1933 Lounge by St. Elmo is coming to Gilbert in fall 2027. The cocktail lounge and restaurant — roughly 8,000 square feet — will open at The Gilmore, the mixed-use development at Val Vista Drive and Germann Road just off Loop 202. It will be the first 1933 Lounge location outside Indiana.
If you live near Val Vista and Germann, your corner is about to change
For years, East Valley residents who wanted a proper upscale dinner — the kind with a serious cocktail program, aged steaks and a room that feels like an occasion — had to drive to Scottsdale or downtown Phoenix. That changes when 1933 Lounge opens in Gilbert.
This is not a fast-casual chain filling a strip-mall pad. It is an 8,000-square-foot flagship from the group behind one of America’s oldest steakhouses, choosing Gilbert for their very first expansion beyond Indiana. That is a signal about where the East Valley stands right now: the demographics and household incomes here were enough to pull a 120-year-old Indianapolis hospitality brand across state lines.
The Gilmore is also bringing a hotel and 300 luxury apartments to the same intersection. More residents, more activity and nationally recognized restaurants at one corridor all tend to support home values in nearby neighborhoods. It is worth knowing about before the ribbon cuts.
What is 1933 Lounge by St. Elmo — and why the name?
The name is specific. December 5, 1933 is the date Prohibition ended in the United States, and that is exactly where 1933 Lounge gets its identity. The concept opened its first location above St. Elmo Steak House in downtown Indianapolis, and additional Indiana locations followed in Carmel, Fishers, and at Indianapolis International Airport.
St. Elmo Steak House itself was founded in 1902. It is the oldest steakhouse in Indianapolis and the heritage anchor for Huse Culinary, the Indianapolis-based restaurant group that operates both brands. When Gilbert residents walk into 1933 Lounge, they are stepping into a lineage that stretches back more than a century.
The menu carries the St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail — the signature dish the Indianapolis brand is known for — alongside sushi, aged steaks and signature cocktails. The lounge atmosphere is rooted in Art Deco design: warm lighting, a full bar and a room built for a night out.
Inside the space: eight thousand square feet of speakeasy atmosphere
Thompson Thrift signed 1933 Lounge to a lease at The Gilmore on September 28, 2026. The developer plans to deliver the finished restaurant shell in October 2026. From there, Huse Culinary builds out the interior, targeting a fall 2027 opening.
At 8,000 square feet, this is a full-scale restaurant. Think crystal chandeliers, a circular bar, green upholstered seating and layered gold lighting — the kind of room that photographs well and feels intentional when you sit down. It is designed to anchor an evening, not just a meal.
The Gilmore by the numbers: a $225 million project, thirty-five acres, ninety percent leased
The Gilmore is not a rumor. It broke ground on April 30, 2025, with a $225 million price tag and a plan for 35 acres at the northwest corner of Val Vista Drive and Germann Road. The full build includes about 200,000 square feet of grocery, restaurant and retail space, plus a hotel and 300 luxury apartments.
Safeway opened there on August 6, 2026, anchoring the retail side and proving the project delivers. By the time 1933 Lounge signed its lease, The Gilmore was approximately 90% leased. Thompson Thrift has said the mix of restaurants, retailers and amenities reflects Gilbert’s growth and strong household incomes.
From groundbreaking to Safeway to 1933 Lounge: the full development timeline
Attendees and a yellow excavator mark the April 30, 2025 groundbreaking for The Gilmore, Thompson Thrift’s $225 million mixed-use project in Gilbert. (Thompson Thrift)
April 30, 2025: Thompson Thrift breaks ground on The Gilmore. The $225 million project launches at Val Vista and Germann, just off Loop 202.
August 6, 2026: Safeway opens, giving the development its anchor grocery tenant and its first operating business.
September 28, 2026: Thompson Thrift announces 1933 Lounge by St. Elmo has signed a lease. The development reaches approximately 90% leased.
October 2026: Thompson Thrift targets delivery of the 8,000-square-foot restaurant shell to Huse Culinary.
Fall 2027: 1933 Lounge scheduled to open — the first location outside Indiana.
Fall 2027 is the target — here is what has to happen first
Thompson Thrift needs to complete the restaurant shell by October 2026. Huse Culinary then builds out the interior before the fall 2027 target. No specific opening date has been announced beyond that seasonal window. If you want to track the project, The Gilmore is at the northwest corner of Val Vista Drive and Germann Road in Gilbert — you can watch it rise.
For East Valley residents curious about what else is opening in the Valley’s dining corridors, see our coverage of Postino coming to Queen Creek at The Switchyard and new restaurants opening on Mill Avenue in Tempe.
