You’d think the name ATL Wings stood for Atlanta, but this time it means all the love and that’s what this family pours into their delicious chicken wing recipes. We meet the Valley couple behind the creative sauces at ATL Wings, sauces so good, they’ve garnered a cult following! Mike and Cianna Kirksey grew their one business into 18 franchised stores. They have 18 to 22 wing sauces. For first timers, they recommend the honey jalapeno, the chef’s special, and the ATL dry rub. While the Kirkseys success story is inspiring, so is their love story—Meeting in a Las Vegas club.

https://www.atlwings.com/

We meet Sharon Cunningham of CC's on Central. She already owns a Creole restaurant in California, but with her two grown children living here, she decided to move to Phoenix and open a Southern comfort restaurant here—offering all the favorites like jambalaya, wings, and po'boys—so she could be close to her kids

CC's on Central is a great space to host an event and they cater too, and can make anything from deli sandwiches to a lasagna dinner.  https://ccsoncentral.com/

Kimberly Pak has a heart for the local maker. She throws some of the biggest markets in the Valley, bringing together hundreds of makers in one location for a celebration of everything local. She opened a storefront to provide a fulltime space for her makers to sell, then she opened another, and another. Now with two Scottsdale locations and one Phoenix location, Kimberly says she’s learning to trust her gut as a business owner. She also shares with us a very personal struggle and how she says her faith showed her the way out. www.themerchantileofscottsdale.com/

Valley natives, Geri Hormel and Hunter Rodgers, are passionate about animals. At home, they have dogs, chickens, and goats. At work, Geri rescues pregnant mom dogs and puppies at Almost There Rescue. ATR has 19 kennels, offers a Puppy Preschool Program, and daily enrichment for the dogs in their care. Next door, Hunter is manning the 10,000 pound homemade Italian pizza oven at Pizza To The Rescue. He's cooking up scratch made fresh pizzas with 25% of the proceeds going to Almost There Rescue. PTTR offers a "Yappy Hour" from 3-6 with $10 pizzas and subs, plus opportunities to play with puppies on the patio. It's a win-win. ATR is always looking for volunteers-- you can even play with puppies for an hour to help! It's holding its Vanity Fur event November 15th at the Wrigley Mansion. www.almostthererescue.org  www.pizzatotherescuephx.com

He's long been "The Festival Guy" around the Valley, throwing food fests focused on tacos and pizza. In this episode, we meet David Tyda of Taco Fest and Phoenix Pizza Festival, and now he owns a bar too. Barcoa Agaveria in downtown Phoenix celebrates the art of creating and tasting tequila but Tyda says he never set out to be a bar owner. Find out how he says the building the bar's in "found him" and how his degree in humanities is put to work as he studies the history of tequila making to share with his customers. Taco Fest at Salt River Fields is October 19 and 20th. The 9th annual Phoenix Pizza Festival is November 16 and 17th.

WWW.BARCOAPHX.COM 

WWW.TACOFESTAZ.COM

WWW.PHOENIX.PIZZA

A former truck driver and a singer find romance online and go into business together. We talk to the owners of Old School Grub Cafe in Mesa. Frank and Carlotta Perla give you a taste of nostalgia with a restaurant filled with vintage toys and comic memorabilia, all with a huge menu of comfort food like meatloaf and homemade pie. When you visit Frank and Carlotta, they want you to feel like family. Old School Grub is kicking off a brunch and a dinner buffet so you can get a taste of everything. They offer daily specials and Carlotta, the singer, leads you through karaoke sessions on the weekends.

The Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival and Scottsdale Fashion Week are two really big events that bring big names to the Valley. In this episode, we meet the local couple doing the legwork behind the scenes. Steve and Jamie Levine own Steve Levine Entertainment and Public Relations. Steve, a former DJ, and Jamie, a master of PR, combined their passions to create events that enrich the lives of Arizona families. Hear how they make marriage work in the workplace, how they survived COVID when live entertainment stopped, and how Steve and Jamie met years ago when Steve was spinning records and Jamie was a cheerleader for the Arizona Rattlers.

If you love coffee and country music, you're going to love this episode. We talk to Aaron Lopo, the owner of Dapper and Stout Coffee and Horse and Hyde Barroom. The coffee shops came first, some eight years ago. Then a little over a year ago, Aaron opened Horse and Hyde which quickly became popular because of daily live country music. His parents owned food trucks when he was growing up, and Aaron wanted no part of the food and beverage business. He thought he'd become a neonatal ER surgeon! Now, Aaron has two brands and four locations: Two Dapper and Stouts—one in Glendale and one in downtown Phoenix—a Horse and Hyde in Arcadia, and a brand new Horse and Hyde at Uptown Plaza in Phoenix. Hear how he gets it all done. Plus, if you sing, how you could get on stage.

Luke Irvin and Eric Walters of “A Taste of AZ” love telling stories about the Arizona restauranteur, chef, bar owner, and mixologist. They travel the state to tell their stories in print, in podcasts, and at festivals, where food lovers can connect in person. The work is something Eric felt was a long time coming as he'd searched for a career that just “felt good” and celebrated others. Luke, too, wanted to help others excel and came to the table well prepared to shoot, edit, and write. Hear about their new book, how to get the magazine, and the festival—with big name chefs—you’ll want to attend.

We meet the designer behind Lucky Star Jewels. Dawn Baiden created her jewelry line to be light and easy to wear, yet made with love that could go from day to night. You’ll find her beautiful necklaces, rings, bracelets and more in spa boutiques around the valley and the nation. She tells us about where she finds inspiration for her designs, the serendipitous way her business began and the way she has to protect her brand. Hear more about how dawn’s found success for two decades and counting. https://shopluckystar.com/