Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: This cake topper was literally the icing on top of the Taylor Freeze’s 50th-anniversary celebration in April 2018. The restaurant recently broke ground on a second location south of Safford.
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – The juicy hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, fries and ice cream that have long been a Pima favorite will now be close at hand for those living in the restaurant-desert south of Safford, as the Taylor Freeze has broken ground on its second location.
The site is along U.S. Highway 191, just west of the Graham County Fairgrounds and south of the old Family Dollar store, which puts it just south of Safford.
Co-owner Joe Goodman told the Gila Herald it has been his long-time desire to expand the Taylor Freeze with an additional location, and when he asked where it should go, those living south of Safford were the most vocal.
“Once we were able, we started looking around and started talking with people and that neighborhood out there just bombarded us with requests,” Goodman said. “It’s kind of the same setup as we have in Pima; the last thing going out and the first thing coming in. It just worked out perfect.”
Goodman said he hopes to open by the middle of January 2020, and will look to hire about 25 employees. A job fair for those interested in a position is expected to be posted in November.
The new location will dwarf the original site, with a floorplan that calls for 3,100-square-feet inside with an additional 1,000-square-foot patio along with a drive-through, to offer both inside and outside dining.
The Pima Taylor Freeze has been open for 51 years, with the last 15 being owned and operated by Joe and Sheryl Goodman. Joe said he plans to retire from his position with Graham County and will be in “shorts and polos” at the new location from here on out. He said he hopes the new location will be a gathering point for both those in the area and those from afar.
“We’re just hoping to create a place that’s a destination,” Joe Goodman said.
