16 May 2nd-May 8th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | A Roosevelt Row Icon Carly’s Bistro owner reflects on her restaurant’s legacy, looks to the future. BY SARA CROCKER S itting on the shaded patio of Carly’s Bistro on a sunny afternoon, Carla Wade Logan says she has no regrets in the nearly 20 years she and her husband John Logan have run their pioneering Roosevelt Row restaurant. “I have to say, my heart is full. For us, here, things have come full circle,” Wade Logan says. The eatery will serve its last plates and drinks on May 3. Wade Logan says she and John want to focus more on their family and are ready to move on to other endeavors. But, they’ll stay closely connected to the area and the arts. “We feel really proud of what we’ve accomplished here and our contribution to the neighborhood in that we’ve really helped create a community space,” Wade Logan says. “We’re just ready for the next chapter.” ‘We wanted to contribute’ When Carly’s first opened on the northwest corner of Second and Roosevelt streets in 2005, the area was a mix of residences, art galleries and vacant lots and buildings. “An architect once described it as an area with so many missing teeth,” says Cindy Dach, co-founder of Roosevelt Row’s contemporary art gallery Eye Lounge and MADE Art Boutique – which opened in 2001 and 2005 respectively. “There was just a lot of vacancy, a lot of space between us, and people were nervous to come downtown.” The Logans were both drawn to the area because of the arts and music scene that was emerging. Wade Logan was living in the Garfield neighborhood, working at the now-shuttered cocktail lounge Chez Nous and hanging out in the area for First Friday artwalk events. She then met her future husband, who was part of the art collective Thought Crime, which resided on Central Avenue near Roosevelt Street. What was needed, Wade Logan says, was more restaurants. “There weren’t a lot of establishments that were open on a daily basis,” she says. “We wanted to contribute.” As the couple considered what they could offer, they combined their love of food and the arts and Carly’s Bistro was born. “We wanted to create an environment where we could encompass all of that,” she says. Longtime neighbors say the Mediterranean-leaning restaurant and bar served more than a healthy, satisfying meal. While many say they’ll miss the salads, Feta Rosa dip and the cocktails, among other items, Dach says she’s also sad to lose a place that nourished the community, too. “It was essential. It was where creativity got sparked,” the Roosevelt Row Community Development Corp. board member adds. Carly’s was a place Dach says she could meet with city or business leaders over a plate of hummus or run into a friend at the bar. Wade Logan says the restaurant has played host to “all the different emotions of life,” from first dates to breakups, baby showers to wakes. “I think that’s the thing that I’m going to miss the most is the connectivity to the community on a daily level,” Wade Logan says. “When you’re truly part of the community, people experience their life events here, too.” Musician Mike Montoya lived near Carly’s when it opened. He visited for the food and as a performer with his band Fatigo. He called Carly’s a “hub” for food, art and music and noted the generosity of the owners. “It seemed like every way they could, they provided a place for artists to express themselves,” he says. Dach says she saw the Wade Logans show up time and again as community advocates – from providing space and food for conversations to lending their voices on the future of the neighborhood. “It was always, ‘How can I help?’” Dach says. “They’re not armchair community activists, they’re community activists.” Kimber Lanning, founder of the gallery Modified Arts and CEO of Local First Arizona, says Wade Logan’s voice was crit- ical during discussions about Federales. The proposed taco and tequila spot sparked controversy in the neighborhood and has lost two appeals to move the project forward. “She’s got 20 years of experience that you can’t just replace,” Lanning says, noting the importance of Wade Logan’s knowledge as a longtime business owner in the area. Staying connected to Roosevelt and the arts Although the restaurant and community gathering space will no longer bear Wade Logan’s name above its blue awnings, she and John aren’t going far. The couple own the building, which Wade Logan has dubbed the Carly’s Historic Building. And later this fall, the duo plan to open a gallery and sound incu- bator next door to their former restaurant. The new concept is a return to their roots – Carla has a degree in art history and was working in art therapy before shifting to the culinary world. John is a longtime musician in bands such as the MadCaPs. The gallery and incubator will allow them to continue to carve out room for the arts. “Musicians and artists that we’ve supported over the years can still have connectivity to the space and a presence on Roosevelt,” Wade Logan says. Carly’s Bistro co-owner Carla Wade Logan says she and her husband John Logan are ready to start a new chapter. The longstanding Roosevelt Row restaurant will close on May 3. (Photo by Sara Crocker) ▼ Food & Drink Food & Drink Carly’s Next Chapter Scottsdale bar owners to open Industry Standard on Roosevelt Row. BY SARA CROCKER W hen Carla Wade Logan and John Logan decided to shutter their 19-year-old downtown Phoenix restaurant Carly’s Bistro, the couple knew they wanted the space to remain a neighborhood hangout. Once Carly’s Bistro serves its last dishes and drinks on May 3, the Logans will hand the keys of the Roosevelt Row staple to Mike Cheathem, an operating partner of Old Town Scottsdale spot Scapegoat Beer & Wine. Cheathem has partnered with DashTrack founder Jordan Hudgens and longtime hospitality pro Michael Bodow to open a new concept. They plan to open Industry Standard in the former Carly’s Bistro this fall. “They want to focus on customer service and being a neighborhood estab- lishment that knows the neighbors, so when we were looking for people to come into the space, we thought that would be a great fit,” Wade Logan says. The team was scouting locations in downtown Phoenix when they connected with Wade Logan. “We’re incredibly grateful. (Carla) literally could have chosen anyone to go in there,” Cheathem says of landing in the space on the northwest corner of Second and Roosevelt streets. “It shows us… that she trusts that we have aligned vision,” he says. At Industry Standard, Cheathemsays the name was inspired by the >> p 18 >> p 20 Industry Standard will replace Carly’s Bistro. The new restaurant and bar is expected to open in October. (Photo by Jennifer Goldberg)