Graze Craze, the charcuterie concept featuring artfully arranged sweet and savory grazing boards and boxes, has opened a new location at 1855 E. Guadalupe Road, A15, in the Pueblo Anozira shopping center. The 766-square-foot store is owned and operated by Chris Garrity and his brother-in-law, Chris Ashby, two restaurant industry veterans who are proud to bring the innovative charcuterie store to The Grand Canyon State.
At Graze Craze, trained experts known as Grazologists skillfully design charcuterie arrangements that feature an assortment of fine ingredients for grazing, like fresh fruits and vegetables, premium meats and cheeses, artisanal sweets, nuts, house-made jams and more. Graze Craze charcuterie boards offer something for every lifestyle, dietary preference or palate, and are available in a variety of size options to cater to any occasion, big or small.
Garrity and Ashby bring almost three decades of restaurant experience, including management, to Graze Craze. “I worked for 12 years in the food and beverage industry,” said Garrity, who is currently a sales director for a dental software company in a statement. “I’m excited to reignite my passion for serving in that capacity.”
Ashby is a native of Tennessee who has lived in Arizona since 2017 and has worked in the food service industry for 17 years, from a line-level team member to director of operations for multiple locations. “I jumped at the chance to join my brother-in-law on this charcuterie venture because I saw the opportunity to fill a need in our area that was not being met.”
Graze Craze charcuterie arrangements incorporate a variety of flavors, like the Gone Grazey board, a mix of cured meats, premium cheeses, crackers, fresh produce, nuts and more. The Vegegrazian is designed with a medley of fresh fruits and vegetables for anyone embracing a plant-based lifestyle. Those with a sweet tooth can enjoy the Sweet & Grazey, which is hand-crafted using an abundance of desserts like chocolates and baked goods paired with sweet dips to accent the flavors.
New to the Graze Craze menu, is the Brunch Board, a gourmet and innovative twist on any morning routine. Packed with breakfast meats, fresh fruits, eggs, pastries and more, this board is a bagel-and-donut brunch alternative. Grazers can also tackle watch-party cravings with a seasonal Game Day Board, featuring ingredients like peppered salami, Italian prosciutto, goat cheese, cranberry walnut bread, raspberry jam and chocolate bark, to name a few.
“Charcuterie is for everyone,” said Garrity. “With our diverse menu items and premium quality ingredients, we are excited that our store is the first in Arizona and could not have asked for a better location for our customers.”
The artisan-inspired charcuterie offerings at Graze Craze are available in different size options, from Char Cutie-Cups and Picnic Boxes for nibbling to sharing-size boards with enough fresh food to feed a large party.
The concept is part of Big Flavor Brands, the food service division of Starpoint Brands, a family of trusted companies affiliated with United Franchise Group.
“We love family business, so seeing the Garrity and Ashby families come together to share our passion for charcuterie with the community is special,” said Cory Hibbard, president of Graze Craze. “We are proud to now offer convenient solutions to help Arizonan locals celebrate all of life’s memorable moments.”
Graze Craze South Tempe is open for pick-up, catering and free local delivery Monday – Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
