On July 24, Rebel Wine Lounge at 104 W. Main St. poured its last glass, or closed sooner if the wine ran out first. Its sister business in the same building, Outcast Doughnuts, had already shut its downtown shop that month. By mid-summer, a stretch of Main Street that had become a regular coffee-and-a-drink stop had two dark storefronts.
Three months later, a burger bar from a former Arizona Rattlers player is getting ready to open in that doughnut space. A live-music venue is open where a brewery used to be, and a bagel shop has bought a pretzel shop's equipment.
This fall, the fastest changes on downtown Mesa's Main Street are happening in kitchens that were already built. Owners leaving are handing their spaces, and sometimes their equipment, to new operators, so some empty storefronts are refilling within weeks. The projects starting from an empty shell are on a much longer timeline, and two of the biggest won't open until 2027.
A Summer of Goodbyes on Main Street
Rebel and Outcast were both part of Incomparably Dope Venture Partners, the group that also runs Level 1 Arcade Bar and the Alchemy 48 speakeasy. Neither brand closed for good. In co-owner Christina Goldsmith's telling to Phoenix New Times, business at the Mesa locations had been inconsistent, and staying no longer made financial sense for the wine bar or the doughnut shop.
Both are opening somewhere else. Rebel plans to reopen in early 2027 at The Gilmore, a development under construction near Val Vista Drive and Germann Road in Gilbert. Outcast reopened as a drive-through at 2955 Hayden Road in Scottsdale, with an opening planned for Aug. 1.
Other longtime names left too. Phoenix magazine's September openings-and-closings roundup includes Jarrod's Coffee, Tea and Gallery, which closed after 14 years in historic downtown Mesa. In June, 12 West Brewing announced a summer break at 12 W. Main. Its Gilbert taproom stayed open, and the brewery promised a new concept for the Mesa space in the fall.
The Salted Knot was supposed to be another summer closure. Owners Maria Vassett and Chad Day first planned to close by the end of May. Instead they kept the pretzel shop at 21 W. Main open until they found a buyer for the equipment and the space, KTAR reported. That decision set up the pattern for the rest of the fall.
Fall Is Refilling the Built-Out Spaces
When a restaurant leaves, it usually leaves a working kitchen behind. On Main Street this fall, that kitchen has been what brings in the next tenant.
12 W. Main. 12 West Brewing promised a new concept, and it arrived on schedule. Stage 12 West held its grand opening Oct. 2 in the former brewery space. It pairs live music and laser displays with a chef-driven menu that includes grilled salmon, BBQ pulled pork sandwiches and a bruschetta trio, according to the Mesa Independent. The venue announced a 5 p.m. Oct. 9 grand opening for Jolie's Secret, its downstairs speakeasy.
The former Outcast Doughnuts space. Randizzle's has been a Valley food truck since 2019. Its owner, former Arizona Rattlers player and self-taught chef Randy Gatewood, signed a lease for a burger bar near Main Street and Macdonald, KTAR reported on Sept. 30. The brand's Instagram announcement explained why Mesa came first: "we found an existing restaurant space that was already almost completely equipped and could get us open much faster." The team is aiming for an October opening, depending on inspections and final approvals. A Phoenix location at 541 W. McDowell Road is planned for late November or early December.
21 W. Main. The buyer of The Salted Knot turned out to be Sidewalk Coffee and Bagel Co., which already has a shop in Queen Creek. Owner Azadeh Purvis said she does not yet know when the Mesa shop will open, because permitting and hiring are still ahead. The Salted Knot's final day was set for Oct. 18, with bands and frozen pretzels to go. By the time you read this, the pretzels have probably made their last appearance.
Here is where each address stands:
| Address | What left | What's in or coming | Status as of late October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 W. Main | 12 West Brewing, summer break in June | Stage 12 West and Jolie's Secret | Open since Oct. 2; speakeasy announced for Oct. 9 |
| Former Outcast Doughnuts space, near Main and Macdonald | Outcast Doughnuts, July | Randizzle's Burger Bar | Targeting October, pending inspections |
| 21 W. Main | The Salted Knot, final day Oct. 18 | Sidewalk Coffee and Bagel Co. | No opening date announced |
| 104 W. Main, Suite 101 | Rebel Wine Lounge shared the building | Pinnacle Brewing taproom | Planned for 2027 |
| 111 W. Main | None | Main Street Market food hall | Expected early 2027 |
The Ground-Up Projects Run on a Much Slower Clock
The last two rows of that table show the other half of the pattern. When a project needs a space built or rebuilt from scratch, the timeline stretches from weeks to years.
Crust Simply Italian is the clearest example. The restaurant and its hidden bar were first announced for downtown Mesa in 2023. The project stalled when the original developer filed for bankruptcy in 2024, and a new developer took over and added a hotel to the plans, Phoenix New Times reported. The building is now The 233 Suites, Unscripted by Hyatt, a 76-room hotel with a pool and meeting space at 233 E. Main St. The city announced its official opening on Aug. 6.
Owner Michael Merendino's group put three businesses on the hotel's ground floor, just east of Hibbert. Crust serves New York-style pizzas, chicken Parmesan and pastas in a 7,300-square-foot dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows facing a Main Street patio. It's the brand's fifth Valley location since it started in Scottsdale in 2007. Bombolino, the café and gelateria, was added after the hotel asked about coffee. Its signature item, the Bomba, is a doughnut stuffed with gelato. The Nightingale, a bird-themed speakeasy, completes the trio. Crust announced an Aug. 27 grand-opening celebration.
The next two big arrivals are on that slower clock too. In May, Phoenix magazine reported that Pinnacle Brewing, owned by Mary and Bob Wilson, had signed for a second taproom at 104 W. Main St., Suite 101, with an opening planned for 2027. The City of Mesa's Main Street Market, a food hall and restaurant incubator at 111 W. Main, was under construction in July and expected to open in early 2027, according to ABC15.
So 104 W. Main gives up a wine bar this summer and gets a brewery taproom next year, with a long gap in between.
Not every recent arrival was a restaurant. Mesa Padel Club opened at 219 W. Main with an April 18 grand opening. Founder Jeroen Meefout told the Mesa Independent the goal was to make padel accessible. It's one more reason to be on the west end of Main Street that isn't dinner.
Where the Fall Calendar Puts You on Main Street
Several of the fall's downtown events sit within a block or two of these storefronts, and the city lists most of them at or near Main and Macdonald. That's the same corner as the Randizzle's space and a short walk from Stage 12 West and 21 W. Main.
- Haunting on Main Street, Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., based at 1 N. Macdonald, with downtown trick-or-treating, games and crafts.
- Día de los Muertos Festival, Oct. 24 from noon to 10 p.m. and Oct. 25 from noon to 5 p.m., free, at Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St.
- Downtown Mesa Barbeque and Bluegrass Classic, Nov. 6 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Nov. 7 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., downtown at 1 N. Macdonald.
- Downtown Mesa Sunset Market, Nov. 13 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Macdonald and Main.
- Merry Main Street kickoff and Christmas Tree Lighting, Nov. 27 from 5 to 10 p.m. throughout downtown.
Times can change, so check the City of Mesa calendar or the Downtown Mesa event page before you head out. Haunting on Main is a good daytime chance to stop by 12 W. Main or the Randizzle's corner, if the burger bar has opened by then. The tree lighting on the night after Thanksgiving is a good time to walk east to The 233 and end with a Bomba at Bombolino.
If you've already tried one of the new spots, or you're keeping an eye on a storefront I didn't cover, I'd love to hear about it. I spent years as a TV reporter, and I still can't walk past a "coming soon" sign without wanting the story. When you're ready to talk about Mesa, Main Street or anywhere else in the Valley, Steve Russell is happy to swap notes over coffee, once Sidewalk opens. Let's Connect.
