Mendocino Farms is heading to Gilbert. The sandwich and salad chain plans to open at Epicenter at Agritopia in summer 2027. The address is 3150 East Ray Road, Suite #114, Gilbert, AZ 85296.
If you live near Ray and Higley, your lunch options are about to change
Epicenter already pulls crowds from across the East Valley. When Mendocino Farms opens, you will have a full fast-casual menu without leaving the neighborhood. That means build-your-own sandwiches and fresh salads within walking distance. It matters if you have been driving to Scottsdale to try the brand since it arrived in Arizona last year.
Alicia Mowder, Mendocino Farms’ chief marketing officer, said the Gilbert community is strong. She added that Epicenter “feels like a place that was built around bringing people together over fresh, elevated food.” That framing fits what Epicenter’s developer has been building toward since the project broke ground.
William Johnston is CEO of Johnston & Co. He said his team has “been intentional about bringing businesses to Epicenter that give people a reason” to visit. He welcomed Mendocino Farms’ commitment to food and hospitality. For residents, that curation strategy means fewer empty storefronts and more reasons to walk over rather than drive out.
Epicenter at Agritopia seen from the air at dusk. The rooftop sign sits above the retail and residential buildings at 3150 East Ray Road in Gilbert. (InsideTheValley.com)
Exact location: Suite #114 at 3150 East Ray Road
The restaurant will sit at Suite #114 inside Epicenter. The development is at the northwest corner of Ray and Higley roads, next to Agritopia and Barnone. Epicenter has ground-floor retail beneath a multi-story residential building. If you have visited other restaurants or bars there, you already know the layout.
Those apartments above the retail were originally branded The Tyler and developed by StreetLights Residential. Camden Property Trust later bought the 320-unit community for $124.5 million and rebranded it Camden Gilbert. The residents above help sustain the daily lunch and dinner traffic that a fast-casual chain needs.
The ‘Eat Happy’ menu and what to expect
Mendocino Farms calls its concept “Eat Happy.” The menu centers on sandwiches and salads made with fresh ingredients. The brand was founded in Southern California in 2005. It has since grown to more than 100 locations across Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas and Washington.
The chain’s Santa Barbara location at La Cumbre Plaza opened in July 2026. That restaurant was confirmed as the 100th location. It opened about five months after the first Arizona location. The Gilbert spot will be part of a brand already well past that milestone.
Sandwiches, kale salads, grain bowls and Thai mango salads represent the style of menu Mendocino Farms brings to Epicenter at Agritopia in Gilbert. (InsideTheValley.com)
Mendocino Farms’ Arizona expansion: from Gainey Ranch to Gilbert
Mendocino Farms opened its first Arizona location on February 17, 2026. That restaurant is in the Gainey Ranch area of Scottsdale, at 8777 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 304. It opened daily from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Gilbert is the next confirmed stop in that expansion. No other Valley locations have been publicly announced. If you have been waiting for a closer option than Scottsdale, the Epicenter opening is the one to track.
Inside Epicenter at Agritopia
Epicenter is Gilbert’s first vertical mixed-use community. Johnston Properties built it in a joint venture with IPA/Liv Communities. The site covers 19.7 acres at the northwest corner of Ray and Higley roads, next to Agritopia and Barnone. It holds roughly 50,000 square feet of ground-floor retail alongside its 320 residential units, now branded Camden Gilbert.
That mix of residents, restaurants, bars and retail in one walkable block is exactly what the Epicenter concept promised. Mendocino Farms fits squarely in that lineup.
Epicenter at Agritopia at dusk, showing 320 apartments above ground-floor retail and restaurants at the Ray and Higley corner in Gilbert. (InsideTheValley.com)
Who owns Mendocino Farms?
Mendocino Farms is privately held and owned by TPG Inc. Harald Herrmann has served as CEO since 2017. TPG Growth announced its majority stake on November 13, 2017, buying in from prior investor L Catterton. Co-founders Mario Del Pero and Ellen Chen remained the largest individual shareholders after that deal closed.
TPG’s backing gives Mendocino Farms the capital to expand across multiple states at once. The Arizona rollout is part of that larger play.
Summer 2027: what we know and what we don’t
The opening is set for summer 2027. No specific month or date has been announced. No permit milestone or construction timeline has been made public beyond that window.
Want to track it? Watch the Epicenter tenant directory at agritopia.com for updates. For more East Valley openings, see our coverage of Roka Akor at Gilbert’s Northside SanTan Village in 2027 and the 1933 Lounge at The Gilmore in Gilbert.
