Our Story
Everything About Haymaker
Welcome to the neighborhood gathering place. If you want to know more About Haymaker, we are a family-first restaurant concept focused on providing genuine, everyday comfort. We aren't aiming to be an elusive, once-a-year special occasion destination; instead, we strive to be your dependable country-style kitchen—perfect for a Tuesday night burger or a Saturday morning family breakfast.
The Origin Story: The Final Shot
The story About Haymaker begins with our founder, Joey Lucidi, who grew up working in his parents' family restaurant in Poway, California. Learning firsthand how great food drives genuine connection, he started serving tables by age 14 and was running full-scale restaurant operations by 17. In 2013, Joey brought that lifelong passion to Peoria, Arizona, to establish the very first location. He named the concept "Haymaker" because it was his ultimate final shot—a knockout swing at building an elite brand. He took that leap with a clear modern vision: to combine the warm, welcoming soul of a traditional family kitchen with the pristine quality controls, premium technologies, and scalable operational discipline of a premier national brand.
In 2013, Joey decided to open a new concept in Peoria, Arizona. He named the restaurant "Haymaker" because it was his final shot—a knockout swing at building a truly great restaurant. He took that leap with a clear vision: to pair the warm, welcoming atmosphere of a local family diner with the structure, technology, and discipline of a national brand.
How We Built the Machine: Uncompromising Quality and Care
While many restaurants claim to serve "comfort food," our operational standards are what truly set us apart. Unlike large corporate chains that rely heavily on massive freezers and pre-packaged ingredients, we prioritize fresh, scratch-made cooking. Approximately 90% of our menu is prepared entirely in-house. Our kitchens feature expansive 20-foot walk-in refrigerators because our teams dedicate 8 to 10 hours a day to prep work—from hand-battering our fish to slow-cooking our pork overnight. We believe that true hospitality means executing every detail consistently, proving that local dining never has to mean amateur execution.
What is most unique About Haymaker is our uncompromising kitchen baseline. While competing restaurants simply claim to serve comfort dishes, our daily operational standards are what truly redefine the experience. Unlike rigid corporate chains that pass along pre-packaged, frozen ingredients, we build our items from scratch. Nearly 90% of our dining menu is prepped entirely in-house. Our back-of-house layouts feature large 20-foot walk-in refrigerators because our dedicated culinary teams invest 8 to 10 hours a day on fresh prep—from hand-battering fish to slow-cooking pork overnight. Our structural commitment extends well beyond the kitchen lines; it is deeply rooted in local service. Our management teams are fully empowered to do the right thing for our guests at every turn. When a neighborhood restaurant stands firmly behind its values, guests don't just drop in for a quick bite—they take proud ownership of the environment, creating an authentic, welcoming culture that defines the legacy of the brand.
The Next Step: Franchising the Soul of Haymaker
Over the past 13 years, our dedication to these core values has allowed us to grow Westside Concepts into a robust portfolio of 6 distinct brands across 10 current locations. Through this growth, Joey refined our operations, allowing leadership to focus on long-term vision rather than day-to-day troubleshooting. We have successfully built a highly efficient system that allows us to scale without losing our scratch-made soul.
Today, we are proud to offer franchising opportunities for Haymaker, partnering with individuals who understand that faith and community inspire our culture, not just qualifications. With proven systems, advanced predictive technology, and strong all-day dining margins, we are inviting the right partners to carry this vision forward. At the end of the day, we aren't just building restaurants; we're building legacies.
