain Preserve, and the easy access to mountain biking and hiking trails thus creating a space that aligns itself with the residents of the area that frequent those amenities.”

Genuine Concepts has always taken great pride in giving back to the communities in which their restaurants and bars are located. VMM will be very involved in the McDowell Mountain neighborhood, supporting local organizations through their monthly Community Handle program, school sponsorships, community meetings and festivals, hiking and cycling events, yoga on the patio and many other opportunities. VMM will also have an ongoing donation to the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy with each sale of “The Bitty” cocktail. Named after the Bitty Cycling Club, fifty cents from each of this rum and Coke style beverage will be donated to the organization to keep the McDowell Mountain trails maintained and safe for patrons.

VMM is located at 10199 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, on the corner of Bell Road and Thompson Peak Parkway. Hours of operation are Monday-Thursday 11am-11pm, Friday 11am-1am, Saturday 10am-1am & Sunday 10am-11pm.

The Vig McDowell Mountain will open its doors to the public at 11am on Monday, June 5th, 2017. Come see this beautiful, new addition to the Genuine Concepts family for yourself! From the gorgeous and stately Frank Lloyd Wright design, convenient access to activities of the outdoors and the delicious Vig food and cocktails that Phoenix has loved for over ten years, VMM is sure to become a neighborhood landmark.

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