By Sara Crocker | Phoenix New Times
Kell Duncan is OK with playing the long game. The co-founder of The Churchill bet on downtown Phoenix before it was en vogue.
“I believe in downtown. I think we’re scratching the surface,” Duncan says while sitting at one of the large wooden picnic tables in the sunken courtyard at The Churchill’s central courtyard on a sunny afternoon. “We’re a new city, we’re a young city.”
Since its debut in 2018, the dining, shopping and gathering space has become a destination for locals and visitors alike. At that time, the dining and entertainment elements of Roosevelt Row were still blossoming. The Churchill joined long-time staples such as Carly’s Bistro and Fez but was ahead of spots that are often synonymous with a night out in the area, such as Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co., Luckys Indoor Outdoor and Rough Rider, which opened in 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Duncan is a longtime downtown fan who fell in love with the area after buying a condo with his brother in the Warehouse District. Before launching The Churchill with his former business partner Hartley Rodie, Duncan worked in marketing and internet sales for a residential real estate company. The lanky 36-year-old is the first to point out that he didn’t really know what he was getting into.
“I don’t know development. I didn’t go to school for this. I majored in graphic design,” he says. But friends and supporters know that Duncan’s insight, while intangible, is valuable.
