For nearly half a century, it was a gathering place for sports fans, families and wing lovers. Now, one of Arizona’s most recognizable restaurant landmarks has served its last customers.
The original Native Grill & Wings location in Tempe has permanently closed after 47 years last month, marking the end of a chapter for the homegrown restaurant chain that introduced Buffalo-style chicken wings to generations of Arizonans.
A Valley favorite since 1979
The restaurant’s story began in 1979, when Floyd and Judy Anderson opened the first Native New Yorker restaurant (later to be renamed Native Grill & Wings) near McClintock Drive and Baseline Road in Tempe. As the business grew, the original restaurant eventually relocated to Broadway Road and Dorsey Lane, where it continued serving customers for decades.
What started as a neighborhood sports bar evolved into a regional chain with 15 locations currently across Arizona, becoming a popular destination for game-day gatherings, birthdays and family meals.
Family says goodbye
Following Floyd Anderson’s death in 2009, ownership passed to the couple’s three daughters. In 2014, they sold most of the chain, which had been rebranded as Native Grill & Wings, while retaining ownership of two locations.
In a heartfelt farewell shared on social media, the Anderson sisters thanked customers, employees and friends for supporting the family business over the years and helping turn it into a Valley institution.
One original family restaurant remains
Although the Tempe restaurant has closed, the Anderson family’s remaining Native Grill & Wings locations across Arizona continue operating, preserving a piece of the brand’s original legacy.
The closure comes as many long-established independent and regional restaurants continue to face changing consumer habits and a challenging operating environment. For many longtime customers, however, the Tempe location represented more than a restaurant—it was where traditions were made, games were celebrated and countless plates of Buffalo wings were shared over nearly five decades.
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