Sam & Luca Rustic Kitchen welcomed new owners last month – Steve and Kim Lippe, who have been the owners of Tukee’s Sports Grille, a sports bar and restaurant in Ahwatukee, for 13 years.
“We are thoroughly excited to grow our business,” said Steve. “My food of choice is Italian food, so we got lucky being in the position to take Sam & Luca over. We feel blessed beyond words.”
The Lippes have made the hospitality industry a family affair, with all five of their sons having worked at Tukee’s. Now, Steve and Kim’s son, Joshua, will help them in leading Sam & Luca.
“He’s an amazing young man with a lot of talent,” Steve said of his son.
Loyal patrons of Sam & Luca Rustic Kitchen will be happy to hear that they’ll continue to see the same friendly faces around as well – including previous owner, Dennis Shaw.
“I’ll be here through the transition, and I hope that everyone will come down and join us because I’ll be here to welcome you,” said Dennis. “We still have our same great staff here, and it will still be the same great restaurant everyone has come to know and love.”
Steve also shared his excitement to have Dennis on board for the transition.
“I thoroughly trust and respect Dennis,” Steve said. “Things are going so smoothly because of all the hard work he’s already done – and that’s why I’m buying the restaurant – because he’s done such an incredible job.”
While much of what diners love about Sam & Luca will stay the same, Steve is excited to introduce a new chef, Mark Coakley, previously of BKD’s Backyard Joint, who has become well-loved and respected among foodies across the Valley.
“Food is a true passion of mine and Mark’s,” said Steve. “The food is already great at Sam & Luca, and we’re excited to elevate it with handmade meatballs, handmade ravioli, and even handmade desserts from scratch. Everything will be handmade.”
Steve and Mark also hope to make Sam & Luca a pizza destination for the Valley.
“We’re going to make the dough from scratch for our pizzas,” he said. “I want people to come from across town to get a pizza that they can’t get anywhere else – that’s our goal.”
Patrons can also look forward to Sam & Luca being open on Sundays soon.
“We’re going to open up for a killer Sunday brunch to have fun with great food and mimosas,” said Steve.
Sam & Luca Rustic Kitchen is located at 1959 S. Power Road in Mesa. For more information, or to make a reservation, visit samandlucaaz.com.