Arcadia Farms Turns
Article Kathleen Blair | Photography Provided
T
his coming Valentine’s Day marks a significant anniversary for Arcadia Farms, the popular café and catering business in downtown Scottsdale. Little did owner Carolyn Ellis realize when she opened the restaurant in 1990 how successful her restaurant and catering business would become. Or, that after 25 years she’d continue to expand her business.
The Woman Behind The Scenes
Carolyn Ellis is a delightful lady with a wonderful vision and work ethic. She grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and spent the summers at her aunt and uncle’s farm. There she learned about the term “farm fresh,” which was prominent at family celebrations and included many varieties. Ellis incorporated this concept as one of the main components of her business by using local, organic produce since she opened. Ellis began her career in the banking industry with Continental Bank working in Virginia then moved to Colorado. In 1977, her job moved her to Arizona and she later switched careers to the real estate industry, opening her own real estate firm. At the same time she decided to go to culinary school. Later, she purchased the building her restaurant is in. With the down turn in the real estate market, Ellis was prompted to switch careers again. So, in 1990 she opened a bakery and carry out market. Her customers 16
North Scottsdale Lifestyle | February 2015
soon requested that she serve lunch, and within two months, she was serving lunches. For a number of years, she ran the cafés at many local museums, including the Heard Museum, the Botanical Gardens and the Arizona Science Center. The restaurant and the catering are two separate businesses she equally enjoys. On the catering side of her business, they serve 800 lunches daily to corporations and 400 bridal showers a year. “The women in the community kept us in mind when they entertained,” Ellis says. “I’ve been blessed to have had that support and it has continued. I’ve watched their children grow as we catered their baby shower, graduation party, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner and wedding. Our business has grown one client at a time. We know exactly what items they like and we make sure we provide them.” One of her biggest supporter is her husband of 30 years Howard Sullivan, a retired Arizona State University professor. She has one child and three stepchildren who all live out of state. Winning Combinations
Presently, the café is located in three small buildings. It has a quaint, cottage-life feeling with small, separate rooms which create a cozy atmosphere and there’s a wonderful patio that wraps around the restaurant and seats 100. A small marketplace is across