Long-anticipated Gilbert restaurant to open this fall

After years of uncertainty and waiting, a restaurant and historic plot in downtown Gilbert will come back to life. Clare House Social, the anticipated eatery from the team behind Prep & Pastry, is set to open in late November on Gilbert Road in the heart of the town’s Heritage District. 

The restaurant will include two large spaces, the modern former home of Prep & Pastry and the twee house next door, from which the entire concept gets its name.

Clare House was built in 1918 and is the town’s second-oldest building. From 2009 to 2022, it was home to the beloved local coffee shop and roaster, Bergies Coffee. In 2024, plans for a two-story club put the small bungalow at risk of demolition. Restaurant owner Nathan Ares saved the house from the wrecking ball when he acquired the plot next to an outpost of his restaurant group’s brunch spot.

Between the modern restaurant space and the quaint bungalow, which sits back on the lot, lies a lush courtyard filled with shade trees. That space will become a “gathering yard.” This outdoor area will open after the restaurant, in early 2027. 

“It’s definitely going to be a really fun, hip, newer version of what beer gardens do,” Ares says. “It’s not just a bunch of cornhole (boards) and old kegs sitting around. This is going to be an elevated gathering yard.”

A turbulent few years saved the house

The historic Clare House remained one of the few constants of the rapidly evolving Heritage District. The once quiet main drag is now a dining and nightlife destination. The small, setback house and spacious lawn stand out among new, modern buildings that soar stories above it. During its long run as Bergies, the Clare House and its patio persisted amid the changing downtown landscape as a vintage, daytime oasis.

When the coffee shop closed, the building was sold to the Utah-based developer Wags Capital, which partnered with Evening Entertainment Group to bring its double-decker pizzeria and club Bottled Blonde to the bustling downtown. 

To make way for the proposed two-story spot, the house would have to go. History buffs and the local museum HD South worked to raise funds to move the house; otherwise, it would be torn down.

Before the house faced that reality, the plans took a shocking turn. The FBI arrested Aaron Wagner, the owner of Wags Capital, on federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. 

The Bottled Blonde outpost was scrapped. Ares stepped in last summer.

“We really want to save historic properties,” he says.

What to expect at Clare House Social

Though Ares says Prep & Pastry was doing well, he saw an opportunity to offer a new option for the crowd that comes out after dark. 

Prep & Pastry started in Tucson and has an outpost in Old Town Scottsdale. Ares’ other Tucson-born restaurant, Commoner & Co., is set to relocate to Gilbert’s Cooley Station. He’s also launching a new concept in Tucson: a golf simulator and restaurant called Broadmoor Sporting Club.

On Gilbert Road, Clare House Social’s modern, 6,000-square-foot restaurant space boasts mossy green booths, leather couches and hanging plants. The kitchen will serve “approachable but elevated” American fare, Ares says, including shareable appetizers, salads, sandwiches, a burger and entrees, such as salmon. The bar will offer a mix of cocktails, beer and wine.

On weekends, diners will also be able to also stop in for brunch. Clare House Social will feature some Prep & Pastry staples, including its roasted potatoes and scratch-baked breads and pastries. The kitchen will serve shareable brunch boards and breakfast sandwiches, among other bites, Ares says. 

The restaurant’s patio overlooks the yard and the historic house. There, diners will be able to order food from a walk-up window, watch sports on TVs placed around the outdoor area and choose from a larger selection of canned beers at the bar. In addition to refurbishing the house, Ares’ team will add a large pergola. 

The owner calls the forthcoming restaurant “Gilbert’s new favorite hangout.”

“We’re just so excited to introduce something exciting and new into an area that’s been the same for so long,” he says. “This property should never have been available. We got lucky.” 

Clare House Social

Opens in late November
309 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert