Published March 2005

Canyons brings Southwestern
dining to Monroe

Snohomish County Business Journal/JOHN WOLCOTT Canyons’ founder and CEO Scott Perry is bringing the restaurant’s Southwestern menu, friendly hospitality, casual-dining and business meeting venue to Monroe.

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

Scott Perry has created a fresh restaurant menu and dining atmosphere that has been attracting crowds for years in Canyon Park, Mountlake Terrace and Redmond.

Now it’s Monroe’s turn to have its own Canyons, the Southwest-themed, lunch-and-dinner restaurant that attracts families and business executives alike.

Opening March 16, after a VIP party March 12, Canyons seems destined to become a big player in Monroe’s expansive mix of restaurants along Highway 2, said Perry, the founder and CEO of Canyons.

“There’s a great variety of restaurants in Monroe but no casual-dining options like Canyons offers. Families love it; kids are treated like first-class citizens, business groups hold meetings, and business relationships are built here,” Perry said.

Canyons’ location, a hundred feet north of Highway 2 on Kelsey Avenue, is opposite Fred Meyer and a couple blocks from the Galaxy 12-screen movie theater. Better yet, Canyons is on the edge of an undeveloped 80-acre parcel owned by the city of Monroe and destined for future development that may contain “big box” stores and other retail attractions.

“We’ve found we do particularly well in a neighborhood with theaters,” Perry said, noting his Mountlake Terrace restaurant is near the Regal Mountlake 9.

Linked to the colorful wall-and-artwork decor of the American Southwest, Canyons’ menu carries such items as Southwest chicken fiesta salads, smoked barbecue ribs and enchilada verde tortillas. But there are also a variety of choices that are not distinctly Southwestern, including steaks, prawns, grilled honey-line chicken, burgers and popular sandwiches and wraps.

Canyons also will host business groups, special family parties and gatherings for a variety of events as well as provide off-site catering. The restaurant has free high-speed wi-fi Internet access, plus seven digital wide-screen television screens, four 43-inch high-definition plasma screens and one 50-inch plasma screen. Used for sports shows in the evening, the high-tech equipment is also ideal for multi-media presentations for business meetings at the restaurant, Perry said.

The popularity of Perry’s restaurants has convinced him he’ll be able to build on his roster of four eateries. He’s already planning to open as many as four more Canyons locations between Marysville and Tacoma.

“All of our restaurants are operated by seasoned owner-managers and an experienced service staff, which is why we can boast about great service as well as popular menus,” Perry said.

Canyons’ high retention level is seen in managers with 18 years of employment and many of his 270 employees who have been with him for more than a decade.

In Monroe, the manager will be Steve Roach, aided by two assistant managers, Jeff Grant and Judd Phillips.

Supportive of each community where he has opened a restaurant, Perry continues that public service theme in Monroe as well, beginning with his March 12 VIP preview event. He’s inviting guests to contribute cash and food donations to the Sky Valley Food Bank.

“It’s a way for the restaurant to give back to the Monroe community, beginning the day we open our doors,” Perry said.

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