Chico Malo: Check Out This Bad Boy Before It Opens
Chico Malo in Downtown Phoenix, designed by Peter Bowden.
Chico Malo is a bold Mexican and South American restaurant in Downtown Phoenix created by Culture Shock Hospitality. The concept combines a rebellious “bad boy” persona with a warm, energetic dining experience centered on inventive food, handmade tortillas, art, and design.
Peter Bowden developed the interior around the idea of a young man transforming an inherited steakhouse into something distinctly his own. The design retains the building’s sense of sophistication while introducing street art, graffiti, rich wood tones, colorful furnishings, and a more irreverent atmosphere.
The restaurant includes an expanded indoor and outdoor bar, a visible tortilla-making area, shared seating with neighboring Fractured Prune, and a retractable wall that allows the space to shift from a fast-casual lunch environment to a separate happy-hour experience.
Chico Malo’s art program includes a temporary wheat-paste mural installation featuring cultural icons and “bad boys,” along with a commissioned interior artwork by Brazilian artist Eduardo Recife. The menu highlights Mexican and South American flavors, handmade tortillas, fish tacos, street corn, Peruvian sashimi, and other creative dishes developed by Chef Chris McKinley.
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