Aaron Chamberlin, the local chef and gastronomic visionary behind Phoenix Public Market Cafe, Tempe Public Market Cafe, and Taco Chelo, has recently sold St. Francis.

The story of Chamberlin’s first restaurant begins in 2009, when he and his brother David established the rustic-modern eatery known for inventive dishes made with seasonal ingredients and cooked over a traditional wood fire.

Linh Tran, the new owner of St. Francis, shared her vision and what she believes the future holds in store for the family-owned restaurant in an email to The Republic.  

“I am part of the management team and will be the main point of contact for marketing and promotions,” she expressed on Wednesday. “We are in the process of expanding other restaurants in other parts of the Valley in the next couple of months.”

St. Francis has always been a top spot for locals, but reached national levels of recognition after being praised by Guy Fieri, the host of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”. During his visit, Guy ordered the Pig Dip, which he declared to be “one of the top five pork sandwiches I have ever had and the top five dip sandwiches I have ever had.” 

Before finalizing the sale of St. Francis, Chamberlin said in a statement that he was letting go of the restaurant to focus on his new concepts.

“We now have the opportunity to sell St. Francis and focus on the growth of the company and our new concepts,” he said. “St. Francis has always held a special place in my heart and I want to make sure it gets passed on to a capable team that can move it forward to be there for the community for years to come. 

Fortunately for the fans, the current restaurant staff will remain under the new management, including executive chef Joshua Duncan who returned to St. Francis in April.