After recently gaining “historic” status, the building at 524 W. Hatcher Road will lend its 1960 midcentury modern vibe to its next iteration as Rise Over Run – a gathering space for Sunnyslope (photo by Kathryn M. Miller).
Brothers Joe and Adam McCallum grew up in Moon Valley – on the other side of the mountain from Sunnyslope – but they fell in love with the ‘Slope,’ and have put down roots in the area that continue to deepen.
“My brother and I had been scouting out Sunnyslope for a while,” recalled Joe McCallum, “He had done a few residential remodels – he did my house, which is a Ralph Haver house – and he was wanting to leave residential and do something large scale. And I was working at a hedge fund here in Phoenix and looking to do something more entrepreneurial.”
That is when the Eye Opener Family Restaurant building, at 524 W. Hatcher Road, caught their eye.
“We were both looking for something interesting. We are both architecture fans, both fans of Sunnyslope, and we just liked the building…and watched it go unused. So, we finally decided to reach out to the owner and see if he wanted to sell.”
He did, and the brothers purchased the building in 2021. After bringing the building back to life, they brought in two operating partners and Eye Opener, a curated vintage modern furniture store, opened in June 2022. The furniture store subsequently closed at the end of 2024 but the McCallums knew they wanted to bring another concept into the 1960s-era building.
While they made plans for its next iteration, they worked with Julia Taggart, president of the Sunnyslope Historical Society, to seek Historic Preservation overlay zoning on the property.
Opening in 1960, one year after Sunnyslope was annexed by the city of Phoenix, Pedro’s Mexican Food was one of Sunnyslope’s first commercial restaurant developments. The restaurant was an important part of Sunnyslope for over two decades. In 1982, the property changed hands and the new owners, Tom and Frances Batitsas, opened Tom and Tiny’s Restaurant, which remained in business until 2003. Later that year, Halim and Susana Mokbel opened Eye Opener Family Restaurant and remained in business until 2013.
After a series of public hearings, the “historic” zoning was approved by Phoenix City Council at its Oct. 15 meeting. In the meantime, McCallum opened the doors to the community to learn about their next concept, Rise Over Run, at an October open house event.
Some permitting hurdles need cleared before additional alterations can be completed, but a projected fall 2026 opening will see McCallum, along with general manager Ryan Reid, handling the day-to-day of Rise Over Run – a beer and wine taproom.
“We’re really leaning into the design of the building,” McCallum said. “We’re going to keep the inside open and flexible. We have obviously great windows and the post and beam structure.”
A bar with local brews on tap and serving Arizona wines will be on the east side of the building, and they will also lean into the midcentury vibe when it comes to style and furnishing. But flexibility of the space will be key. They will not have a full kitchen, but rather a prep space to allow them to serve ready-to-go food, and the biggest change, McCallum said, is an 800-square-foot outdoor dining area on the southwest corner of the building.
They also want to continue to host community and private events – vendor markets, art exhibits, comedy shows and workshops are already in the works.
“We have a big open space that is welcoming, and to make the best use of it, it can’t just be beer and wine” McCallum said. “I think the neighborhood needs a spot for people to go or do what they are already leaving Sunnyslope to do – whether that is show their art or gather for entertainment – we’re creating that third space. The culture and character of Sunnyslope is very vivid and I think this will help raise the profile.
“And I live in Sunnyslope. I moved here in 2022 and I want to listen to the community, but a lot of this is just what I want to see in the neighborhood that I live in.”
Rise Over Run is not just their new business concept, but also the name of their development company. The brothers also own the 509 building, on the other side of Hatcher. The multi-tenant retail property includes Beals Beans, Stem Swag and the Andy Brown artist studio. And it was always their intention to create between the two buildings “a bit of a vibe – a destination that would draw more foot traffic and be active more times during the day,” McCallum said. And preserving these Sunnyslope buildings – especially the midcentury gems built during the boom of the 1950s and 60s – is a big part of creating that vibe.
The community is invited to check out the 524 building on Saturday, Nov. 15. An historic preservation celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with an open house/happy hour held from 2-5 p.m. Residents who want to learn more about the McCallum brothers’ vision and get updates on Rise Over Run’s opening can visit www.riseoverrunaz.com.
Editor’s note: The closure date of the Eye Opener Restaurant and the spelling of the new manager at Rise Over Run have been corrected in this online version of the story. We regret the errors.
