To truly appreciate The Ends, a new restaurant at 7137 East Stetson in Old Town Scottsdale, you must understand its name. For owner Tommy Plato, the name represents a belief that energy never dies and that every ending fuels a new beginning, whether in food, travel, or life itself.
Plato began his hospitality career at 19 in Torino, Italy, training as a gelato chef. After returning to Arizona, he opened the Gelato Spot on 32nd Street with his family and expanded to six locations. While organizing a gelato competition benefiting Phoenix Children’s Hospital featuring 10 local Valley chefs, Plato reflects on how he found his way into the restaurant industry: “I visited their restaurants and observed their work. That’s how I fell in love with food and shifted to restaurant ventures. Meeting these famous chefs made me realize, ‘This is where I want to go.’”
His next chapter was Second Story Liquor Bar at 4166 North Scottsdale Road. Opened in March 2014 above the Gelato Spot, it offered an upscale dining experience with a chef-driven menu and over 250 whiskeys in a speakeasy-inspired setting. Plato acknowledges that the name misled many to assume it was primarily a bar: “It took me years to really get people to know I had great food there… but it was perfect for me to dabble and run a small restaurant for 13 years.”
In 2018, he found a space in the former Kazimierz Wine & Whiskey Bar, unsure of what to create within the space. Then COVID hit, and like many, Plato faced career uncertainty. “I didn’t know if restaurants would survive, so I had to grieve that part of myself. I let go and embraced something new,” he explains. The name The Ends reflects that transition. “I didn’t know if this would be my last restaurant.”
Plato’s journey toward sobriety also shaped The Ends’ philosophy. He realized he needed three things to engage with life: time with friends, personal weekends, and travel, a philosophy he extends to his staff. They work a four-day week and take four days off every eight weeks for friends, self-care, or travel. “That’s how they gather good energy. ‘The Ends’ stands for ‘The Energy Never Dies,’” states Plato.
The sleek midcentury design with dark wood and brass accents sets the tone for the restaurant. Plato, who has a local woodshop, crafted the tables himself. His father, a restaurant builder involved in projects like Ocotillo, managed the construction, integrating Plato’s design vision. Art plays a crucial role, highlighted by a sketch of Anthony Bourdain by Venice Beach artist Milana Blackman. The portrait combines elements of Bourdain’s life—food, a heroin needle, a heart, and planes—into a cohesive image. “The Ends isn’t a Bourdain-themed restaurant; he’s someone I feel a connection to,” Plato explains. “When I travel, it’s for food. Bourdain represented sharing a meal with someone different, experiencing cultures, and acknowledging industry struggles and mental health challenges.” A visit to the restroom treats you to a soundtrack by Alan Watts, a writer known for interpreting Eastern philosophies for Western audiences. “I want this place to reflect who I am now,” explains Plato.
The menu embraces a variety of influences without labeling itself as global. “I don’t love the word ‘global,’ but we feature a range of flavors,” Plato states, noting that everything is made from scratch, cooked in butter or tallow, and free of seed oils. “I’ve been making tallow fries for at least nine years; it wasn’t about health, just having the best fry. But quality often coincides with better health,” he says.
Offerings feature large, shareable portions, designed to take the diner on a journey. Chef Jordano Sessions from Second Story leads the kitchen, and Mixologists Ben Browning and Casey Whalen are behind the bar. Signature dishes include Plato’s famous biscuits from Second Story, served with fermented honey, seasonal jam, and grass-fed butter. Highlights are Hamachi Crudo with barrel-aged tamari and fresh wasabi, Texas-style Brisket Burnt Ends with apple cider coleslaw, and Miso-Glazed Smoked Cod with hazelnut and black garlic butter. Signature cocktails include the Smartest Cocktail in the Room with organic coconut milk, vanilla, and turmeric and the Cherry Pistachio Negroni with pistachio-infused gin, Campari, and cherry.
Reflecting on his career, Plato says, “The gelato business was in my 20s, Second Story in my 30s, and The Ends is in my 40s.” Rather than opening multiple locations, he prefers to focus on deepening connections with guests at one location. Looking ahead, Plato hopes to expand The Ends’ brand beyond the restaurant. “My goal is to create products that let people engage with us outside these walls. I want to get the biscuits into grocery stores and develop ‘energy that never dies’ holistic products. That’s how I see the brand growing.”
written & photographed by: marci symington
7137 east stetson drive, scottsdale, az 85251
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