Roka Akor has signed a lease for its second Arizona restaurant, trading its Scottsdale exclusivity for a spot in Gilbert’s Northside at SanTan Village development. The contemporary Japanese restaurant, known for its robata grill, sushi program and Kobe beef, will occupy a 4,336-square-foot space with a 1,000-square-foot patio on South SanTan Parkway, with an opening slated for mid-2027.
The deal was first reported by azbigmedia.com on October 19, 2026, ahead of the Phoenix Business Journal story on October 23, 2026. Additional details were laid out by azbigmedia.com, which confirmed the Gilbert restaurant will mark Roka Akor’s sixth location nationwide and second in Arizona. The exact street address has not yet been revealed, according to the same report. Once open, the Gilbert restaurant will bring the brand’s signature robata grill, sushi program and Kobe beef to the East Valley.
Roka Akor currently operates its Arizona flagship at 7299 N. Scottsdale Road, along with one restaurant in San Francisco and three in the Chicago area, per the report from whatnow.com. The Roka concept originated in London before the late Dr. John N. Kapoor brought the brand to Scottsdale; his family now oversees the restaurant group through JNK Concepts, the outlet notes.
A Growing Mixed-Use Hub in Gilbert
The Gilbert restaurant will anchor space within Northside, a 20-acre mixed-use development whose first phase includes six buildings and more than 37,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, according to the same azbigmedia.com report detailing the project’s tenant roster. At full build-out, Northside is planned to include restaurants, retailers, a 134-key hotel and future mixed-use assets, according to a report from w-retail.com…