Staff Reports | Business & Commerce
A husband-and-wife team with Arizona roots and years of restaurant experience in Colorado has opened Urban Hip-E Fresh Kitchen in the heart of Tempe’s Mill Avenue district.
The restaurant, located at the corner of Mill Avenue and 10th Street across from Arizona State University, opened Monday, Aug. 10, and offers what owners Stanya and James Gorraiz describe as an “elevated fast casual” dining experience.
Urban Hip-E Fresh Kitchen serves salads, gyros, grain bowls, flatbreads, soups, smoothies and other globally inspired dishes aimed at students, faculty, residents and visitors navigating one of Tempe’s busiest corridors, according to a press release.
For the Gorraizes, the opening marks a return to their Arizona roots. Stanya Gorraiz attended Xavier College Preparatory, while James Gorraiz graduated from St. Mary’s High School before earning a degree from Arizona State University. The couple, who have four children, now split their time between Telluride, Colorado, and Tempe.
“We’ve been watching this place evolve for years and years,” Mrs. Gorraiz said of Tempe and the Mill Avenue district. “We’ve seen how much it’s changed and how much the city has done to revitalize the area. To now be smack-dab in the middle of it all is amazing.”
The Tempe location is the second Urban Hip-E Fresh Kitchen. The concept debuted in Montrose, Colorado, in November 2024. The couple also owns Steamie’s Burger Bar and Shake N’ Dog in Telluride.
Before entering the restaurant business, the Gorraizes owned a landscape design, installation and maintenance company and operated a public nursery in Phoenix. They envisioned transforming the nursery into a neighborhood gathering place centered around food, drinks and community connections.
Although they sold the property before relocating to Colorado, the concept ultimately came to life as The Orchard Phoenix and Luci’s at the Orchard. The experience helped shape the couple’s interest in combining hospitality with community-focused development.
When developing Urban Hip-E, the Gorraizes sought to create a restaurant that offered a faster dining format while placing a greater emphasis on ingredients and preparation than traditional quick-service concepts.
The restaurant’s guiding philosophy, “Fresh Is Hip,” is reflected throughout the menu.
Urban Hip-E’s offerings draw inspiration from Mediterranean and international cuisines, incorporating influences from Morocco, Spain, France and other regions. Menu items include specialty gyros, grain bowls, salads, flatbreads, ramen and dumpling soups, along with smoothies and international desserts.
A key feature of the concept is ingredient transparency. The restaurant does not use seed oils or high-fructose corn syrup and prepares its dressings, sauces and drizzles in-house, according to a press release.
Among the menu items highlighted by Mrs. Gorraiz are the Urban Gyros, Hot Honey Flatbread, Ruby Scarlet Salad and the Salmon & Shrimp Cold Protein Bowl, which combines seafood, jasmine rice, vegetables and a pineapple sweet chili drizzle.
The restaurant also offers gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options and operates with a full liquor license. Its counter-service model is designed to accommodate customers looking for a quick meal between classes, dinner before a performance at ASU Gammage or a casual outing in downtown Tempe.
The opening adds another locally owned dining concept to Mill Avenue as the district continues to evolve alongside Arizona State University’s growing downtown presence.
