By james art GLENDALE, AZ — Jose Andres will be opening his first restaurant in Arizona “Bar Mar” at the VAI Resort in Glendale!
The VAI Resort, slated to open in phases starting in 2025, announced the celebrity chef partnership on Tuesday, saying:
We’re excited to unveil Bar Mar—the first Jose Andres Group a restaurant in Arizona where the best seafood meets modern culinary art! with Bar Mar by Jose Andres as JAG’s first Arizona venture, we’re setting a new standard for dining in the state, bringing bold innovation, world-class seafood and a dynamic atmosphere to Glendale. With a modern take on the classics you know and love, festive cocktails and vibrant design envisioned by Lázaro Rosa Violán, Bar Mar will elevate VAI’s culinary offerings with its world-class cuisine and immersive dining experience. This is a true milestone for VAI Resort as we partner with one of the world’s most visionary chefs, redefining what it means to dine in Arizona.
Instagram: VAI Resort
“Bar Mar” will be part of more than a dozen concepts created by Chef Jose Andres and his restaurant group.
Andres is a world-renowned chef and has appeared on countless cooking shows. He is also a humanitarian and was named one of the Times’ “100 Most Influential People” twice for his efforts.
The announcement comes after an ABC15 interview with Ryan Kirkman, senior vice president of marketing at VAI Resort, who shared that their property will feature three celebrity chef-driven restaurants.
A total of 12 restaurants are said to be opening at the resort.
“There will be a beam of culinary offerings. I mean there will be […] different types of cuisines. And it’s going to be important to us that not only do the guests enjoy themselves, but we want the locals to enjoy it too – so if you’re in Glendale, if you’re in Peoria, if you’re in Goodyear, you know, if you’re in Surprise – we want to be a destination where people can go to have fun whether they stay at the resort or not,” Kirkman said.
MORE ABOUT VAI
What was once Crystal Lagoons, which launched in 2021 in Glendale, has since changed to an entertainment venue concept with hotel towers called VAI Resort.
Drive on Loop 101 near Cardinals Way in Glendale and you won’t miss the massive project still under construction. The original plan for the VAI Resort was to open in late spring 2023, but that has now been pushed back to 2025.
“It will be a phased opening from late 2025 […] with the remaining phases starting in the first half of 2026,” Kirkman said. “The amphitheater will certainly be phase one, as will this Amphitheater Tower. So, you know, we, we’re going to be a luxury resort that’s really going to be about entertainment. I mean luxury can be a bit heavy sometimes and we’re going to be, we’re going to have this playful sophistication about us. So the first phase will really include that amphitheater and that concert experience, the product for the room and the restaurants there.”
what’s next
“Phase two – like anyone who worked on […] a major construction project, it might be a little more fluid, but we’re expecting a few other towers,” Kirkman told ABC15. “And then [the] conference center and some of the other elements at the resort in phase three. These things, again, can be fluid and changeable, but that’s at least [that’s] what’s the plan for now.”
More stories about things to do: