Today we’d like to introduce you to James Swann.
Hi James, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, my name is James Swann with CRAFT 64 Pizzerias. We are award winning wood fired pizzerias and brewpubs located in Scottsdale and Chandler Arizona. We have been in business for 12 years and got started when a group of good friends all wanting to open a restaurant combined our collective know with a vision to be different. A woodfired pizzeria without microwaves, freezers or deep fat fryers. Fresh food made in a scratch kitchen along side a large selection of craft beers and our own brewery creations. We’ve been mentioned on the prestigious 50 Top Pizza “Best in the USA” list 6 years running placing in the top 30 in the country last year as well as countless awards for our beers in the Chandler & Scottsdale areas collectively.
Well known for our Honey Bee pizza and our Juice Box Hazy IPA we are about to celebrate our ten year anniversary making our own beers and were also just selected as Best Pizza in the Phoenix metro area in Times New Media’s Lovin’ Life annual edition. Another forte are our bi-monthly food festivals featuring specialty menus and brewery creations including Pineapple, Oktoberfest. Garlic plus Cinco De Mayo/Hispanic Culture menus. Entire menus dedicated to a concept of flavor profiles or cultural cuisines adapted for pizza!
Thank you for considering us for your magazine and cheers!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This is a great question as this industry is never smooth sailing. Covid was rough as well as the concept of employment afterwards for quite some time. Rising costs of food and fuel over the last couple of years has been a huge factor as well as the loss of many tourists from Canada and Europe, especially in Scottsdale. Equipment including HVAC units seem to break on a regular basis here in the dry heat and repairs can be extremely costly.
Three restaurants in our Downtown Chandler neighborhood just closed abruptly as well as two long timers located right next to our Scottsdale location. This summer hasn’t been kind to everyone but I can report that despite the difficulties we are enjoying our best summer yet in both locations. I feel blessed and proud of our hard work.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
This one is a bit humbling but absolutely true. I have been in the restaurant industry all my life. I have done every job from washing dishes to cooking in hot kitchens, waiting tables, bartending and management. The truth is if I didn’t own my own restaurants I don’t know what I would do as this is the only thing in the world I know how to do. I am truly grateful to be in the position I am in. The hours are long, there is always a fire to put out and days off come rarely.
One very fortunate note is that over the years we have developed a strong and long serving staff at both locations. This makes all the difference and did not happen overnight. With a strong dedicated staff almost anything is possible.
I am quite proud of the awards we have garnered, the high quality of the cuisine we serve and again of our staff. If asked what I specialize in or what I’m known for, I tend to focus on the business and on what it accomplishes as that’s what I live for. It’s also what occasionally keeps me up at night.
How do you think about luck?
I feel very fortunate but luck has almost nothing to do with it. Hard work, passion, long hours, great product and staff make all the difference. Balancing your budget, costs, expectations and output is also key. Luck is for Las Vegas, sometimes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://craft64.com
- Instagram: @craft64chandler @craft64scottsdale
- Facebook: facebook.com/Craft64Chandler Facebook.com/Craft64Scottsdale
- Twitter: @craft64AZ
- Yelp: https://yelp.com/biz/craft-64-scottsdale
