Queen Creek Olive Mill opening cafe on farm
Come fall, Queen Creek Olive Mill visitors will no longer have to leave the premises for a meal.
Angela Gabriel
The Arizona Republic
July 1, 2006
The working olive farm and mill will open its own restaurant this fall, del Piero - at the Mill, said Perry Rea, the mill's owner.
The restaurant, at 25062 S. Meridian Road, east of Ellsworth Road and south of Ocotillo Road, will serve breakfast and lunch. Customers will be able to enjoy a 600-square-foot patio or picnic tables in the olive grove.
del Piero's menu is being finalized but it will include coffee, pastries, paninis, cold sandwiches and salads. Rea said the restaurant will use as many local products as possible, such as pork from the Pork Shop in Queen Creek. Pricing will be moderate.
In order to make Rea's concept a reality, the mill is adding 1,000 square feet onto its building to accommodate a kitchen and expand its retail space.
Exact hours of operation are to be determined. Rea said they'll coincide with the mill's hours and will be listed on its Web site.
Initial plans call for the restaurant to be open during harvest season only, which ends in May. Rea said if business goes well it could operate year-round.
Queen Creek Olive Mill presses extra virgin olive oil from nine varieties of olives. Its products are sold at the mill and in retail stores, such as AJ's Fine Foods, and are served in Valley restaurants including Dual in Gilbert, the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix and Bloom in Scottsdale.
Angela Gabriel is a freelance writer. She can be reached at angelakgabriel@yahoo.com.
Copyright 2006 The Arizona Republic.
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