Upward Projects spent four years putting restaurants into the old buildings along one stretch of Central Avenue in Uptown Phoenix, and for thirteen years after that it ran every one of them. That changed on August 2, 2026, when Joyride Taco House at 5202 N. Central Ave. served its last customers. The building isn't getting another Upward concept. It's becoming Lado A Lado, a partnership with Chiwas Hospitality Group, the team behind Tacos Chiwas and Espiritu.
The name means "side by side" in Spanish. It fits. This is the first time the company that built the block has given one of its buildings to someone else's chefs, and that changes what the neighborhood can get to eat on foot.
Four Old Buildings, One Operator
Each restaurant on the block took over a building that had already been something else. Phoenix New Times describes Upward Projects' "five signature eateries" as "clustered on both sides of a block of Central Avenue." They came in this order:
- 2009: Postino Central, 5144 N. Central Ave. This was the second Postino, opened in the former Katz's Deli. The original Postino, in Arcadia, is the one in the old post office.
- 2011: Windsor and Churn, 5223 N. Central Ave. The two opened together in Windsor Court, a strip mall from the 1940s.
- 2012: Federal Pizza, 5210 N. Central Ave. It moved into the former First Federal Savings & Loan building, a midcentury design by Al Beadle, and opened that October.
- 2013: Joyride Taco House, 5202 N. Central Ave. Upward had started Joyride in Gilbert and brought it to Uptown, where it served SoCal-style tacos, burritos and margaritas in a colorful midcentury building with a tree-shaded patio.
The pattern held for more than a decade. Upward reused old buildings and filled every one with its own concept. All five rooms ran on the same company's playbook, from wine boards at Postino to the ice cream counter at Churn. In April, Postino marked its 25th year, and Phoenix New Times called it an "iconic, homegrown wine bar."
The First Building Upward Didn't Fill With Its Own Concept
The announcement came on July 13. Joyride would close, and the space would become a collaboration. In the release, as reported by Phoenix New Times, Upward Projects co-founder and CEO Lauren Bailey said the partnership started with a conversation the summer before:
"We've been big fans of Armando, Nadia and Roberto and their restaurants for a long time, and in the summer of 2025, our teams got together, started talking shop, and completely clicked," Bailey said. "They are brilliant at what they do, and after throwing around some ideas we thought we could bring something unique and cool to the neighborhood."
Armando Hernandez, Nadia Holguin and Roberto Centeno founded Chiwas Hospitality Group. All three are past James Beard Award semifinalists, recognized both for their cooking and for running restaurants. In a joint statement in the same report, the Chiwas team said why they wanted this location: "We've wanted to bring our flavors to North Central Phoenix for a long time, and doing it alongside partners who care about this community as much as we do makes it really special."
Joyride took its time leaving. In its last weeks, it ran Taco Tuesday prices on tacos and select margaritas every day. Its run on Central lasted about thirteen years, 2013 to August 2026. The original Joyride in Gilbert is staying open.
Where This Cooking Has Been Until Now
This is the part that matters most if you live near Central and Camelback. Chiwas has built its reputation across town, and Lado A Lado brings its cooking to North Central Phoenix for the first time. Here's where its restaurants are today:
| Restaurant | Address | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Tacos Chiwas | 1028 E. Indian School Road | Central Phoenix |
| Tacos Chiwas | 127 W. Main Street | Downtown Mesa |
| Tacos Chiwas | 3400 Sky Harbor Boulevard | Sky Harbor, Terminal 4 |
| Espiritu | 123 W. Main Street | Downtown Mesa |
| Main Burger | 161 W. Main Street | Downtown Mesa |
| Cocina Chiwas | 2001 E. Apache Boulevard | Culdesac, Tempe |
| Aruma Cafe | 2011 E. Apache Boulevard, Suite 143 | Culdesac, Tempe |
Three of those are on one stretch of West Main Street in Mesa, and two are next to each other at Culdesac in Tempe. The closest one to Uptown is the Tacos Chiwas on Indian School Road. The group also has a Tucson tortilleria and restaurant, Tortillas Chiwas, in the works. On Central, the Chiwas team brings the cooking and Upward brings a building and a block it has run for years.
What Lado A Lado Says It Will Serve
Not much has been published about the menu, but the outline is clear. According to the July release, the restaurant will center on open-flame cooking, which Chiwas uses across its restaurants, and on "familial shared meals of the Sonoran region," with a raw bar and a parrillada. Phoenix New Times reported the menu promises a "contrast of fire and sea, and smoke and citrus." The restaurant's own website puts it more briefly, as live-fire Northern Mexican dining paired with a coastal raw bar.
The building's main draw stays. An illustration released with the announcement shows the midcentury exterior with its patio, and when Phoenix New Times put Lado A Lado on its fall list of most anticipated openings, it called out the "tree-shaded patio."
The timing has moved. In July, ABC15 and New Times both reported a fall opening. Lado A Lado's homepage now says "COMING THIS WINTER," with the line "We're busy building a space that feels like home." Upward Projects' site still says Fall 2026. Lado A Lado's own page has the more recent timing. No opening date or hours have been announced yet, and the homepage has a "Take a Seat" sign-up form for updates.
The Block While 5202 Is Under Construction
The rest of the block is open. Each of Upward's other four restaurants lists hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on its official site:
- Postino Central, 5144 N. Central Ave., is running a seasonal gift card promotion through November 30.
- Federal Pizza, 5210 N. Central Ave., is next door to the Lado A Lado building and takes reservations and online orders.
- Windsor, 5223 N. Central Ave., is across the street and takes reservations and online orders.
- Churn, also at 5223 N. Central Ave., shares Windsor Court with Windsor.
Around the corner at 24 W. Camelback Road, The Joy Lush Club is in the middle of its own changes. Mike and Kate Fasel opened the wine-and-beer bar and bottle shop in 2022 in the shopping center at Camelback and Central. In September, Phoenix New Times reported that it had closed briefly for construction and planned to reopen in late September with a permanent kitchen from Stoop Kid, the downtown smashburger and bagel counter that had often popped up there. According to that report, the plan called for griddled burgers, fries and desserts, with lunch hours added. Check the bar's current hours before you walk over.
Upward Projects had closed Joyride, a restaurant that had been popular for thirteen years, when it could have put another of its own concepts in the building. Instead it brought in three chefs whose restaurants have mostly been in Mesa and Tempe. When Lado A Lado opens this winter, people near Central and Camelback will be able to walk to live-fire Sonoran cooking from the Chiwas team, next door to Federal Pizza.
At Kapanicas Group, we follow these changes along Central Avenue because they shape what a North Central Phoenix address feels like day to day. If you're thinking about what that means for a home near the Camelback corridor, we'd be glad to sit down with you. Schedule a Free Market Consultation, and we'll share what we're seeing on the ground.
