Chula Seafood, run by husband-and-wife team Jon and Mandy Heflin, is getting ready to open up their third Arizona storefront at 20581 N Hayden Road Suite 100 in the Hayden Peak Crossing.
The company started with a swordfish boat out in San Diego that began distributing seafood in 2009. In 2015, the Heflins started bringing the fresh fish over to Phoenix after seeing a need for sustainable seafood in the area.
“We’ve had the swordfish boat for over 25 years,” said Mandy when she spoke to What Now Phoenix on Tuesday. “We have relationships with commercial fisherman and we have access to top quality fish that might not be as accessible to others.”
Originally from Seattle, Mandy and Jon — a Phoenix native — met when they both attended ASU. Their desire to bring the seafood out to the desert began after they started wholesaling their fish, as well as starting to sell food like poke bowls.
They opened up their Uptown location in February 2019, which is also in the process of expansion. “We acquired the space next door,” she said. “We’re going to add a full bar and patio piece to the restaurant, which is now what our brand will look like moving forward.”
Their next location in North Scottsdale will maintain their fast casual atmosphere, as they want their restaurants to have the same feel and menu.
While the menu will be the same, the daily features at each location are all different based on the chef to allow space for them to broadcast their creativity.
