Which stores and restaurants did Goodyear residents say they wanted, and when will they actually open at GSQ?
From Oct. 1 through Nov. 15, 2025, the City ran its 2025 Retail Survey, asking residents which shopping, dining and entertainment businesses they wanted next. Ten months later, the City's September announcement included a line from Mike Ebert, managing partner of RED Development, that tied the survey directly to GSQ's leasing.
"Last year, the City of Goodyear surveyed residents on the retailers and restaurants they most wanted to see, and Sephora, Postino, Flower Child and Spinato's Pizzeria all ranked in the top 10. Bringing those names to GSQ reflects the kind of leasing strategy we've built this development around."
Ebert said that in a City of Goodyear news release dated Sept. 10, 2026, and KTAR carried the same quote that day. All four of those names have been announced for GSQ. Only one of the four is expected to open in 2026, which means downtown Goodyear's holiday season will run on restaurants that are already serving and the free events next door at Civic Square.
Four top-10 picks, one opening this year
KTAR's Sept. 10 report and the City's release give the clearest timelines available for each survey pick.
| Survey top-10 pick | What's planned at GSQ | Announced timing |
|---|---|---|
| Flower Child | Made-from-scratch bowls, wraps and salads, near the Postino site | By the end of 2026 |
| Postino | 4,500-square-foot restaurant and wine bar | 2027 |
| Sephora | 5,000-square-foot store | 2027 |
| Spinato's Pizzeria | Restaurant | 2027 |
So Flower Child is the only survey pick that could open in time for this year's holiday calendar, and it still had no announced opening date as of late October. The other three, plus Lovesac, Miel de Agave, J.Crew Factory Outlet, Qdoba, Berry Divine Acai Bowls and Petfolk, are all on 2027 timelines. KTAR puts Lovesac in an 1,800-square-foot building between CAVA and California Fish Grill in spring 2027, and Miel de Agave's fourth Valley location along Goodyear Way near Fogo de Chão, also in spring 2027.
Postino's arrival comes from a company that has wanted a West Valley location for a while. "We've felt the love from our West Valley fans for a long time, so bringing Postino to Goodyear feels really special," Lauren Bailey, CEO and co-founder of Upward Projects, said in the City's release.
The survey asked about more than restaurants. The Daily Independent's report on the results found that Whole Foods, AJ's Fine Foods and Sprouts were the most frequently requested grocery brands. None of the three appear on the City's current GSQ roster. Trader Joe's is the grocer listed as open there.
The wish-list approach isn't new for Goodyear, either. When the City launched the 2025 survey, it pointed to past community-requested businesses that had since opened, including WinCo Foods, Hobby Lobby, Raising Cane's, Over Easy, BJ's, Shooter's World and White Castle. Two of those, Over Easy and BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, are now serving at GSQ.
What you can actually eat at GSQ this season
Because the survey picks are mostly a 2027 story, the City's GSQ page is the better guide to this fall and winter. Its "Now Open at GSQ" list currently includes:
- Sit-down dinners: Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, High Tide Seafood Bar & Grill, Copper & Sage gastropub, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, Kura Revolving Sushi Bar
- Drinks: The Stillery, Bacchus Wine Bar
- Breakfast and brunch: Over Easy, First Watch
- Quick bites: Spitz Mediterranean Street Food, Shake Shack, Dave's Hot Chicken, The Yard Milkshake Bar
- Everything else: Trader Joe's, Harkins Estrella Falls, F45 Training, Classic and Fancy Nails Spa, Banner Health
Firebirds is the newest of the group. KTAR reported that it opened the week of Sept. 10 along McDowell Road near Trader Joe's, and the restaurant lists its address as 14810 W. McDowell Road. The menu is built around hand-cut steaks and seafood cooked over locally sourced wood. The City's Sept. 10 release named it as one of three restaurants expected to open at GSQ before the end of the year, and it's the only one of the three open so far.
The "before year-end" list has already slipped once
Magdaleña, Flower Child and V's Barber Shop all had 2026 targets. As of late October, all three are still on the City's "Coming to GSQ" list.
Magdaleña is an all-new restaurant that combines Latin American flavors with live-fire cooking, and it's going in between High Tide and Over Easy. In its April 2, 2026 announcement, the City expected it to open in "late May." By Sept. 10, the City's release had moved that to before the end of the year, and KTAR described the window as fall or winter.
Flower Child is expected by the end of 2026 at a location near Postino. No exact November or December date has been announced.
V's Barber Shop started in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood in 1999. KTAR reported it was expected to open in October 2026 on GSQ's north side, next to Spitz and The Yard. The City still lists it as coming.
Magdaleña's six-month slip doesn't mean the project is in trouble. It's a normal part of building out a downtown in phases, and it's one more reason to plan around what is already open. GSQ covers 150 acres, from I-10 north to Encanto Boulevard and from 150th Drive to Bullard Avenue. Globe Corp. has owned the land since the 1970s, when it was a scallion farm. City leaders first envisioned a civic gathering place there in 1984, and Goodyear Civic Square opened at McDowell Road and 150th Drive in August 2022. The current wave of construction is near Bullard Avenue and Goodyear Way, just north of McDowell Road, so that's where the 2027 names will show up.
Pairing dinner with Civic Square's free calendar
The 2027 tenants are mostly going in near Bullard Avenue and Goodyear Way. This season's events are on Civic Square itself, a short walk from the restaurants that are already open. Here is the City's special events calendar from November into the new year, in order:
- Veterans Week, Nov. 2–7, Goodyear Civic Square. The week starts at Goodyear City Hall with the Tribute Flag Garden, Patriotic Art Murals and Banners of Brave. It continues with the West Valley Veterans Day Ceremony and 5K/1-mile Run/Walk, organized with Estrella Mountain Community College, and ends with the Veterans Day Tribute festival on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 4 to 7 p.m.
- Chalk Art in the Park, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This one is at Goodyear Recreation Campus rather than Civic Square. APS sponsors it, and it includes art stations, a live DJ and food trucks.
- Holidays on the Square, Dec. 4 and Dec. 11, starting at 5 p.m., Goodyear Civic Square Park. Each night has its own theme. Dec. 4 is Yule Y'all, with country-inspired entertainment. Dec. 11 is Jingle Jam, a sing-and-dance-along night of holiday music. The City's events page lists both nights as 5 to 8 p.m., while a separate City calendar entry gives Dec. 11 an end time of 9 p.m.
- The Rinq, Dec. 4, 2026 through Jan. 3, 2027, 5 to 9 p.m., 1900 N. Civic Square. This free synthetic ice rink is open Fridays through Sundays in December, excluding holidays, plus Saturday, Jan. 2, and Sunday, Jan. 3.
The Rinq has a few practical details. Admission is free for residents and non-residents, and so are skates, which come in sizes from Toddler 7 and Youth 8 up to adult 15. Bring socks. There's no preregistration, but every skater has to complete The Rinq waiver before going on the ice. Sessions last 30 minutes and start at 5, 6, 7 and 8 p.m., first-come, first-served. Parking is free in the North Civic Square Parking Garage, and on event nights there's extra parking in the special event lot north of the library. Since sessions start on the hour, you can book an early dinner at Firebirds or Copper & Sage and still make a 7 p.m. skate. A Saturday brunch at Over Easy or First Watch pairs easily with the Nov. 7 tribute in the afternoon.
If Flower Child or Magdaleña opens before Dec. 4, they'll be the newest places to eat on a Holidays on the Square night. If not, everything on the open list is already within walking distance of the rink. Sephora, Postino and Spinato's, three of the picks residents ranked highest, are scheduled to arrive at GSQ in 2027.
Thinking about how downtown Goodyear's next phase might fit your plans for the next few years? The Rider Elite Team follows the West Valley as it changes and is happy to talk through what GSQ's growth could mean for you. Start Your Move with Rider Elite.
