Zipps Sports Grill reopens 1st location since federal raids

PHOENIX – Zipps Sports Grill reopened one location on Wednesday, two days after federal authorities conducted raids at the chain’s restaurants across the Valley.

The location at McClintock Drive and Warner Road in Tempe was set to open at 11 a.m., Zipps announced on its Instagram page.

The business said it was working to reopen more of its restaurants later in the week and thanked the community for its support.

All 14 Zipps Sports Grills had been closed since Monday’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) raids.

HSI announced that it served warrants authorized by a federal judge at 15 locations throughout metro Phoenix as part of a monthslong criminal investigation. However, HSI did not specify what or where those locations were.

Local media outlets confirmed law enforcement activity Monday at numerous Valley Zipps locations as well as the corporate office in Scottsdale.

HSI, the main investigative branch for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), issued a statement to the media Wednesday saying 35 people were arrested during the Zipps raids for being in the country illegally as part of an ongoing investigation.

“This ongoing investigation is focused on several federal law violations including unlawful employment of aliens, identity theft, and document fraud. HSI Arizona conducted the operation with several law enforcement partners to include the IRS-CI, ERO, US Marshals and Border Patrol,” the statement said. ERO is ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division. IRS-CI is the Criminal Investigation unit of the Internal Revenue Service.

What has Zipps Sports Grill said about federal raids?

Zipps Sports Grill issued its first public response on Tuesday night, saying it was working to reopen by the end of the week.

The statement, which was posted to the restaurant’s Instagram page and website, acknowledged HSI was operating with “court-authorized search warrants” and the chain is “cooperating fully” until the investigation is finished.

The statement also recognized some of the protestor rallies at Zipps Sports Grill locations demanding an end to federal immigration raids, advising those involved to “exercise caution and remain respectful of neighboring businesses, employees and the surrounding community.”

A rally was held Tuesday at the Zipps near Osborn Road and Central Avenue. Chants of “ICE out of Phoenix!” echoed throughout the gathering as organizers pressed for an end to large‑scale raids and for clearer communication from federal authorities about the purpose and scope of the investigation.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Payne Moses contributed to this report.

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