Hello 👋 I’m John Apolinar.

Welcome to Scottsdale Scoop, the community I’m building to connect with other residents and business owners in Scottsdale.

I’m originally from Phoenix, went to ASU, left AZ for about 7 years and decided to come back home! Figured if I’m here for good, mine as well build something that others can get value from.

This newsletter/blog is an evolving collection of everything fun happening around us in Scottsdale and occasionally surrounding areas. I keep it fun, light and digestible.

Outside of this space, you’ll probably find me enjoying good food with family or friends, building some app or website that I have no intentions of doing anything with or on a random travel adventure.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek into my world. I hope you find something here that sparks your curiosity.

—John Apolinar

Fun Facts About Me

I occasionally get paid to be a professional actor. I used to focus on acting a lot more but found my real passion lies in building businesses and communities. Here’s a pic from me on the red carpet for the premiere of a Disney movie I was in (Stargirl).

I love to travel and have been to well over 20 countries now! Most of my travel is random so I’ll see a cheap plane ticket, loop in some friends and head out. Here’s a pic of me in Tokyo, Japan for one of my birthdays

I’m a Director of Sales for an AI company, also in the newsletter space. I’ve been in the newsletter space for 7 years now and just love it. Mostly on the tech/AI side of things and I’ve always wanted my own newsletter but didn’t want to right about tech. The idea hit me, why don’t I start to write about my city, cool businesses, fun events, notable people doing great things and see what comes of it? So here we are!

Why I Started Scottsdale Scoop

2025 marks a pretty exciting chapter for Scottsdale. We've got incredible restaurants opening every month, world-class events happening weekly, and some of the most unique local businesses you won't find anywhere else.

From Old Town to North Scottsdale, there's always something new to discover.But here's the thing I kept noticing: there wasn't really a go-to spot to find out about all the cool stuff happening locally.

Sure, you'd hear about the big openings or major events, but what about that new date spot with the killer patio? Or the local gym that is doing something cool? Or those weekend events that aren't plastered all over social media?That's why I started this newsletter. Here's what you can expect:

Zero politics, zero negativity. Just the good stuff that makes Scottsdale great.
Curated recommendations – new restaurants, date spots, local businesses worth supporting, and weekend events I'd actually go to.
Your insider pass to what's happening around town before everyone else knows about it.

What I Need From YouI want to make sure I'm covering what you actually care about. Hit reply and let me know what you're most interested in, or just pick your top choice below:

What do you want to see more of?

Restaurant openings & food spots
Date night ideas
Local business spotlights
Weekend events & things to do
Scottsdale real estate

Let me know – I read every response.

I hope this has given you a little more info about me and what you can expect each week. Thank you for joining me, I’m so excited for what this year will bring for the community and Scottsdale Scoop.