According to RED Development's Mike Ebert, the City of Goodyear surveyed residents last year about which retailers and restaurants they most wanted downtown. Four of the names now signed at GSQ were in the top 10: Sephora, Postino, Flower Child and Spinato's Pizzeria. AZ Big Media reported the quote on Oct. 15. Only one of those four is expected to open before 2027.
That gap explains how downtown Goodyear is coming together. The newest openings line McDowell Road, and the more recent leases are aimed at 2027. The AC Hotel that will anchor Civic Square Park just broke ground with an opening expected in early 2028. Some 2026 opening targets have already moved. If you want to know when your favorite will actually open, watch for construction on its lot and expect a press-release date to change.
Survey favorites and when they're due
Here is where the four survey favorites stand as of mid-October 2026.
| Business | Expected opening | Where at GSQ |
|---|---|---|
| Flower Child | By the end of 2026 | Near the future Postino, 1830 N. Bullard Ave. |
| Postino | 2027 | 4,500 square feet |
| Sephora | 2027 | Next to J.Crew Factory Outlet, 5,000 square feet |
| Spinato's Pizzeria | 2027 | Across from the south parking garage |
Flower Child is the fast-casual concept from Fox Restaurant Concepts, known for made-from-scratch bowls, wraps and salads. Spinato's started in Phoenix in 1974, and the Goodyear restaurant will be its farthest location in the West Valley. Postino's CEO and co-founder, Lauren Bailey, said in the City of Goodyear's Sept. 10 announcement that "We've felt the love from our West Valley fans for a long time, so bringing Postino to Goodyear feels really special."
The survey shaped the leasing, and the leases signed this year come with 2027 dates. Anyone counting down to a Postino bruschetta board or a Sephora run in Goodyear should plan on next year.
What opened in the last few weeks
The newest openings sit on GSQ's McDowell Road edge. Firebirds Wood Fired Grill is open at 14848 W. McDowell Road, near Trader Joe's, and serves hand-cut steaks and seafood cooked over wood. On Oct. 15, AZ Big Media said it had opened "earlier this week." Black Rock Coffee Bar is up the road at 14950 W. McDowell Road.
In its Oct. 12 hotel announcement, the City of Goodyear listed both among GSQ's recent openings, along with First Watch, Kura Revolving Sushi Bar and Trader Joe's. Some City pages haven't caught up. The GSQ downtown page still lists Black Rock under "Coming to GSQ," so the October news releases are the better guide.
These newcomers join the tenants already on the City's "Now Open" list: BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Harkins Estrella Falls, The Stillery, Copper & Sage, Spitz Mediterranean Street Food, Bacchus Wine Bar, The Yard Milkshake Bar, Shake Shack, Over Easy, High Tide Seafood Bar & Grill, Dave's Hot Chicken, F45 Training and Banner Health. With Firebirds open, Black Rock's morning coffee, and First Watch and Over Easy for breakfast, GSQ now covers a full day of meals.
Expected before New Year's, if the dates hold
Three more businesses are aimed at the rest of 2026. One has already missed an earlier target.
- V's Barber Shop is slated for October 2026 on GSQ's north side, next to Spitz and The Yard. The shop was founded in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood in 1999 and now has more than 60 locations nationwide. The Goodyear shop is 1,215 square feet. As of mid-October, the developer's directory listing still said "Coming Soon," with an address of 2015 N. Globe Drive.
- Magdaleña is a new restaurant from the team behind Pa'la. Its 2,462-square-foot space between High Tide and Over Easy will serve Latin American flavors cooked over live fire. In April, the City said it expected Magdaleña to open in late May. The current timing is "this fall/winter."
- Flower Child is still expected by the end of the year, near where Postino will go.
So far, Magdaleña has slipped about six months, from late spring to the end of the year. It isn't the only one.
Targets that have already moved
In September 2025, the City announced CAVA, Fogo de Chão and California Fish Grill for GSQ, each with an opening target in 2026. As of the City's Oct. 12, 2026 release, all three were still listed among businesses "recently announced and under construction," with no new opening dates. With about ten weeks left in 2026, a 2026 opening for those three is still possible but hasn't been confirmed.
Restaurant openings depend on build-outs, permits, inspections and hiring, so slipping dates are common in any new district. At GSQ, the more useful point is that these three have now gone from "targeted for 2026" to "under construction" with no date at all. The tenants with the firmest dates at GSQ right now are the ones that just opened.
Where 2027's openings will sit
Later tenants are spread out across the 150 acres. GSQ runs from I-10 north to Encanto Boulevard and from 150th Drive to Bullard Avenue. Here is where the 2027 openings will go, based on the most recent announcements:
- Goodyear Way corridor: Miel de Agave, a Mexican fusion restaurant, is set for spring 2027 near Fogo de Chão. It will be the restaurant's fourth Valley location, after Scottsdale, downtown Phoenix and Chandler.
- Between CAVA and California Fish Grill: Lovesac, the furniture company known for its modular Sactionals, will open a 1,800-square-foot store in spring 2027.
- Near the south parking garage: Spinato's goes across from the garage. Qdoba and Petfolk, a veterinary practice offering primary and urgent care for dogs and cats, will sit side by side nearby.
- Civic Square side: Berry Divine Acai Bowls will open its 11th location here.
- Sephora and J.Crew Factory Outlet will open next to each other, both in 2027. Nordstrom Rack is signed for 1900 N. Civic Square and still listed as "Coming Soon," with no opening year published. Paris Baguette, Handel's Ice Cream, Reformed Pilates and Zara Nail Bar have also been announced for GSQ, with no opening month published yet.
The hotel sets the finish line
The longest timeline belongs to the AC Hotel by Marriott, which broke ground on Oct. 12. Its 135 rooms will overlook the two-acre Civic Square Park, and the hotel will include a lounge, bar, business center, outdoor pool and more than 1,200 square feet of meeting space. The City expects it to open in early 2028.
The hotel completes a plan that has been building for a while. Goodyear Civic Square opened in August 2022 at McDowell Road and 150th Drive, with City Hall, the library, the park, two parking garages and the GEN1 office building. Globe Corp. has owned the land since the 1970s, when it was a scallion farm, and is co-developing GSQ with RED Development. Joseph Stewart, the City's senior business development manager, summed up the starting point to the West Valley View: "We've never really had a downtown before."
The park at the center of all that construction is already in use. The City's Veterans Week: Run. Remember. Celebrate runs Nov. 2 through 7, centered at Goodyear Civic Square, and ends with a tribute festival on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 4 to 7 p.m. Firebirds and Black Rock are already open nearby on McDowell Road.
The timing rule at GSQ, where completion dates shift from season to season, also applies to new homes going up around Goodyear. Before you visit a model home, I can help you tell which completion dates are commitments and which are estimates. Gina Hall works with buyers before that first builder visit. Reach out, and we'll look at the construction timeline together.
