23 Jan 12th–Jan 18th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | cONTeNTs | feeDBacK | OPiNiON | NeWs | feaTuRe | NighT+Day | culTuRe | film | cafe | music | Churchill Changes Businesses are moving in and out of the downtown Phoenix hangout. BY NATASHA YEE T he Churchill has become a staple near Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. City dwellers waltz into the micro- marketplace of stores and restaurants housed in shipping containers throughout the day to grab an everything bagel slathered in schmear at Stoop Kid or sip on a cheeky cocktail at So Far So Good. But the well-known hangout spot, which debuted in September 2018, is undergoing some changes as it embarks on its fifth year in business. Natural wine seller Sauvage Bottle Shop has moved on and Gather PHX, which sells plants and locally-sourced gifts, will move out soon. When Kell Duncan opened The Churchill with business partner Hartley Rodie in 2018, they hoped to offer an incu- bator for small businesses who wished to test out their concepts with less of an invest- ment than traditional brick-and-mortar shops. The businesses were required to sign five year leases to help secure the bank loan. Many of those same businesses are completing their leases in 2023. Sauvage is the first tenant at The Churchill to grow out of its space into a larger and more fully-fledged business. At the Churchill bottle shop, owner Chris Lingua offered a rotating selection of over 200 natural wines from his miniature space. Wine enthusiasts would stop by to grab some vino on the way home and strike up a conversation with Lingua, who also offered a two or four-bottle monthly wine subscription. “Two hundred square feet is great but it was never Chris’ plan; it was a way to get him in and test his concept,” Duncan says. “Chris has the perfect tenant story for us. He used The Churchill as an incubator and is now growing into his own space.” Sauvage will move into the historic Helen Anderson House on McDowell Road in February, according to its Instagram. The charming home most recently held Luana’s Coffee & Beer and before that, HobNobs Food and Spirits, a quaint neighborhood cafe that occupied the space from 2008 to 2019. Sauvage’s last day at its Churchill loca- tion was December 31, and the next tenant wasted no time moving in. Neighbor Market, a gourmet bodega and bottle shop, hosted a soft opening on January 1. “Processing all the thoughts and emotions from today. Still feels like a dream — can’t believe we got to kick off the first day of the year and day ONE in our shop with all of you. Here’s to the year ahead and all the cozy events still to come,” an Instagram post from the business reads. The tiny European-style grocer sells meats and cheeses, snacks, beer, wine, and non- alcoholic beverages. Just across the courtyard, Gather PHX will also be replaced. Luxury fragrance brand Cayla Gray first connected with Duncan as a vendor of Sidewalk Saturdays, a weekly market of local artisans that sets up just outside The Churchill. It will move from the sidewalk into its own shipping container on February 1. Expect to see and smell toxin-free fragrances with names like Water, Petals, and Cozy, in pretty, minimal bottles. Another modification, albeit small, took place in September. Foxy Fruit Acai Bowls partnered with Freak Brothers Pizza and rebranded as Infruition, which still serves brightly colored smoothie bowls and drinks with toppings like sliced strawber- ries, mangoes, and gooey peanut Chris Lingua will have more space for his Sauvage Bottle Shop when it moves to the historic Helen Anderson House on McDowell Road in February. Chris Malloy | CHOW BELLA | t Café >> p 25
