CAREFREE
– The Bashas’ Plaza is on its way to getting a new outdoor
restaurant.
Café
Bink passed through the Development Review Board on June
18. The board unanimously approved the design which includes
outdoor seating.
The
restaurant will be owned and operated by Kevin Binkley,
owner of Binkley’s Restaurant on Cave Creek Road. It will
be occupying the western half of the space formerly held
by Pizzafarros, which downsized their square footage recently
but still is in operation.
Planning
Administrator Gary Neiss said Pizzafarros determined most
of their business was take out or delivery and that they
no longer required as much seating area. According to
the proposal, Café Bink will construct a new 940‑square
foot patio on the end of the building with a shade cover
designed to mimic the cover over the amphitheater. The
patio is being oriented to take advantage of views of
Black Mountain. The patio will be surrounded by a three‑foot
high stucco masonry wall designed to blend into the rest
of the building.
Neiss
said the design met all the town’s guidelines, but that
any new outdoor structure is required to be reviewed and
approved by the board.
“From
a planning perspective, it’s welcome,” Neiss said. “It’s
an attraction, it’s a magnet (for
people).”
All
parking issues have been satisfied, according to Neiss,
as only two spots will be lost due to the new patio. The
plaza’s owner has signed off on the project.
Julien
Blankenship, a manager with Binkley’s company, said the
outdoor seating is necessary to ensure the economic viability
of the project.
