Duke’s Roadhouse, the long-anticipated restaurant and music venue will officially open to the public two weeks from today. 

Owner Steve Kovach, a Chandler developer, said Duke’s Roadhouse will be the city’s largest combined restaurant, bar and music venue, featuring an open-air patio, balcony and performances from Thursday through Sunday. 

“We’re going to open to the public on June 2,” Kovach told InMaricopa today. 

Kovach noted the first several days of service will be by reservation only from about 4 to 6 p.m. He said he expects all tables to fill quickly. After that, the restaurant will transition to first-come, first-serve as it rolls out its normal hours. 

The venue seats 260 guests at tables and another 30 at the bar, including an all-weather patio that can be opened or closed depending on conditions. With three full bars, Kovach said he expects a strong bar business, especially while guests wait for a table. 

Initial blueprints for the nightlife hotspot boasted a 7,800-square-foot bar and restaurant and an enclosed front canopy, according to project architect Mark Tomecak. The restaurant will include about 2,100 square feet of outdoor seating.  

As just a sampling of the anticipation a new, original restaurant brings, Duke’s already has a 5-star rating on Google, with 13 reviews. At least two reviewers gave the restaurant’s food, service and atmosphere five-star evaluations some eight weeks before its expected opening night. 

Kovach is responding to the preemptive reviews with offers of free merchandise or wait-list spots. 

“Will there be line dancing nights?” asked one excited Maricopa resident on an online forum. “I need a place in town!” 

Kovach responded: “Absolutely! Come enjoy live music and dancing every Wednesday through Sunday.” 

While the restaurant opens June 2, live music won’t start until that Wednesday, June 4. Music schedules and reservation links through OpenTable will be posted on the website, DukesRoad.house in the coming days. 

The venue takes over the former A1 Pawn building, which was demolished for this new restaurant just across from the Amtrak station at 19395 N. John Wayne Parkway. 

Duke’s Roadhouse marks a new venture for Kovach, who debuted The Stillery in Nashville in 2015. That company later expanded to six total locations, including Chandler in 2020 and north Phoenix in 2022. 

Asked how it feels to finally announce an opening date, Kovach said: “Tell a friend, tell a newspaper. It’s finally happening.”