Restaurant Veterans Open First Arizona Graze Craze Charcuterie Store

TEMPE, AZ (Jan. 25, 2024) — Graze Craze®, the popular charcuterie concept featuring artfully arranged sweet and savory grazing boards and boxes, has opened a new location at 1855 E. Guadalupe Road, A15, in the Pueblo Anozira shopping center. The 766-square-foot store is owned and operated by Chris Garrity and his brother-in-law, Chris Ashby, two restaurant industry veterans who are proud to bring the innovative charcuterie store to The Grand Canyon State.

At Graze Craze, highly trained experts known as Grazologists™ skillfully design charcuterie arrangements that feature an assortment of fine ingredients perfect for grazing, like fresh fruits and vegetables, premium meats and cheeses, artisanal sweets, nuts, house-made jams and more. Graze Craze charcuterie boards offer something for every lifestyle, dietary preference or palate, and are available in a variety of size options to cater to any occasion, big or small.

Garrity and Ashby bring almost three decades of restaurant experience, including management, to Graze Craze. “I worked for 12 years in the food and beverage industry,” said Garrity, who is currently a sales director for a dental software company. “I’m excited to reignite my passion for serving in that capacity.”

Ashby is a native of Tennessee who has lived in Arizona since 2017 and has worked in the food service industry for 17 years, from a line-level team member to director of operations for multiple locations. “I jumped at the chance to join my brother-in-law on this charcuterie venture because I saw the opportunity to fill a need in our area that was not being met.”

Graze Craze charcuterie arrangements incorporate a variety of flavors, like the fan-favorite Gone Grazey board, perfectly balanced to provide a bit of everything – a mix of cured meats, premium cheeses, crackers, fresh produce, nuts and more. The Vegegrazian is impeccably designed with a medley of fresh fruits and vegetables for anyone embracing a plant-based lifestyle. Those with an undeniable sweet tooth can enjoy the Sweet & Grazey, which is hand-crafted using an abundance of delectable desserts like chocolates and baked goods paired with sweet dips to accent the irresistible flavors.

New to the Graze Craze menu, is the Brunch Board, a gourmet and innovative twist on any morning routine. Packed with breakfast meats, fresh fruits, eggs, pastries and more, this board is the perfect bagel-and-donut brunch alternative. Grazers can also tackle watch-party cravings with a seasonal Game Day Board, featuring a feast of crowd-pleasing ingredients, like peppered salami, Italian prosciutto, goat cheese, cranberry walnut bread, raspberry jam and chocolate bark, to name a few.

“Charcuterie is for everyone,” said Garrity. “With our diverse menu items and premium quality ingredients, we are excited that our store is the first in Arizona and could not have asked for a better location for our customers.”

The artisan-inspired charcuterie offerings at Graze Craze are available in different size options, from Char-Cutie-Cups and Picnic Boxes for nibbling to sharing-size boards with enough fresh food to feed a large party. The food displays are ideal for elevating work meetings, family gatherings, lavish events and more, while they also make for memorable gifts that impress.

The concept is part of Big Flavor Brands™, the food service division of Starpoint Brands™, a family of trusted companies affiliated with United Franchise Group™, whose members represent the very best in their industries.

“We love family business, so seeing the Garrity and Ashby families come together to share our passion for charcuterie with the community is special,” said Cory Hibbard, president of Graze Craze. “We are proud to now offer convenient solutions to help Arizonan locals celebrate all of life's memorable moments.”

Graze Craze South Tempe is open for pick-up, catering and free local delivery Monday – Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 480-272-9553 or visit www.grazecraze.com/south-tempe-az.

About Graze Craze

Graze Craze® is the leading franchise within the grazing style food category, offering an alternative experience to traditional dining options and catering for every occasion. At Graze Craze, in-store Grazologists™ curate hand-crafted, impeccably designed, sweet and savory charcuterie boards and picnic boxes made with the highest quality ingredients and arranged with perfection. Growing from a concept founded by a woman entrepreneur and US Air Force veteran, Graze Craze is now among the Starpoint Brands™ constellation of trusted companies representing the very best in their industries. For more information about Graze Craze South Tempe, go to 1855 E Guadalupe Road, Tempe, AZ 85283; visit www.grazecraze.com/south-tempe-az or call 480-272-9553.For more information about Graze Craze’s locations, menu and commercial accounts, visit www.grazecraze.com. For information on franchising opportunities, visit www.grazecrazefranchise.com.

About Big Flavor Brands

Big Flavor Brands™ specializes in franchises dedicated to creative eating, offering a zesty menu of fast-growing, award-winning food brands with a proven track record of success. Redefining fast-casual restaurants by offering authentic third-generation recipes at The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill®, innovating the specialty concept, with charcuterie board caterer Graze Craze®, and transforming Italian takeout to fast-fresh Italian from Cannoli Kitchen Pizza®, Big Flavor Brands dominate their niches with quality, value, and tasty fare for every occasion. Big Flavor Brands represents the food division of Starpoint Brands which is comprised of a family of trusted companies exemplifying the very best in their industries.

About Starpoint Brands

A family of trusted brands representing the very best in their industries, including retail, food & beverage and professional services, Starpoint Brands™ is the mark of quality for customers. It brings together a constellation of brands within United Franchise Group™ (UFG), including Signarama®; Fully Promoted®; Transworld Business Advisors®; Network Lead Exchange™; the Vast Coworking Group™ shared workspace division with Venture X® and Office Evolution®; as well as the Big Flavor Brands™ food division with The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill®, Graze Craze®, and Cannoli Kitchen Pizza®. A brand under the Starpoint Brands division is one that business-to-consumer and business-to-business customers can be sure will provide the ultimate in service, reliability, and value.

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