French restaurant Francine opens in August at Scottsdale Fashion Square

PHOENIX – Upscale French restaurant Francine will open in the luxury wing of Scottsdale Fashion Square on Aug. 14.

Francine is a French-Mediterranean fine dining restaurant headed by Laurent Halasz, who is best known for his other venture, Fig & Olive.

The restaurant, which moved back its originally scheduled July opening date, is looking to fill about 60 positions and will hold a job fair July 7-8.

Francine’s executive chef is Valley-native Brian Archibald, who has culinary experience at The Phoenician, Boulders Resort and JW Marriott Resort and Spa.

“We have created a relaxing and warm coastal feel with casual elegance and similar to the atmosphere, Francine’s cuisine will feature all the seasonal flavors one would find in the Mediterranean prepared in a very soulful way,” Archibald said in a press release.

The 5,000-square-foot restaurant will open at 5 p.m. for dinner and will expand its offerings to include lunch and brunch at a later date.

Diners can feast on grilled octopus, Salad Nicoise, Salmon Carpaccio, grilled Mediterranean branzino and seared duck a la Provencal.

The daytime menu was expected to feature salads, pizza, and shareable dishes.

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