Cave Creek will welcome its newest restaurant and dive, Creekers, in August.
The team is made up of eager Cave Creek residents with a passion for hospitality and making good food. The restaurant itself is designed to feel as if it was always part of the town and will serve “familiar food made with care.”
The leadership team includes general manager Robbie Boccelli, front of house manager Caris Kuhn and chef Ryan Leander. Each of them brings years of experience to the restaurant.
The Cave Creek Independent asked the Creekers team about the history of the restaurant, the people behind it and what the community can look forward to.
Here are their answers:
What is your history with Cave Creek? What made you choose this location for your business?
Ryan and Robbie have each called Cave Creek home for nearly thirty years. We grew up here, went to school here, got our start in hospitality here, and learned firsthand what makes this town special.
Caris moved to Cave Creek nearly five years ago after college and quickly fell in love with the town and the people who make it what it is.
As for the location, we believe you can't wait forever for the perfect opportunity. Sometimes you have to recognize a good opportunity and put in the work to make it great. This space felt right for us as first-time restaurant owners. We've rebuilt it from the ground up and are incredibly proud of the transformation. More than anything, we're excited to serve the community that helped shape us.
How did you get started in the restaurant industry?
Ryan has spent more than 15 years working his way up the ranks in Cave Creek kitchens, most recently serving as chef at Kiki Rae's.
Robbie began his hospitality career as general manager and sommelier at Indigo Crow Restaurant and Bar before moving into biotech. Restaurants remained a passion, and the opportunity to build something of our own brought him back.
Caris comes from a creative background, having worked as a film producer and set designer in Los Angeles. Most recently, she worked at the James Beard nominated restaurant Valentine in Phoenix and has played a major role in the creative vision and design of Creekers.
When did you come up with the idea for Creekers? Why do you believe in it?
Creekers grew out of a burger pop-up we operated at events around town over the past year. The response was immediate. People would drive an hour just to get one of our burgers, and we realized we might be onto something.
The concept is bigger than burgers, though. We're building the kind of restaurant we always wished existed here, a place that's approachable, memorable, and consistently excellent. We believe in great ingredients, careful execution, and creating experiences people remember. We believe in this town and we believe in each other.
Who makes up the Creekers team? How did they get involved?
Ryan and Robbie have known each other for more than 20 years and have worked together in hospitality throughout that time. Robbie and Caris are life partners first and business partners second.
What makes the partnership work is that each of us brings something different to the table. Ryan leads the culinary vision, Caris leads the creative direction, and Robbie oversees the guest experience and beverage program.
How would you describe Creekers' menu? What are some specials people can look forward to?
Creekers is a New American restaurant built around familiar food made with care. We focus on approachable dishes, quality ingredients and making as much as possible from scratch.
Our menu is intentionally small and focused. We'd rather do a handful of things exceptionally well than dozens of things adequately.
Guests can expect great burgers, thoughtful bar food and seasonal elevated specials.
On the beverage side, guests can expect a large selection of domestic and imported beers, a cocktail program that will contend for the best around and our secret wine program. Ask about it!
One special we're especially excited about is our burger, beer, and fries for $15. It’s a straightforward offering that reflects what Creekers is all about. That’s quality, value and hospitality.
What are you personally looking forward to? What do you think the opening year of Creekers will look like?
More than anything, we're looking forward to seeing the restaurant become part of people's lives. We hope Creekers becomes the kind of place where people stop in without needing a reason, whether they're meeting friends, bringing family, or grabbing dinner after a long day.
The first year will be about earning trust. We want to show up every day, improve constantly, and deliver the same experience whether it's someone's first visit or their hundredth.
Our goal is simple. Contribute to a town we love and create a place people are proud to call their own. That’s why we’re called Creekers!
What are some challenges, current or past, that Creekers faced?
Opening a restaurant from scratch is a challenge in itself. Renovating the space, building systems, creating menus, sourcing products and preparing for opening day all happened at the same time.
The biggest challenge has been balancing ambition with practicality. We’ve learned that every decision has to serve a purpose. Whenever we face a difficult decision, we come back to one question: Does this make the restaurant better for our guests?
What would you like to say to readers and the community?
We want people to know that Creekers was built by locals who care deeply about this town.
We’re not here to reinvent Cave Creek. We're here to contribute to a place we already love. Everything we’ve done, from the design of the space to the food, drinks and service, is rooted in that idea.
We believe hospitality is about attention to detail, consistency, and treating every guest with the same level of care. Whether you’re a lifelong local or visiting for the first time, you’ll receive the same experience.
Most importantly, we want Creekers to feel like it belongs here. We hope people walk in and feel like they've known the place forever, even if it’s their first visit. For more information, follow Creekers on Instagram @creekersaz.
Creekers will open in August at 6554 E. Cave Creek Road, Suite 14.
By 
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here