Mercer: My path to Sedona is a pretty classic Sedona story—unexpected and a little serendipitous. Before coming here, I was working for a caviar company in San Francisco. We raised sturgeon, produced caviar, and smoked fish. It was, honestly, the best job I ever had. I worked a steady schedule, traveled around the country hosting champagne and caviar dinners, and worked for incredible people. I thought I’d be there forever.
Then everything changed. There was a hostile corporate takeover, and the company was essentially taken out from under the original owners. It was handled poorly, and I decided I didn’t want to stay on under those circumstances. Around that time, my mother was living in Pinehurst, so I went back to be closer to her.
While there, I ended up playing golf with a man from Sedona who owned a restaurant. He mentioned he was losing money and was planning to close it. I asked him if he could keep it open long enough for me to come take a look. I had never been to Sedona before, but I flew out, walked into the restaurant, and immediately saw potential. It was busy—very busy—but it wasn’t being managed properly. There was no reason it should have been losing money.
I told him I’d take it. After the first month, we were profitable, and I insisted on paying him rent. By the second month, he was so appreciative that he handed the restaurant over to me—inventory and all. That was the beginning.
Six years later, we had grown to twelve restaurants. It happened quickly, but it worked because we stayed focused on quality and operations.Question: That’s incredible growth. What happened next?
Mercer: During that time, I met my wife, Emily. She’s a retired lawyer from Dallas, and at one point she told me, “You don’t have to do this anymore.” That stuck with me. I realized I had the option to step back, so I did.
I had a business partner who later approached me with an offer to buy my interests, including real estate. I looked at the offer and decided it made sense, so I sold. But as things tend to go, I eventually got three of the properties back, which worked out perfectly.
Not long after, a chef I had known for years came to me and said he couldn’t continue running his restaurant due to mounting requirements and costs. We sat down, talked it through, and I ended up taking that one over as well. That became part of the group.
Today, we operate four restaurants, Creekside American Bistro, Mesa Grill Sedona, Rascal Modern American Diner and Bar and Rene at Tlaquepaque, along with a strong catering division. The catering side has grown into its own successful arm of the business, with events hosted across multiple venues.
Question: So are you officially retired now?
Mercer: (laughs) It depends on how you define retirement. My definition is simple: my wife’s travel plans take priority. If she books a trip, I go. Otherwise, I’m still involved. It’s a balance that works really well for us.
We split our time between Sedona and Scottsdale. Scottsdale is more her project—she enjoys working on the home there—while Sedona is where the restaurants are. We go back and forth often, and we genuinely enjoy both places. It’s a great lifestyle.
Question: It sounds like life is treating you well.
Mercer: It really is. We have a lot of fun. The restaurant business can be stressful, especially early on when you’re just trying to make payroll. But we’ve moved past that stage, and now it’s much more enjoyable. Sedona has been very good to me.
Question: When you go out to eat, where do you like to go?
Mercer: We try to spread it around. There are several favorite spots we rotate through locally, and we make a point to support other restaurants. When we’re in Scottsdale, we’re always trying new places—there’s constantly something opening up, which keeps things exciting.
Dining out is part of how we stay current. It’s important to see what others are doing, what trends are emerging, and what customers are responding to.
Question: When friends visit, where do you take them?
Mercer: It depends on what they enjoy. If someone loves pizza, there’s a place in town that does an exceptional job, especially with lighter dough made from imported flour—it makes a difference.
We also like taking people to places where there’s a bit of personality—somewhere memorable. Sometimes that includes spots with live music or a unique atmosphere.
We also spend time in Cottonwood and Jerome. We actually own a small historic property in Cottonwood that we restored, and we’ll stay there when we’re in the area. From there, we can walk to nearby restaurants or head up to Jerome for a different dining experience.
Question: How would you describe the food scene in Sedona today?
Mercer: It’s come a long way. When I first arrived about 18 years ago, the options were fairly limited—mostly rustic, Southwestern, and cowboy-style cuisine. There were a handful of standout places, but overall, it wasn’t a highly developed culinary scene.
Today, it’s much more sophisticated. There are serious chefs and restaurateurs coming in, and the level of competition has risen significantly. That’s good for everyone.
For me, staying current is critical. We update menus three times a year in each restaurant. That process involves developing new dishes, training staff, photographing menu items, and rolling everything out. It’s a constant cycle, but it keeps things fresh.
Question: What do you see as the future of your restaurant group?
Mercer: The focus is on maintaining quality and staying relevant. Every year, we invest in updates—whether it’s renovating a bar, refreshing furniture, or improving the space. If you fall behind in this business, it shows quickly.
As for expansion, I’ve learned that opportunities tend to come to me rather than the other way around. If the right situation presents itself—something that makes sense and feels right—I’d consider it.
Question: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?
Mercer: Well, before all of this, I had a great run in the caviar business, which was a really unique chapter in my life. And going even further back, I was actually a gymnast when I was younger. That surprises people.
But really, I’d just say that I’ve been fortunate. The food scene in Sedona continues to improve, and there are a lot of talented people contributing to that growth. It’s exciting to be part of it.
