The Bragg’s Pie Factory building at Grand and 13th avenues was built in 1947. The historical site now houses artist studios and a vegan diner. The Republic
Upward Projects owns multiple adaptive-reuse restaurants in Phoenix, including Postino in central Phoenix and Arcadia, Federal Pizza on Central Avenue north of Camelback Road, and Windsor, also on Central Avenue.
Owner Lauren Bailey said the adaptive-reuse program in Phoenix has been amazing. She said the city understands the additional cost with adaptive reuse and works well with business owners to make the process easier.
For her, the projects are “like an addiction.”
She said she kept finding cool buildings and that drove her to come up with new restaurant ideas. She said the buildings have been “the primary driver of growth” for her company.
She said when doing adaptive-reuse projects “the surprises you find are both a curse and a blessing.”