New Restaurants in Downtown Tempe Near Mill Avenue's Historic Houses

"The beautiful historic homes and gardens we created around them were a significant part of what made House of Tricks so special to so many people," Robin Trick said last September, when the city announced that one of those homes would stay in downtown Tempe. She and her husband, Bob, ran the restaurant from 1987 until they retired in 2022. The 1903 house she was talking about is now scheduled to start serving ice cream in October.

That house is one of two historic buildings near Mill Avenue set to open as places to eat this fall. The other is the 1890s Moeur House at Seventh Street and Myrtle Avenue. In both cases the City of Tempe is the reason the building is still standing and open to the public. The tower boom that is changing the skyline south of University Drive is also, in a roundabout way, paying for downtown's oldest dining rooms.

A House That Took the Long Way to Fifth Street

The Harry Walker House is named for a groundskeeper at Tempe Normal School, the school that became Arizona State University. He lived there before moving to northern Arizona. The city describes it as a modest working-class home in the Georgian Revival mode, one of the surviving examples of Tempe's earliest residential neighborhoods. Local architect Thomas S. Montgomery opened his offices there in 1954, and House of Tricks later expanded into it from next door.

On Sept. 11, 2025, Wolfe House & Building Movers moved it overnight, about four blocks, from Seventh Street near Forest Avenue to a lot beside Tempe City Hall on Fifth Street. The city says the route went east on Seventh, north on College Avenue and west on Fifth. Valley Metro, the developers and the city coordinated traffic control and took down street signs and poles along the way. Getting the house ready for the trip took several months.

The next tenant is Novel Ice Cream. Novel opened in Phoenix's Grand Avenue Arts District in 2017, and Tempe will be its fourth Valley location. Phoenix New Times reported that the shop will bring its Dough Melt to Tempe, a warm glazed doughnut stuffed with ice cream and topped with crunchy cereal. It will also offer about a dozen rotating flavors and a walk-up window where you can order a cup, a cone or a flight of five. Owner Shawn Allard called the property a "no-brainer" and said part of the appeal was "saving that building."

Phoenix New Times lists Novel's opening as October, with no specific day announced. Downtown Tempe's listing still says "Coming Soon." Online listings also give conflicting street addresses. To find it, look for the old bungalow on Fifth Street just east of Mill, next to City Hall.

Why the City Ended Up Holding the Keys

The house had to move because of what is replacing it. Core Spaces and Wexford Developments are planning a 30-story mixed-use project on the block east of Myrtle Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets, which includes the former House of Tricks site. It is designed to hold more than 800 apartments with retail on the ground floor, and the city says it will be among the tallest buildings in Tempe.

Under the agreement, the developers kept two historic buildings rather than one. The Walker House went to the city. The First Congregational Church sanctuary at Sixth Street and Myrtle Avenue stays where it is, and ownership will pass to the city as the larger project moves forward. The congregation's history on that site goes back to 1899, and the current sanctuary was rebuilt in 1953.

"Redevelopment of a property, especially a space as beloved as the former House of Tricks location, can be a tough balancing act." — Tempe Mayor Corey Woods

The city's facility history explains what came next. After the move, the Walker House was conveyed to the City of Tempe, and the city oversaw a historical rehabilitation and leased the house to Novel Ice Cream. That puts the city in the position of a landlord choosing the tenant, which is a different role from simply approving a permit for a private owner. When the house was moved, the city said only that it would "explore new tenants," possibly retail or restaurant. A year later, it has a scoop shop with a walk-up window.

Wexford's co-founder, Sam Gordon, said the firm has owned property in Tempe for almost a decade. He said keeping both buildings was important to the company because "we knew how much both the Walker House as well as the Church Sanctuary has meant to the people of Tempe."

Seventh and Myrtle Has Done This Before

A block away, the Moeur House shows what this arrangement looks like after three decades. According to the city's history, the house was built in the 1890s and bought in 1898 by Benjamin B. Moeur, who later became governor. It was remodeled in 1912. The property was restored in 1993, and Hatton Hall was built next to it at the same time for community and city uses. The city's current facility description says Hatton Hall has a restaurant kitchen and the Moeur House provides the seating.

Those rooms are going to Cat Bunnag and Dan Robinson, the owners of Glai Baan, the Thai street food spot in central Phoenix that is known for its lines. In July 2025, the Arizona Republic reported their plans for a restaurant and cocktail bar in the Moeur House and Hatton Hall. WhatNow reported that the couple is developing the concept at 34 E. Seventh St. in partnership with the City of Tempe. Bunnag said: "It will not be Glai Baan. But it will still be us."

As of Phoenix New Times' fall preview on Sept. 15, 2026, the project still had no name, the cuisine had not been announced, and the target was October. Downtown Tempe's listing still says "Coming Soon."

The two projects follow the same pattern. A private project changes the block, the historic building ends up in public hands or a public partnership, and the city brings in an established local operator to fill it. Moeur House went through a version of this in 1993. The Walker House is going through it now, and the church sanctuary is next in line.

The Rest of Mill Is Filling In Around Them

The two houses are part of a larger wave of openings. Roman God of Fire opened at the end of July on the northeast corner of Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway. It is the first ground-up build for Pretty Decent Concepts, with a menu developed by chef Scott Conant. Co-founder Teddy Myers, an ASU alum, told ABC15 the goal was to create "a cultural landmark." That restaurant was built new from the ground up. The two houses arrive with more than a century of history already in place.

Here is where the rest of downtown stands on the last day of September, based on the most recent announcements:

A few details stand out in the table. Carmen is a Mexican coast-inspired concept from veteran restaurateur Julian Wright that has been delayed several times. It plans tiki huts, open-air bar areas, Asian-fusion tacos and a long list of agave spirits. The speakeasy has been called both "Mea Culpa" and "Mia Culpa" in coverage. Guests enter through what Myers calls a "confessional moment," and a DJ plays on Fridays and Saturdays. Phantom Fox is bringing 20 taps along with pizza, wings and loaded fries. Co-owner Trent Smith told New Times, "We're just really happy to be part of this community." Rally House has planned a six-foot LEGO Sparky display for its new store.

A Downtown October on the Calendar

Several of these openings fall right next to downtown's busiest fall weekends.

1. Oct. 8: Phantom Fox and Goat and Ram are scheduled to open at 525 S. Mill.
2. Oct. 9–11: Four Peaks Oktoberfest returns to Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Parkway. Hours are 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, and general admission is free on Sunday.
3. Oct. 24: The Making Strides breast cancer walk starts at Tempe Beach Park at 8 a.m.
4. Nov. 6–8: ASU Family Weekend.
5. Nov. 8: 2nd Sundays on Mill returns as a free, dog-friendly street market with live entertainment.
6. Nov. 11: The Veterans Day Parade starts at 10 a.m. at ASU Gammage and heads up Mill Avenue to Tempe Beach Park.
7. Nov. 15–21: ASU Homecoming week, with a parade, a block party and the ASU–Oklahoma State game.

If Novel and the Moeur House project hit their October targets, both will be open by the time 2nd Sundays brings people back to Mill on Nov. 8. Both are a short walk from the street market. The Walker House is on Fifth Street just east of Mill, and the Moeur House is at Seventh and Myrtle, across from the block where the 30-story tower is planned.

At Daniel Birk, we follow downtown Tempe block by block, including which historic buildings the city has kept and what is planned next to them. If you own near Mill and want to know how projects like the Core Spaces tower and these new openings fit into your home's value, ask us for a free home valuation and we'll go over it with you.