COVER STORY

{by karen werner}

Food, fun and philanthropy are the right ingredients A Fox Family Recipe

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rchie, the 7-month-old Cavapoo is romping adorably through the yard, while his family watches and smiles.

“He’s everyone’s favorite,” said Noah Fox, a freshman at Brophy, as he watches the fluffy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel/Poodle mix bound about.

It’s a sunny Saturday morning and the family of four is talking genially with a reporter about their life and success. Noah and his younger sister Chloe Fox are incredibly polite, especially considering they have friends upstairs in their house still snoozing after a sleepover the night before.

In addition to hanging out with their friends, the kids have typical teenage interests. Noah is an avid sports fan and played freshman football at Brophy this year. Chloe, an eighth-grader, recently took up tennis.

As a family, the Foxes enjoy playing games of Sequence and spending summers in their house in Coronado, California. They’re also building a place in Montana, where they hope to spend more time. “Traveling kind of bonds us together,” Noah said. Bonding on vacation is one of the ways the upbeat brood stays close. “I feel like our lives are so crazy that it takes us getting away to have true family time and make memories,” the children’s mother, Emily Fox, said.

The Fox family lives in a picture-perfect house in Arcadia, in a neighborhood surrounded by their father’s restaurants. The Henry is just down the street, as is Doughbird and Flower Child. Blanco isn’t far away and neither is Culinary Dropout. Sam Fox, the thirdgeneration restaurateur, has kept a breakneck schedule opening restaurants for more than two decades.

It’s in his blood. His maternal grandfather was in the restaurant industry, as was Sam’s father. His parents had some restaurants in Chicago and moved the family to Tucson when Sam was 5. So it’s no wonder that the business came naturally to him.

“I was working on a real-estate finance degree at the University of Arizona and struggled at school. I just didn’t love it. So it was an easy path for me to get into the business,” Sam said. He used the remainder of his college savings to open his first restaurant in Tucson when he was 21, and then followed it up by opening Wildflower in 1998.

Little did he know it would be the start of an improbable culinary ride that has included partnering with Dr. Andrew Weil on the

It’s in his blood. His maternal grandfather was in the restaurant industry, as was Sam’s father.

“We’ve realized we’ve been so blessed that it’s important for us to give back.”

True Food Kitchen restaurants and cookbook, swapping recipes with Justin Timberlake and being named a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur a whopping 11 times. Last year, in a move than shocked the foodie world, his Fox Restaurant Concepts was acquired and became a wholly owned subsidiary of The Cheesecake Factory. The deal was worth more than $350 million.

But back in the 90s, Sam’s goals were more quotidian. “It really was to make sure my first restaurant stayed open and I could pay my bills,” he said. “I spent a lot of time early in my career just trying to survive. That’s a great foundation for who I am and how I run my business today.”

What also laid a great foundation was his marriage to Emily, who he met in his restaurant when she was in college. They were at different points in their lives at the time, but he kept running into the vivacious blonde around town. “She worked at a golf course as a golf cart girl, and her boss was someone who worked for me for a while, so we had a lot of crossovers,” Sam said. Finally,

when Emily was ready to graduate, Sam asked her on a date. They will have been married 22 years this May.

The couple moved to Phoenix in 2000, in part to be closer to Emily’s family. Emily grew up in Phoenix and attended grade school and high school here. She’s one of six kids in a close-knit family. “My parents are still in the house that I grew up in,” she said. “I have a brother who lives four doors down and a sister who lives on the same street. Being around family and cousins was important to us, especially as we were starting to have kids.”

Fast-forward to today, when they’re doing their level best to raise those kids to become quality people. As parents, Sam and Emily stress the importance of getting good grades, making good choices and staying motivated. Philanthropy also comes high on the list.

For Sam, it again goes back to the family business. “I mean, it’s real easy. In our company, we serve people every day, so we have that philosophy as a family as well,” he said. “We’ve been very supported by the community, so we find it fortunate that we’re able to support the community that we live in ourselves.”

One of the organizations the Foxes give to is Phoenix Women’s Board of the Steele Children’s Research Center, affectionately known as PANDA (People Acting Now Discover Answers). Since its founding in 1999, PANDA has raised more than $15 million to improve treatments and find cures for devastating childhood diseases as well as fund and recruit top pediatric physicians and scientists to Arizona so families can access the most cutting-edge care.

PANDA’s entirely volunteer board is comprised of more than 150 women in the Phoenix area, including Emily’s sister and sister-in-law. Each year, PANDA holds a benefit fashion show, which the Fox family supports. In fact, Noah and Chloe walked the runway seven or eight years ago, and the family has attended the shows ever since.

A few years ago, PANDA approached the Foxes and asked them to be the first title sponsor. “Yes came out of our mouths super quickly,” Sam said. “The women of PANDA have silently dedicated their lives to fight for children and families affected by disease.” So, after Fox Restaurant Concepts was acquired last year, the Foxes wanted PANDA to know they weren’t going anywhere. FRC and the Fox family made a threeyear gift to the organization, which will bring their total contribution to more than $1 million.

“We are incredibly grateful for their ongoing support and commitment to our mission,” said Tammy Ryan, PANDA’s board president. “They are funding groundbreaking research at the University of Arizona Steele Children’s Research Center and touching the lives of so many people.”

“For us, it checks a lot of different boxes,” Sam said. “Obviously, we’re fond of children’s charities. And geographically, it’s a good fit too. The Steele Center is in Tucson, where I grew up, and it has a connection to the university and the amazing things they’ve done down there.”

That’s the kind of thoughtful approach — connecting business to life and family — that Sam and Emily want to instill in their children. “It’s important that our kids see that we give back so that they have that in their blood and their bones and realize the importance,” Emily said. Chloe is in the National Charity League and tutors kids after school at CASA Academy, and Noah sits on the teen board at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

A few years ago, PANDA approached the Foxes and asked them to be the first title sponsor. “Yes came out of our mouths super quickly,” Sam said.

Still, Sam and Emily want to balance high expectations with a desire for their kids to be unburdened by them. “There might be a little more of a spotlight on us,” Sam acknowledged, “but with that, there are opportunities to shine.”

The kids feel the pressure a bit. “But it motivates you at the same time,” Noah said. “My dad has such an insane story — it’s, like, one in a million — so you strive to be like him, but you also realize you have to be yourself and do your own thing.”

Indeed, Sam’s unlikely story keeps unfolding in interesting ways. Even with the company acquisition, his day-to-day life looks remarkably like it always has. He’s still in Phoenix, running his company, and opening new restaurants at a rapid pace. FRC opened 19 restaurants last year and is on schedule to open about 15 this year. They just signed a deal for Doughbird in Austin, Texas, and are continuing to grow Flower Child and North. They’re also working on a couple of different locations

PANDAs Love People

s the research arm of UArizona Department of Pediatrics, the Steele Children’s Research Center is the state’s only academic pediatric medical research center. The dual role of researcher and physician there is also unique in pediatric medicine in Arizona. A

The Steele Center’s physician-scientists bring their research from “the bench to the bedside” and examine complex children’s medical issues to improve children’s health. “To be successful in life you must have a purpose and that purpose must be driven by passion. I am passionate about creating and propagating knowledge to improve the health of children all over the world,” said Dr. Fayez Ghishan, director of the Steele Center.

The Phoenix Women’s Board works to support processes that lead to improved treatments and cures for devastating childhood diseases.

26 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | MARCH 2020 Dr. Fayez Ghishan, director of the Steele Center, with young models at a PANDA fashion show.

The board believes that discovering answers to childhood diseases comes from taking action, which led them to adopt the name PANDA — People Acting Now Discover Answers. For two decades, PANDA has funded pilot projects and early-stage research that has fueled millions of dollars in grants.

Now entering its third decade, PANDA will continue to fund medical research to produce new ideas, novel treatments and cures for very sick children.

of The Henry, have a Culinary Dropout and Blanco under construction in Denver, and are doing four or five existing brands in the Valley.

“We haven’t stopped. In fact, I think we’re working even more,” Sam said. “I built an amazing company and love leading it every single day. I’m not ready to retire.”

As if that weren’t enough, Sam is also working on a couple of big side projects, including a hotel at 44 th and Camelback and a three-level supper club in Nashville called The Twelve Thirty Club.

The kids clearly idolize their dad and, though Noah has shown an interest in the family business, Sam doesn’t want him to see it as his only option. Still, Sam recognizes that the business can teach a lot of valuable lessons — “how you treat people, how you want to be treated. It’s a good exposure to life,” he said.

So Noah and Chloe spend a fair share of time in the Fox restaurants. Noah has bused tables, and Chloe has worked in the marketing department. “Sam and I both grew up working,” Emily said. “I started working when I was 13 and worked throughout high school and college. I think it’s important that we show our kids not to take anything for granted, that money doesn’t grow on trees, and that life doesn’t come easy.”

But all in all, life is good for the Foxes. They enjoy traveling and games and spending time with one another. “We’ve been fortunate,” Sam said. “We can expose the kids to a lot of things that maybe I didn’t have growing up.”

Of course, many of those things include the family business. “We love riding our bikes to Olive & Ivy for brunch,” Sam said.

“We’re for sure into our food,” Chloe agreed.

Unfortunately for Sam, the kids’ favorite restaurant isn’t one of their father’s. That distinction goes to Nobu.

“That’s all we do is talk about food in our family,” Emily said.

“There’s always a good debate,” laughed Sam.

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