North Scottsdale bar tour shows diverse spots

Paula and Greg Elias at Eli's American Grille (Credit: David Wallace/azcentral.com)

Megan Finnerty
Metromix

Greg Elias wants you to come out drinking with him and his wife, Paula.

They want to show you a good time.

Greg grew up in the Valley and has worked in the Arizona hospitality industry for 43 years, but recently, he's felt like people just aren't having as much fun as they used to.

That's why he and Paula got together with a handful of the restaurant and bar owners near their place, Eli's American Grille, to put on a progressive walking tour of four close-together restaurants northwest of Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard.

From 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays through the end of the month, Greg and the owners of Handlebar-J, Centro Paninoteca, and the Chop and Wok and Wok Star Bar lead a casual tour of their establishments.

Guests enjoy reduced-price drinks, free appetizers, giveaways and raffle prizes from other Valley businesses, ranging from T-shirts to gift certificates, even a free week of luxury car rental.

“It's time for everybody to slow down and get us back to what got this country going in the first place, all of us working together, focusing on what we have in common,” Greg said. “We're all in this together, all of us in this little area; we're not really about all the competition.”

The evening walks have been averaging more than 50 people, with everyone hanging out at each location for about 45 minutes until Paula blows her neon-orange whistle, signaling that it's time to move on.

Greg said he started the walking tour partially in response to the negative impact Arizona's DUI laws have had on the food and beverage industry. He wanted to create an event where people felt comfortable getting a few drinks without worrying about being arrested. To that extent, he's arranged with two cab companies to get patrons home from the pub-crawl for free.

He also launched the tour because he was looking for something fun to do involving his business.

“I was just thinking, ‘What can I do to bring these people together and start some action.' Because I used to have so much fun in this city. And it's started to turn into a real project, being in business,” he said.

Part of the proceeds from T-shirt sales and a fund-raising booth will be donated to the 100 Club of Arizona, a nonprofit that supports fallen police and fire personnel.