McDonalds’ breaks ground on Carefree Highway at 54th Street. The food giant, which purchased the 1.5 acre parcel back in 2015, will make this opening the 213th McDonalds’ restaurant in Arizona. The subject parcel is located on the north side of the Carefree Highway just east of Jiffy Lube. It is one of the very few parcels in the area to sport a mature Joshua tree.

Most consumers think of McDonalds‘ as a burger chain, but in the business world, McDonalds’ is considered a real estate company. 

While the brand has sold more than one billion hamburgers to patrons around the world, 85% of its stores are owned by franchisees. Franchisees pay to use McDonalds’ brand name, its standard operating procedures, and its trademarked menu items. However

unlike most other franchises, McDonald’s owns the land the stores are built on. 

Between the burgers and the land, McDonald’s makes considerable more of its money on the land. 

McDonalds’, headquartered in Oakbrook, Illinois operated or franchised 40,275 restaurants worldwide in 2022, and globally it serves 69 million people per day. The latest commercial development to follow the Sprouts’ opening will be the 213th McDonalds’ in Arizona.

Another fast food company, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, purchased in 2021 a one acre parcel of land adjacent to Burger King, and went so far as to get Town of Cave Creek site approval. The Popeyes’ Corporation however neglected to act on the building permit within the required twelve month period, so as a result would need to reapply if/when they decide to develop the parcel.

February 21, 2024

Tatum Ranch and Cave Creek are gaining another Asian dining option with addition of Pure Thai Kitchen in the Fry’s Center at Cave Creek and Tatum. Located in the old Baskin Robbins space, construction is underway and an Grand Opening in the coming weeks is being anticipated.

Pure Thai will join several other Asian restaurants in the area, including 3 Regions Vietnamese, Ari Sushi, Dynasty Chinese, Dove Valley’s recently opened PT Pho, and Z’s House of Thai in the Town core to compete for your coveted dining dollar.

Hampton Inn Carefree opens July 6, 2022 at 2 Sundial Circle, after some Covid-related construction delays. The 97 room hotel is not a typical Hampton Inn, but is described as a "boutique" Hampton Inn by Hilton, meant to fit the Carefree Sundial Circle area.

The hotel is going to have a bar, and will serve a continental breakfast to its' guests but will not have a restaurant, so is expected to positively impact local businesses.

                        Honeybaked Ham Co. comes to Dove Valley Ranch and Cave Creek

Those familiar with the Honeybaked Ham Co. will be happy to hear they will soon be available locally. The store soon to open in the Shops at Dove Valley, Carefree Highway and Black Mtn Parkway between Rays’ Pizza and Heart and Soul Café.

In 1936, Harry J. Hoenselaar built a prototype of what was to become the first spiral-slicing machine. By 1944, he filed his first patent. It wasn't until 1957 that Harry opened the first HoneyBaked® Store in Detroit, Michigan. Officially bringing together his patented spiral slicer with The Honey Baked Ham® Company.

The hams are smoked for up to 24 hours with a special blend of hardwood chips, then spiral-sliced to the bone for convenient easy serving, and hand-crafted with sweet, crunchy glaze. The company has expanded their menu to include side dishes, desserts and Honeybaked Turkeys.

The owner of a nearly four acre parcel located on the North side of Carefree Highway, between 48^th and 49^th Streets has recently broken ground. The commercial development will house several businesses, with Verizon Wireless and Harbor Freeight reportedly being two of them.

The project will use the existing traffic light at 48^th street, (Black Mountain Pkwy) and offer ingress and egress off of both Carefree Highway, and 48^th and 49^th Streets.

The developers’ original site-plan indicated two 4500 sq ft “quick serve” restaurants with drive thru lanes, and a larger 14,000 square foot retailer abutting 49^th Street.

However after Starbucks opened,  local resident outcry and feedback convinced the council to vote against allowing drive-thrus in the commercial project to the west, which abuts million dollar homes in the Estado De Cholla neighborhood.

The third retailer, if established has yet to be identified by the developer.