Focus W UTAH
a sa t c h Fr o n t
October 2011 .
A Publication of The Enterprise - Utah’s Business Journal
W
INSIDE
Utah hotel industry sees uptick in occupancy, but room rates remain stagnant. Page 2 Location, noise levels often dictate where businesspeople go to dine. Page 3 Gastronomy celebrates Market Street Grill’s 31st anniversary; parent company Gastronomy Inc. is Salt Lake City’s dining powerhouse. Page 7 Takashi: two heads are better than one. Page 12 Red Iguana’s Lucy Cardenas excited about Salt Lake City’s revitalization. Page 12 Guy Wadsworth enjoys being a restaurateur with Tuscany and Franck’s. Page 13 Business clients flock to the Tin Angel Cafe. Page 14 Fleming’s Steakhouse seeing economic upswing. Page 15 Mo’s Grill caters to downtown’s working class. Page 15 Lists in this edition: • Top meeting facilities in Utah, pages 5-6. • Top restaurants in Salt Lake City’s central business district, pages 9-11.
Ann Johnson/The Enterprise
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Utah Focus, October 2011
Utah hotel industry seeks uptick in occupancy, but room rates remain stagnant By Brad Fullmer The Enterprise The hotel and lodging industry in Utah is rebounding nicely following the downturn of the past two years, and by most accounts business will continue to improve heading into 2012, according to Michael Johnson, executive director of the Utah Hotel & Lodging Association. “We’re seeing some positive signs in terms of occupancy levels rising and rates remaining competitive,” said Johnson, who represents approximately 200 hotels and like properties in Utah. “The most immediate and noticeable loss was occupancy, that was the first impact. The second was hotels dropping rates to try and capture what occupancy was left. Occupancy has come back, but rates are lagging. I think it will take a couple of years to get back to the levels of 2007.” This year has been a decent one for most hotels along the Wasatch Front. According to Mark White, vice president of sales at the Salt Lake Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, year-to-date occupancy rates for Salt Lake’s convention district are at 68 percent, a 4.4 percent increase over last year, which is similar to Salt Lake County numbers. “We have not gone unscathed,” said White, “but we seem to be doing better than the competitive set. The average daily room rate has not changed dramatically, but that is usually slower to follow. The demand needs to go up.”
“I would anticipate going into 2012 that occupancy growth will continue and our average daily rate will start to see some growth.” White said first-tier markets like New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas and even Orlando have been able to increase average room rates, but expects a second-tier market like Salt Lake to take some time in getting rates back to the peak of mid2000. “A second-tier destination like Salt Lake is a little slower to follow,” said White. “I would anticipate going into 2012 that occupancy growth will continue and our average daily rate will start to see some growth.” Not all hotels dropped rates simply as a means to attract business. “Our hotel has been fairly fortunate,” said Tyson Lybbert, director of sales and marketing for Marriott Salt Lake City Center. “We made a conscious efforts not to drop rates, even at the expense of losing occupancy. That has helped us in terms of profitability, but hurt us regarding occupancy. We’ve been proactive to try and keep those up. We looked at different markets and channels we hadn’t leveraged in the past, and we’re always watching labor and operational costs.” Beyond occupancy and rate issues, companies in the hotel and lodging indus-
try face a number of issues that affect profitability, including remodeling and immigration. Most hotels require continual facelifts and renovations, at least every five to eight years on average. Declines in sales revenues make those decisions difficult. At what point does a hotel property forego renovations when sales are down? It’s a question that can be challenging to owners. In addition, hotel owners who desire to expand their operations have been put in a difficult spot by the banking industry tightening its policies on lending money. “Hotels have been impacted by the banking sector,” said Johnson. “Hotels have found it difficult in the development and operational side to receive financing. The reality is hotels are seasonal and bring in revenue during that season and rely on a credit line that during high occupancy months they can pay back. That ability to get that line of credit remains a challenge.” Hotel owners and managers have had to adjust to slower times by refining their business models and accounting for all operational costs. “The current economy has forced me
to rethink our business model,” said Teri Whitney, general manager for Snow Flower Property Management Co. of Park City, which operates the Snow Flower Condominiums, 100 properties ranging from studio apartments to six-bedroom suites. “We have adopted an attitude of ‘do we really need that?’ We have found the past two years what we need to do to be more resourceful, which helps the bottom line.” “We have instituted a purchasing policy to tighten up our money,” said Lance Syrett, general manager of Ruby’s Inn outside Bryce Canyon. “We now bid out every service every year. You do everything you can to improve the bottom line.” Johnson said immigration is another key topic that hotel owners and managers have to consider regularly. Hotels use E-Verify to ensure that employees can legally work in the U.S., a program that started in 1997 but really didn’t take much effect until 2007, when the government started cracking down. Johnson said it’s a system that is far from perfect, but has had some positive effects. “Most hotels by and large, I would say 99 percent, are working very hard to follow the law in regard to immigration and hiring,” said Johnson. “Some hotels have found, literally 10 years later, that some employees they hired in the past are illegal. It offers no protection for businesses who have been diligent in the past doing their job.”
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Utah Focus, October 2011
Location, noise levels often dictate where business people go to dine By Brad Fullmer The Enterprise Downtown Salt Lake City has numerous restaurants at which to dine, literally more than 100 within a one-mile radius from Temple Square, counting fast-food and sandwich shops. What exactly do businesspeople look for in a dining locale where they can also conduct business? It depends on myriad factors. “They look for everything a regular diner looks for, great food, great ambiance and an atmosphere they can talk and spend as much time as they need to conduct their business,” said Melva Sine, president/CEO of the Utah Restaurant Association. “With the economy, people are looking for a good price, a great meal and service. Our members have to work hard to keep customers coming back.” Downtown businesspeople often look for restaurants they know will provide the basics of good food and competent service, but might also seek a place where they can dazzle clients. Others might opt for a locale they know will take care of them, whatever their request. “You want to find a place that has something for everyone,” said Mike Grass, managing partner with Intrepid Communications. “For a quiet lunch we like Biaggi’s [at The Gateway]. Their layout is always really quiet. We love Z’Tejas because it’s the ‘universal donor,’ it’s got something for everybody. The other place
I like a busy place you can talk. Lamb’s Grill is the old standby. I remember when I was in Lamb’s years ago and someone said to me, ‘this is where all the deals go down.’ That era has kind of glided away, but there are a lot of good restaurants for a business meeting.” that’s always fun in Caputo’s — you see a lot of businesspeople there.” “When you’re with clients you take them to nice places,” said Jeri Cartwright, owner of Cartwright Communications. “You want them to be comfortable and you want good food.” She mentioned downtown restaurants like The Tin Angel and Bambara as being excellent venues for food and service, and said Tuscany, although outside the central business district, in Cottonwood Heights, is a special place to take clients during the holiday season. “You have to pick a place that fits your needs,” said Cartwright. “The Tin Angel is so unique, really urban, but the food is amazing. A lot of my clients like Bambara – the wait staff is trained exceptionally well and they make your clients feel cherished.” It also depends on time of day, although most business meetings take place during breakfast and lunch hours. Restaurants downtown such as Lamb’s Grill, The Judge Café, and Market Street Grill have made their mark over the years as places where
business gets done. “I look for a good environment with good food,” said Tim Brown of Richter 7 in Salt Lake. “We want to remember the experience. I like a busy place you can talk. Lamb’s Grill is the old standby. I remember when I was in Lamb’s years ago and someone said to me, ‘this is where all the deals go down.’ That era has kind of glided away, but there are a lot of good restaurants for a business meeting.” “If I have a breakfast meeting I like Market Street Grill,” said A. Cory Maloy of Snapp Conner of Salt Lake. “It’s a happening place. You see people you know, the food is good, the price is good, although it can be a little noisy.” A lot of business owners prefer a venue that is within walking distance of their office, but still conducive to all the other requirements of good food and service. “You want a place that’s not too noisy, plus it’s nice to be waited on,” said Brent Marshall, president of Metcom Studios in Salt Lake. “Vinto is a great little place, we like Faustina, the Oasis. It’s nice to be able
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to walk to a restaurant. I like fare that is different than what you’d get at say, Applebee’s. For three bucks more [per person] it’s worth it.” Noise level is always considered when taking a client to lunch. “I’ve been to places where the noise level was so extraordinary that you couldn’t carry on a conversation,” said Randall Smith, creative director for Modern 8 of Salt Lake. Clearly there are bad choices [for restaurants] if you want to talk business. Lamb’s is good for that.” Restaurant owners and managers are very cognizant about placating to the needs of business clients. “We pride ourselves on making sure our level of service is exemplary,” said Guy Wheelwright, general manager of Bambara in Salt Lake, located within the Hotel Monaco. “We’re right in the middle of downtown so it’s a place to ‘be seen’ among the business crowd.” “I think it’s important to know there are a lot of great places to eat downtown,” said Marty Carpenter, director of communications and marketing for the Salt Lake Chamber. “That’s the result of a great vision for the Downtown Rising movement that we’re starting to see come to fruition. We’ll have a big landmark in March when City Creek Center opens up and that will bring even more restaurants and choices. There’s no shortage of great places.”
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Utah Focus, October 2011
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Utah Focus, October 2011
Top Meeting Facilities in Utah Ranked by Usable Square Feet
Phone Fax Web
Facility Name
Usable Square feet
Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center 100 S. West Temple Salt Lake City
385-468-2204 385-468-2167 saltpalace.com
675,000
Dixie Center 1835 Convention Center Dr. St. George
435-628-7003 435-628-1619 dixiecenter.com
103,425
Grand America Hotel 555 S. Main St. Salt Lake
801-258-6000 801-258-6911 grandamerica.com
75,000
Ogden Eccles Conference Center 2415 Washington Blvd. Ogden
801-689-8600 801-689-8651 oecenter.com
69,395
Miller Motorsports Park 2901 Sheep Lane Toole
435-277-8789 435-277-8008 millermotorsports. com
55,000
Deer Valley Resort 2250 Deer Valley Dr. S. Park City
435-645-6510 435-645-6939 deervalley.com
47,379
Zermatt Resort 784 W. Resort Dr. Midway
435-657-0180 435-657-0182 zermattresort.com
41,000
Provo Marriot Hotel & Conference Center 101 W. 100 N. Provo
801-377-4700 801-377-4708 provomarriott.com
28,000
Little America Hotel 500 S. Main St. Salt Lake City
801-596-5700 801-596-5911 saltlake.littleamerica. com
25,000
Maverik Center 3200 S. Decker Lake Dr. West Valley City
801-988-8800 801-988-7700 maverikcenter.com
24,450
Hilton Salt Lake City Center 255 S. West Temple Salt Lake City
801-328-2000 801-359-2938 hiltonsaltlakecity.com
24,000
DND= Would Not Disclose
# of Breakout Rooms
N/A= Not Available
Please note that some firms chose not to respond, or failed to respond in time to our inquiries. All rights reserved. Copyright 2011 by the Enterprise Newspaper Group
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16
32
31
27
21
15
8
19
# of Events Hosted in 2010 # of Utah Employees 273 40 153 15 DND DND 214 27 600 70
1000+ 460
DND 152 1000+ 152 DND DND 100+ 318
DND 314
Page 1 of 2 Services Offered
Corner Stone audio visual in house preferred provider, award winning caterer Full service in house catering, audio visual services, high speed internet, event planning, decoration services On-site audio visual, full-service spa, restaurant and 24-hour room service Meetings, conferences, social events, and theater events for groups of 15-1500, catering services provided by Savor by SMG Team building, meeting space, catering, driving/riding school programs, off-road programs, gokarting, zipline Lodging, banquets, meetings, weddings, reunions, skiing, ski lessons, equipment rental, licensed day care, children’s programs on and off slope, ski races, private first tracks, snowmobiling, on site shops lift served mountain bike/ hike, rental bikes concerts and events European day spa, indoor/outdoor swimming pool & spa, wellness center, geothermal hot pots, casual dining, lounge, bakery, ski resorts and 5 golf courses nearby, on-site adventure concierge 330 guest rooms, amphitheater, boardroom, event manager, inhouse audio visual, high-speed internet, restaurant & club 25,000 Square feet of meeting and event space, on-site audio visual, sales and catering specialists Full catering, audio visual production
Full service hotel offering 499 rooms/suites, located in the heart of the entertainment district, within walking distance of shopping, restaurants, clubs, and bars
Top Local Executive
Allyson Jackson
DND
Bruce T. Fery
Marty Smith
DND
Dirk Beal
DND
Kirsten Thomas
Ed Box
Kevin Bruder
Melissa B. Deveraux
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Utah Focus, October 2011
Top Meeting Facilities in Utah Ranked by Usable Square Feet
Phone Fax Web
Facility Name
Usable Square feet
Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown 75 S. West Temple Salt Lake City
801-531-0800 801-532-4127 marriott.com/SLCUT
22,000
Joseph Smith Memorial Building 15 E. South Temple Salt Lake City
801-539-3130 801-539-3117 weddingsattemple square.com
18,000
Red Mountain Resort 1275 E. Red Mountain Circle Ivins
800-944-3488 435-652-5751 redmountainresort. com
16,000
Salt Lake Marriott City Center 220S. State St. Salt Lake City
801-961-8700 801-961-8703 marriott.com/slccc
15,119
Hilton Salt Lake City Airport 5151 Wiley Post Way Salt Lake City
801-539-1515 801-578-4596 hiltonslc.com
13,000
Homestead Resort 700 N. homestead Dr. Midway
435-654-1102 435-654-5087 homesteadresort. com
13,000
The Prospector 2175 Sidewinder Dr. Park City
435-658-3030 435-658-3055 prospectorparkcity. com
10,880
The Chateaux at Silver Lake 7815 Royal Street E. Park City
435-658-9500 435-658-9513 the-chateaux.com
8,321
Stein Eriksen Lodge 7700 Stein Way Park City
435-649-3700 435-649-5825 steinlodge.com
6,504
Lion House 63 E. South Temple Salt Lake City
DND 801-539-3256 weddingsattemple square.com
5,000
Devereaux Mansion 340 W. South Temple Salt Lake City
801-539-3130 801-363-5466 weddingsattemple square.com
2,900
DND= Would Not Disclose
# of Breakout Rooms
N/A= Not Available
Please note that some firms chose not to respond, or failed to respond in time to our inquiries. All rights reserved. Copyright 2011 by the Enterprise Newspaper Group
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14
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17
10
6
10
8
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# of Events Hosted in 2010 # of Utah Employees 750 205
4500 110 125 200+ DND 200
DND 132
DND 168
25 15
12 DND
50 DND
1,830 78 16 110
Page 2 of 2 Services Offered
Full restaurant, full starbucks, full lounge and bar, gym, indoor/outdoor pool, valet and underground parking garage, business center, “Wired for Business” in all guest rooms. Wedding ceremonies, receptions, lunches, dinners, business meetings, social events, and take out
Top Local Executive
Nikol Smith
Dianne M. Theurer
Full catering, customized group experiences including outdoor adventures and team building
Tracey Welsh
Guest rooms, banquet facilities, restaurant, lounge, starbucks, golf simulators
Doug Koob
Meetings and social gathering from 10-500 people, in-house catering, full-service staff, complimentary airport shuttle, complimentary wireliess internet, complimentary parking On-site 18 hole golf course, therapeutic mineral bath in crater, indoor/outdoor pool & spa, wellness center, casual dining, hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing nearby On-site catering, conference service stuff, audio visual rentals, four 200 square feet theater and 10 breakout rooms, printing available prior to conference (offsite) concierge Spa, restaurant & lounge, seasonal concierge, year round outdoor heated pool & hot tub, seasonal sport equipment rental shop, fitness center, comp. parking, guest room comp wi-fi, room service Spa, restaurant and lounge, Deer Valley ticket office, stein sport, Bjorn stova boutique, gift shop, ski in ski out, ski locker room, 24-hour room service, business center, concierge, valet parking, comp, Wi-Fi, fitness center, year round outdoor heated pool & hot tub Wedding lunches, dinners and receptions, business meetings, social events and children’s birthday parties Wedding ceremonies, receptions, lunches, dinners, business meetings
Robbi Hogan
DND
Linda Fitch
Russ Olsen
Russ Olsen
Dianne M. Theurer
Dianne M. Theurer
Utah Focus, October 2011
7
Market Street Grill Downtown celebrates 31st anniversary; parent company Gastronomy Inc. remains a Salt Lake dining powerhouse By Brad Fullmer The Enterprise Gastronomy partner Tom Guinney eschewed his office years ago in favor of table 34 at Market Street Grill in downtown Salt Lake City. The spacious roundtop table offers Guinney the perfect perch from which to view the whirlwind of activity at his popular upscale/casual restaurant, which celebrates “Golden Birthday” No. 31 on Oct. 31. “I gave up my office a decade ago and this is it now,” said Guinney, who was born in 1948 in Hollywood, Calif., and cut his teeth working in famous SoCal restaurants like Berkshire’s on the Bay and Delaney’s in Newport Beach. “I probably have five meetings a week here.” Whatever business Guinney happens to be conducting at whatever time of day, regular customers stop by to shake his hand or rave about their dining experience. It’s an ideal viewpoint for a man who wants to be able to see exactly what’s happening on his floor at all times. “Regardless of how many people he’s meeting with, that’s the table he likes,” said Judy Reese Cullen, corporate communications director for Gastronomy. “It’s a prime table to view the restaurant. Tom has never really had an office; he had one years ago but was never in it. The restaurants are his office.” And what an office it has become over the space of three decades and change. The Gastronomy empire is vast, with five bustling Salt Lake Valley restaurants – The New Yorker, Market Street Downtown, Market Street University (Broiler), Market Street Cottonwood and Market Street RiverPark – and a reputation as perhaps the most well-known restaurant operation with Utah headquarters. Annual sales for 2011 are expected to hit $28 million, up slightly from last year. Cullen said the company currently employs some 525 people. Employees are carefully trained the Gastronomy way, a culture where terms like “sequence of service” (a 12-step process for waiting on guests) must be followed to a “T” by front-of-house staff. Guinney has a tenacious attention to detail and takes great pride in little things that many guests might not think twice about. Clean salt and pepper shakers are filled to the brim, condiments at the table like ketchup and Tabasco sauce have clean lids. Servers working the breakfast shift have a “toast display” as a guide to ensure that bread and English muffins are toasted properly. Salad plates are chilled; chowder bowls are hot. Soup spoons and steak knives are polished to a high shine. Beverage glasses are filled to the top with ice, especially ice tea, which is presented to tables near overflowing. These minor details, he says, are examples of “perceived value” by patrons. In more than 30 years, that attention to detail still resonates loud and clear throughout the organization. “It goes back to perceived value of a high-quality product,” said Guinney. “I could buy jam that is 50 percent food starch, or jam that is 20 percent food starch, or I can buy jam with no food starch – it’s just thickened with pectin like
Gastronomy Inc. partner Tom Guinney has been a fixture in Salt Lake’s community for more than 30 years. Guinney cut his business chops working in high-volume, trendy Southern California restaurants in the 60’s and 70’s, but prefers the low-key charm of Utah’s quaint capital city. “It’s an amazing city to do business in,” says Guinney. grandma used to make and it’s frozen – that’s what we serve. “You start to add all these things up,” he continued, “and people, when they walk out the door, they don’t know quite what it was that was different here, they know it’s of higher quality, satisfying and delicious, and that’s part of the business model.” “Tom can walk into any restaurant and tell what needs to be done and done right,” said Cullen. “He’s not above taking care of it himself. When he first started with us, he was hired to put the menu concept together. For the first five years he was in his chef’s coat behind the [kitchen] line, testing sauces, looking at clam chowder. He does all of that today, except now he wears a suit.” “Tom has a great deal to do with [our culture],” said Catherine Burns, Gastronomy human resources director. “He brought a lot of knowledge and a lot of procedures with him when he joined the company in 1980, and those were things he had developed during his years in the restaurant business that he felt worked. We greatly benefitted from that.” “He’s probably the Donald Trump of the restaurant industry in Utah,” said Melva Sine, president/CEO of the Utah
Restaurant Association. “He manages down to paper clips. He knows everything about his business, his customers, the people that work for him. He manages [Gastronomy] to that level.” “Attention to detail is what we’re all about,” said Monae Madson, who has worked for Gastronomy since 1991 and is general manager of Market Street RiverPark in South Jordan, which opened in February 2007. “We have very high expectations and strive for perfection every day.” It’s imperative to Guinney that patrons leave with a feeling of complete satisfaction, regardless of the meal they were served. “We’re 25 years out-of-date because we still include soup or salad with the entrée,” he said. “That doesn’t exist anymore, but I want people to experience the clam chowder, because it’s the chowder and bread basically which is the hook. If we made it a la carte, it would narrow [perceived value] down.” Learning the Business Guinney’s parents moved from Hollywood to Minneapolis when he was still an infant. His father operated the lunch counter at Clancy’s Drug Store, and
Guinney recalls peeling carrots and potatoes as a way for his folks to “babysit” him while they worked during his youth. In 1959 Guinney’s parents moved back to Southern California, where he spent time living in some 15 SoCal cities over the next several years. In 1964 he started washing dishes and bussing tables at the Elk’s Club in Santa Ana before moving to Berkshire’s on the Bay in Newport Beach. That job, he said, primed his restaurant career. “I could make a case that if I hadn’t walked in that back door and got a job washing dishes [at Berkshire’s], Gastronomy wouldn’t exist,” said Guinney. “That’s where I learned to make clam chowder and base sauces. I was able to work the pantry station, the sauté station. This is back in the day when Jane Russell would bring her 12-year-old son Kurt in for lunch. John Wayne lived around the corner. It was a very high-volume restaurant.” Guinney joined the Navy in 1967 as a cook and served three tours of duty in Vietnam in the Mekong Delta. After his war duty, he went to work for Delaney’s, then landed at The Crown House in Laguna Nigel as a chef in 1974 working for the legendary Bill Peters, a chef at some of the most famous SoCal hotspots of the ‘30s and ‘40s, including Musso & Frank Grill in Hollywood and Perino’s in Los Angeles. By 1978, after a failed restaurant venture with two partners called the Bay Marie in San Clemente, (“a true success story in that we paid all our bills,” he said) Guinney was on his way to a corporate career for Host (later Host Marriott), managing Charley Brown’s in Burlingame, which overlooked the runway at the San Francisco International Airport. Through a mutual friend he met John Williams, who along with Tom Seig had recently opened The New Yorker in Salt Lake, and the two talked business for a couple years before Guinney decided to flee the Bay Area for sleepy Salt Lake City. Market Street Grill opened on Oct. 31, 1980, with a modicum of used restaurant equipment and a menu Guinney had been refining in his head for years — one focusing on fresh seafood, prime steaks and, of course, the clam chowder and freshly baked bread. The name of the restaurant was not adopted from the notable San Francisco Market Street district that Guinney knew well; the street where it sits was actually named Market Street back in the day in Salt Lake. Competition among downtown restaurants was minimal, and Market Street’s concept quickly captured the attention of the downtown business community. Guinney was used to the fast-paced SoCal world and working under the pressure of high-volume traffic was exactly what he envisioned for Market Street. “I hadn’t been to Salt Lake City before; I didn’t come here to ski, I don’t have family here, I’m not LDS – it was solely a business decision,” said Guinney. “John Williams took me to Bratton’s and Lamb’s Grill in 1979 and said ‘this is the see GUINNEY page 15
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Utah Focus, October 2011
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Utah Focus, October 2011
Top Restaurants in Salt Lake City, CBD Ranked by Average Meal Price Per Person
Phone Fax Web
Average Meal Price Per Person
Type of Cuisine
Full Bar
Type of Restaurant
Private Dinning Rooms
Video Conferencing Available
Ruth’s Chris Steak House 275 S. West Temple
801-363-2000 801-869-1682 ruthschrisprime.com
$65
Steak House
Yes
Yes
341
Fine Dining
Yes
Yes
Bambara 202 S. Main
801-363-5454 801-363-5888 bambara-slc.com
$50
New American
Yes
Yes
160
Fine Dining
Yes
Yes
Christopher’s Prime Steak House and Grill 134 W. Pierpont Ave.
801-519-8515 801-519-8519 christophersutah.com
$50
Steak House
Yes
Yes
300
Fine Dining
Yes
DND
Fleming’s 20 S. 400 W.
801-355-3704 801-355-3706 flemingssteakhouse.com
$50
Steak House/ Seafood
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Garden Cafe 555 S. Main St.
801-258-6708 801-258-6811 grandameric.com
$50
American
Yes
Yes
320
Fine Dining
Yes
No
Spencer’s For Steak and Chops 255 S. West Temple
801-238-4748 801-715-8015 spencersforsteakand chop.com
$50
Steak House
Yes
Yes
100
Fine Dining
Yes
Yes
Market Street Oyster Bar 54 Market Street
801-531-6044 801-531-0730 ginc.com
$45
Seafood
Yes
Yes
110
Business Casual
No
No
New York Restaurant 60 W. Market Street
801-363-0166 801-363-0588 newyorkerslc.com
$42
American
Yes
Yes
275
Fine Dining
Yes
Yes
Cucina Toscana 307 W. Pierpont Ave.
801-328-3463 801-328-3467 cucina-toscana.com
$40
Italian
Yes
No
180
Fine Dining
Yes
Yes
The Roof Restaurant 15 E. South Temple
801-539-1911 801-539-3117 roofmenu.com
$40
American
No
No
140
Business Casual
Yes
No
Readers Choice-Salt Lake Magazine; Best of City Search; Talk of the Town; Corporate Cuisines Award
Market Street Grill 48 W. Market Street
801-322-4668 801-531-0730 ginc.com
$35
Seafood/ Grill
Yes
Yes
Zagat Survey Most Popular; Wine Spectator
189
Business Casual
No
No
Takashi 18 W. Market Street
801-519-9595 801-746-1804 DND
$30
Sushi/ Japanese
Yes
No
80
Business Casual
No
No
Garden Cafe at The Grand America Hotel 555 S. Main Street
801-258-6708 DND grandamerica.com
$25
American
Yes
Yes
225
Casual
Yes
Yes
Martine Cafe 22 E. 100 S.
801-363-9328 801-363-9375 martinecafe.com
$25
Mediterranean
Yes
Yes
120
Business Casual
Yes
Yes
The Steak House at Little America Hotel 500 S. Main Street
801-596-5704 DND saltlakelittleamerica.com
$25
Steak House
Yes
Yes
250
Business Casual
Yes
No
Restaurant Name
DND= Would Not Disclose
Number of Seats
306
Fine Dining
N/A= Not Available
Please note that some firms chose not to respond, or failed to respond in time to our inquiries. All rights reserved. Copyright 2011 by the Enterprise Newspaper Group
Corporate Lunches Available
Page 1 of 3 Top Awards
Best Bar-Salt Lake Magazine
Best Restaurant and Chef- Salt Lake Magazine 2010; AAA Four Diamonds
Zagat rated Excellence; Open Table Diners Award
Peoples Chioce-City Weekly; Wine Enthusiast Award of Distinction; Wine Spectator Award of Excellence Best in State Sunday Brunch 2010; Best General Manager- Ali Raafati 2011
Best Steak-Salt Lake Magazine for 9 years; Wine Spectator Award of Excellence; Best Place to Close a Deal-Utah Business Magazine Best Seafood-Zagat; Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2010
Best Chef-Tops for Business Entertaining
Best Restaurant and Best Italian-Salt Lake Magazine; Zagat Rated
Best Japanese/ Sushi-Salt Lake Magazine 20042011; Lifetime Award; Hall of Fame-Salt Lake Magazine; Best Japanese/ Sushi-City Week 2004-2011 Best Brunch-Best of State 2011
Best Wine-Salt Lake Magazine; 3 times Best Ambience- Salt Lake Magazine; Top Ten Salt Lake- Zagat; Top 100 USA; Featured in Food & Wine & Bon Appetite Best of State; Best Lunch Buffet 2011
9
10
Utah Focus, October 2011
Top Restaurants in Salt Lake City, CBD Ranked by Average Meal Price Per Person
Phone Fax Web
Average Meal Price Per Person
Full Bar
Type of Restaurant
Private Dinning Rooms
Video Conferencing Available
Tucanos Brazilian Grill 162 S. 400 W.
801-456-2550 801-456-2551 tucanos.com
$24
Brazilian
Yes
Yes
250
Business Casual
Yes
No
Al Forno’s 239 S. 500 E.
801-359-6040 DND saltlakecityrestaurants. org
$23
Italian
No
Yes
98
Casual
No
Yes
Lamb’s Grill 169 S. Main Street
801-364-7166 801-355-1644 lambsgrill.com
$23
American/Greek
Yes
Yes
200
Fine Dining
Yes
No
Wild Grape Bistro 481 E. South Temple
801-746-5565 801-746-7076 wildgrapebistro.com
$22
New American
Yes
Yes
110
Casual
No
No
Faustina Restaurant 454 E. 300 S.
801-746-4441 801-746-4115 faustinaslc.com
$20
American Bistro
Yes
Yes
100
Casual/Fine Dining
Yes
Yes
Star of India 55 E. 400 S.
801-363-7555 801-363-3091 starofindiaonline.com
$20
Indian
Yes
Yes
175
Casual
Yes
Yes
Vinto Pizzeria 418 E. 200 S.
801-539-9999 DND vinto.com
$19
Italian
Yes
Yes
99
Casual
No
No
Tin Angel Cafe 365 W. 400 S.
801-328-4155 DND thetinangel.com
$18
Spanish/Italian
Yes
Yes
63
Casual
Yes
No
Dining Awards-Salt Lake Magazine 2007,2009; Best of the Beehive; Best Eclectic Eatery-City Weekly 2011
Alta Club 100 E. South Temple
801-322-1081 801-322-1083 altaclub.org
$16
Contemporary American
Yes
Yes
DND
Yes
Yes
Cedars of Lebanon Restaurant 152 E. 200 S.
801-364-4096 801-933-5195 cedarsoflebanon restaurant.com
$16
Middle Eastern
Yes
Yes
75
Casual
Yes
Yes
Rated by New York Times, Zagat, City Weekly, Chronicle, Deseret News, and The Salt Lake Tribune
The Garden Restaurant 15 E. South Temple
801-539-3170 81-539-3117 gardenmenu.com
$15
American
No
Yes
Two Time Best in State Award; Chef of the Year
120
Casual
No
No
Himalayan Kitchen 360 S. State Street
801-328-2077 DND himalayanitchen.com
$15
Himalayan/Indian
No
No
150
Casual
Yes
No
Red Iguana 736 W. North Temple
801-322-1489 801-322-4834 rediguana.com
$15
Mexican
Yes
Yes
100
Casual
No
No
Sapa Sushi Bar & Asian Grill 722 S. State Street
801-363-7272 DND sapabarandgrill.com
$15
Japanese
Yes
Yes
DND
Casual
Yes
No
Squatters Pub Brewery 147 W. Broadway
801-363-2739 801-359-5426 squatters.com
$15
American
Yes
Yes
400
Casual
Yes
No
Restaurant Name
DND= Would Not Disclose
Number of Seats
90
Business Casual
N/A= Not Available
Please note that some firms chose not to respond, or failed to respond in time to our inquiries. All rights reserved. Copyright 2011 by the Enterprise Newspaper Group
Corporate Lunches Available
Page 2 of 3
Type of Cuisine
Top Awards
Two Corporate Cuisine Awards
Zagat Rated; Two Time Best Pasta Dish; Best Italian Restaurant-Salt Lake Magazine
Lifetime Achievement Award; Twelve Best of Salt Lake Awards, One of the Ten Best Restaurants in Salt Lake; Best Business Lunch Utah’s Top Chef 2009-2010; Tapas Showdown Winner 2010
Best Lunch-Salt Lake Magazine 2009; “Ultimate Chef Competition” Winner-Nicholas& Co.’s 2010 Top Ranked in Utah-Zagat; Four and a Half Stars-City Search Top Rating; Best of Utah; Excellence in Satisfaction-Talk of the Town Best Gourmet Pizza & Gilato-Best of State 2011; Readers Choice Best New RestaurantSalt Lake Magazine 2010; Zagat Rated
Best indian Restaurant-Salt Lake City Weekly 2008-2010, Best of State 2011
Inc. Magazine 500/5000-2011; #1 Trip Advisor Salt Lake City; #1 Urban Spoon
Best Decor, Best Plating, Best Patio, Top 10 Restaurant- City Weekly
7 time Best Brew Pub-Salt Lake Magazine; Hall of Fame-Salt Lake Magazine 2011; 8 time Best Brew Pub-City Weekly
Utah Focus, October 2011
Top Restaurants in Salt Lake City, CBD Ranked by Average Meal Price Per Person
Phone Fax Web
Average Meal Price Per Person
Type of Cuisine
Full Bar
Type of Restaurant
Private Dinning Rooms
Video Conferencing Available
Z’Tejas 191 S. Rio Grande
801-456-0450 DND ztejas.com
$15
South Western
No
Yes
DND
Casual
No
No
J. Wong’s Asian Bistro 163 W. 200 S.
801-350-0888 801-350-0889 jwongslc.com
$13
Chinese/Thai/ Asian
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Stoneground Restaurant 249 E. 400 S.
801-364-1368 801-531-7255 stonegroundslc.com
$13
Home Style Italian
Yes
Yes
100
Casual
No
Yes
Gracie’s 326 S. West Temple
801-819-7565 801-819-7564 graciesslc.com
$12
American
Yes
Yes
300
Casual
No
No
Best Patio in the Rockies-Sunset MAgazine; Best Cocktails-Utah Business Corporate Cuisine Awards
The Lion House Pantry Restaurant 63 E. South Temple
801-539-3257 801-539-3256 pantrymenu.com
$12
American
No
Yes
Zagat Rated
140
Casual
Yes
No
Thaifoon Taste of Asia 7 N. 400 W.
801-456-8424 801-456-8429 thaifoon.com
$12
Modern Asian
Yes
Yes
200
Casual
No
No
Bayleaf Bar and Grub 159 S. Main Street
801-359-8490 DND bayleafbarandgrub.com
$10
Comfort Food
Yes
Yes
80
Casual
No
No
Blue Lemon 55 W. South Temple
801-328-2583 801-328-4164 bluelemon.com
$10
New American
No
Yes
180
Casual
No
Yes
The Judge Cafe and Grill 8 E. Broadway
801-485-2808 801-485-2628 judgecafe.com
$10
American
Yes
Yes
110
Casual
No
No
The Nauvoo Cafe 15 E. South Temple
801-539-3346 801-539-3117 nauvoocafe.com
$10
American
No
Yes
90
Casual
No
No
Bucca di Beppo 202 W. 300 S.
801-575-6262 801-575-9985 buccadibeppo.com
$9
Italian
Yes
Yes
370
Casual
Yes
No
Caputos 314 W. 1900 S.
801-531-8669 801-532-2930 caputosdeli.com
$9
Italian/South European
No
No
No
No
Lumpys Downtown 145 W. Peipont Ave.
801-888-8838 801-883-8839 lumpysdowntonslc.com
$9
American
Yes
Yes
DND
Casual
Yes
No
Cafe Trang 307 W. 200 S.
801-539-1638 801-328-1066 cafetrangrestaurant.com
$8
Thai/Chinese
No
Yes
150
Casual
Yes
No
Royal Eatery 379 S. Main Street
801-532-4301 801-532-3117 DND
$7
American/Greek
No
No
110
Casual
No
No
Restaurant Name
DND= Would Not Disclose
Number of Seats
168
80
Fine Dining
Casual
N/A= Not Available
Please note that some firms chose not to respond, or failed to respond in time to our inquiries. All rights reserved. Copyright 2011 by the Enterprise Newspaper Group
Corporate Lunches Available
Page 3 of 3 Top Awards
Best Margarita
Best Chinese REstaurant-Salt Lake Magazine 2010 & 2011; Small Business Award 2011; Zagat Rated Best Late-Night Dining; Best Tiramisu; Top Rated-City Search and Yelp
DND
Best Comfort Food- Salt Lake Magazine 2010; Best Late Night-City Weekly 2010 & 2011
2011 Utah Best of State Informal DiningAmerican Cuisine
Best Lunch Judgement; Best Cookie Charm; One of Utah’s Best out of 60
Talk of the Town
DND
Best Deli-City Weekly; Sosi 2009 Specialty Market in America, Best Deli-Salt Lake Magazine Best Bar Grub-City Weekly; Best Sports BarCity Weekly
Zagat Rated; Best Vietnamese Food
3 Time Downtown Merchant of the Year Award-City Weekly; 2 Time Best Inexpensive Breakfast and Best Breathing Space for Breakfast and Lunch-Salt Lake Magazine
11
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Utah Focus, October 2011
Two heads better than one
Cardenas excited about Salt Lake City’s revitalization Red Iguana 736 West North Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84116 (801) 322-1489 www.rediguana.com
Tamara and Takashi Gibo operate Takashi, a downtown Salt Lake sushi hotspot that opened in 2004. Takashi 18 Market Street Salt Lake City, UT 84101-2103 (801) 519-9595 http://www.takashisushi.com Takashi and Tamara Gibo met while working together at a Japanese restaurant in Carmel, Calif., in 1986. A quarter century later it has turned out to be the perfect union, especially in regard to the food and hospitality industry. The owners of Takashi, a popular downtown sushi hotspot since opening in May 2004, have been together ever since. When asked if he knew it was not necessarily wise to ‘fish off the company dock’ from a romantic perspective, Takashi simply said, “I didn’t know that.” “He was fresh from Japan — he didn’t know the rules,” Tamara recalled. “Hey, it’s worked out well for us.” “I’m blue collar, she’s white collar — it’s a team,” added Takashi of the balance between his and his wife’s back-of-house/ front-of-house strengths. “My strength is cooking. I control food costs, I order everything. I don’t do anything on the computer or with advertising or marketing.” A native of Okinawa who also lived in Lima, Peru, during part of his childhood, Takashi has been working in restaurants all his life and spent 12 years fine-tuning his sushi-making acumen at Shogun in Salt Lake City before he and Tamara finally scraped together enough money to open Takashi. “We maxed out credit cards and spent our entire life savings opening it up — it was like jumping off a cliff,” said Tamara. “We both have a lot of restaurant experience and if you’re in this business you dream of doing your own thing at some point. We formulated what we wanted to do and complement each other well.”
Tamara said Takashi is a master at blending unique tastes and combinations of ingredients and sauces into tasty sushi rolls, like his famous Strawberry Fields and Yellow Submarine rolls (yes, he’s a big-time Beatles fan). “He has that creativity and know-how,” said Tamara. “I like to spend my time out front, interact with guests, see the restaurant operate,” she said. “I think a lot of people go into partnerships without understanding that you need different sets of skills. If you both gravitate to the same side, you end up with power struggles. Balance, that’s what we’re all about.” The first couple of years were filled with long days and trying times, but eventually Takashi developed a loyal clientele and the couple has been able to scale down the number of hours they spend a week at the restaurant. “When I started the restaurant, the first two years I put in 90 hours a week,” said Takashi. “If you include time shopping at Costco and Sam’s Club, over 100 hours.” He estimated he’s cut back to fewer than 40 hours a week, but Tamara quickly corrects him. “You work more than 40 hours a week,” she tells Takashi. “But it’s definitely less than it used to be.” The Gibos would not disclose annual revenues, other than business is up maybe 5 percent over last year. Unlike many other downtown restaurants affected by the recession, business has remained steady the past couple of years, a testament to the allure of their cuisine and loyalty of their customers. “We didn’t get hit that hard with the so-called recession,” said Tamara. “There are some things you can’t save money doing yourself. People are willing to spend money on things they really want.”
Watch for these upcoming editions of Utah Focus • Nov. 14 — Manufacturing • Dec. 12 — The Workplace • Jan. 9 — Construction • Feb. 13 — Mining Interested in advertising? Contact David Gregersen, david@slenterprise.com or (801) 533-0556 ext. 203 Have a story idea? Contact Barbara Rattle, barbara@slenterprise.com
Spend a few minutes observing Lucy Cardenas as she interacts with guests and employees at her wildly popular Red Iguana restaurant west of downtown Salt Lake City and it’s easy to catch a glimpse into her restaurant-laden soul, one that has been a lifetime in the making. Her warm smile and infectious laugh have everyone in a jovial mood. “I grew up in the restaurant business, it’s what I know,” said Cardenas. “My family, my mom and dad, were so passionate about food, about introducing quality Mexican food to people in the ‘60s. My parents are real trailblazers — I want to keep that spirit alive.” Ramon and Maria Cardenas moved their family from San Francisco to Salt Lake in 1965 and took over Casa Grande restaurant, which they operated until 1985, the same year Ramon started Red Iguana, a tiny four-table establishment on 300 West between 100 and 200 South. Business was brisk and profitable (a New York Times article from Aug. 24, 2011 said it brought in $300,000 in revenues its first year), but the building burned down in June 1986, forcing Ramon to relocate 10 blocks west to its present location, but not until 1988. For the past six years Cardenas has been operating Red Iguana, which has a cult-like following, as evidenced by nightly overflowing crowds and wait times up to two hours on extremely busy evenings. Cardenas and husband Bill Coker bought the business from her father in 2005 for $560,000. In December 2009 they opened Red Iguana II, a sister restaurant located a stone’s throw from the original, one that helps accommodate overflow. In addition, Taste of Red Iguana opened in March 2010 at the City Creek Center food court, a venture that excites Cardenas. “[City Creek developer] Taubman approached us about Taste of Red Iguana; we had talked about doing a quick-service business downtown,” she said. “It’s a very limited menu but it’s been well-received and we’re lucky to be there. It will give us a chance to introduce our food to a lot more people in the valley.” She said the three restaurants combined are on pace to generate $6.7 million in revenue, up 10 percent from last year, and believes 2012 will be even stronger. “We hope to be going in the same direction,” said Cardenas. “There is only so much [volume] our restaurants can handle. Going from one business to three in a short time has been a challenge, one that I welcome, but it hasn’t been easy.” She hopes to open up a private catering room sometime next year, perhaps in a building next to Red Iguana II, but other than that she’s content with how things are operating. Red Iguana has mostly avoided recessionary pitfalls of the past three years, partly because of their loyal following, but also due to an appearance on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” (DDD) in September 2008.
Cardenas “It put us on the map nationally,” Cardenas said. “It was a hard shoot and (“DDD” star Guy Fieri) is a handful! He has a lot of energy, knows what he’s doing. It was a lot of work.” Cardenas had no intention of carrying on her parents’ Salt Lake City restaurant legacy, but fate intervened. Lucy and her husband were living in Portland when her mother Maria died in 2002. Then her brother Ramon Jr. died unexpectedly at age 42 of a brain aneurysm in 2004, prompting Lucy and Coker to approach her father about taking over. They realized they would have huge shoes to fill, but had extreme confidence in their abilities. Cardenas — who said some of her earliest memories “are working with my father in the kitchen making chile rellenos” — had worked for various restaurants in Pasadena, San Francisco and Portland, including a stint as a corporate trainer for Hard Rock Café. She trained front-of-house staff and helped open the trendy rock n’ roll-themed restaurants in Chicago, Houston and Honolulu. “When I would visit Salt Lake I would walk through the restaurant and hear comments about how much [customers] loved the place — that was really special to me,” Cardenas said. “It made me really think about where we want to go and what the Red Iguana wants to become. Those are things that motivate me.” “Lucy is one of the most passionate managers I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with,” said Jon Boyer, a manager at Red Iguana II. “What service means, what food means to her. Her heart is in this entire business.” So does taking care of her 130 employees, along with a quest to revitalize downtown Salt Lake’s Rose Park area, which she still calls home. “I’ve always wanted to stay in the neighborhood — I won’t leave it,” said Cardenas. “I’ve always had a real love and affinity for downtown Salt Lake City. I’ve seen my heart break over changes that have occurred downtown … I grew up when downtown was vibrant and you walked from boutique to boutique, restaurant to restaurant. I’m excited for City Creek to open and for downtown to once again have that feeling.”
Utah Focus, October 2011
Wadsworth enjoys being a restaurateur
13
Business clients flock to Tin Angel Cafe
Tin Angel Cafe owners include Robin Fairchild (left) and husband-wife team Jerry and Kestrel Liedtke. The three opened their Salt Lake City restaurant in April 2007. The Tin Angel Café 365 W. 400 S. Salt Lake City, UT 84101 801-328-4155 www.thetinangel.com Mark Eaton and Guy Wadsworth stand on the back patio at Tuscany in Cottonwood Heights. Wadsworth bought into Tuscany and Franck’s restaurants in March 2009; Eaton is his limited partner. Wadsworth said the two restaurants gross approximately $3 million annually. Tuscany/Franck’s “There is a natural inclination to want to 2832 East 6200 South move from the court or the field into some Holladay, UT 84121 sort of business that will feed that adrenaline (801) 277-9919 need. There are a lot of horror stories and 85 www.tuscanyslc.com percent [of new restaurants] fail. I think our www.francksfood.com model has stood the test of time.” When Wadsworth bought the two res Guy Wadsworth understands the value taurants, which he said have combined anof wining and dining clients. nual revenues of $3 million (up 15 percent Since purchasing Tuscany and from last year), he had no intentions of getFranck’s restaurants in March 2009 for an ting into the food and hospitality industry, undisclosed sum, Wadsworth has struck nu- but it’s been an experience he’s enjoyed immerous business deals at the upscale venues mensely. he calls his own (under the name Five Dia- “I just loved the property more than mond Hospitality) with firms that work in anything,” Wadsworth said of the nearly the heavy-highway construction industry, an two-acre parcel where Tuscany and Franck’s industry in which Wadsworth has made his sit. “The opportunity was given to come in fortune since founding Wadsworth Brothers and I didn’t want to pass it up; it’s amazing Construction in 1991. it was available. My problem is I spend a “We’ve had numerous meetings here, disproportionate amount of time working at including the Provo River Constructor’s the restaurant because I enjoy it.” kick-off party,” said Wadsworth, refer- “If you’re bringing someone in from ring to the four-team consortium (of which out of town that might be used to a Chicago Wadsworth Brothers is part) that is building or a New York dining experience, where do UDOT’s $1.2 billion I-15 CORE project you take them?” asked Eaton. “We provide in Utah County. “It’s not just the food, it’s that kind of high-end experience.” the ambience, the service … you’re royalty Both Wadsworth and Eaton want the when you’re here. We try and have the best business community in Salt Lake to concombination of all factors. You can’t drop sider Tuscany and Franck’s as a good venue on one level of a fine dining experience.” Tuscany was founded in 1996 when for internal and client business meetings. four partners, led by Bay-area restaurateur Tuscany boasts six private dining rooms Aaron Ferer and former Utah Jazz player that can fit groups of 12 to 80 people, while Mark Eaton, bought the old Heather Res- Franck’s is available during lunch hours for taurant in 1994 and invested 16 months and private business functions up to 50 guests. “It’s a chance for people to have the $2 million into its transformation. It was the kind of food at a business luncheon they only restaurant of any kind in that area of the could never have anywhere in this state Salt Lake Valley. — Franck has that kind of cuisine,” said “We looked at 50 different places and Wadsworth in reference to his chef, Franck found what we thought was the perfect site,” Peissel, who has won numerous food critic said Eaton, who remains as a limited manawards over the years. “Our costs aren’t aging partner to Wadsworth, and acknowlgeared for Napa Valley standards, but the edged not intending to go into the restaurant food is every bit as good as anything you’d business upon retirement from the NBA, find there.” as many professional athletes have done.
It might not be at the forefront of mustvisit dining establishments for the mainstream Salt Lake City business community, but the Tin Angel Café near Pioneer Park has found its niche among those looking for a great meal in a low-key, business-friendly environment. “It’s one of those places that is so unique and different,” said Jeri Cartwright of Salt Lake-based PR firm Cartwright Communications. “It’s not showy or fancy, it’s really urban, but the food is amazing. You never know what to expect. You might encounter someone with pink hair, but they are very business-like in their manner. It’s fun to bring a client there.” So it is with Tin Angel Café, which opened in April 2007 under the watch of three co-owners — Robin Fairchild and husband-wife team Jerry and Kestrel Liedtke, who had been close friends for years. They had all worked in restaurants in the past, and when Ketrel drove by their present location one morning as the landlord was putting up a for lease sign, youngest child in tow, it all started coming together. “We looked at the place, talked to the landlord, and he said sign the lease and give me the money if you want to do it,” recalled Jerry. “It was a wing and prayer, literally.” The trio employed every resource they collectively had to get the restaurant up and running. “We had a really soft opening,” said Jerry. “We did everything by hand, installed equipment, installed lights, painting and all
that.” “Robin channeled a dead electrician,” mused Kestrel on the myriad renovations. “It’s like a little old house — you make it the best you can.” The Tin Angel Café is known for its eclectic menu, and the fact that it’s located across the street from Pioneer Park, which has its own unique reputation. “The location is part of who we are,” said Jerry. “It’s interesting to be in this location, with the [nearby homeless] shelter and things like that. Our clientele and food are upscale, so we get some pretty influential, rich people coming in here. They also get to see what’s really going on.” “Ninety percent of our clientele are businesspeople,” said Fairchild. “They say it’s the best food they’ve ever had and this is the cutest place ever. We were hoping to have everyone from punk rockers sitting next to six-figure [salary] people and we’ve succeeded in that fairly well. This is our home and we throw a dinner party every night . It’s very disarming. Everyone’s welcome, you don’t have to put on a front.” “Nothing seems to tamper our business,” added Kestrel. “It all seems to just make people more aware, that’s what we like to do.” The Tin Angel Café seats up to 45 people during winter months; in the summer, the patio accommodates another 40 patrons. Live music is a staple from Wednesday through Saturday nights. The owners take pride in the fact that musicians are willing to play for a meal and tips. “We have a lot of repeat clients, and we also get a lot of people who say, ‘I didn’t even know you were here,” said Fairchild. “We try and make it fun for everybody.”
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14
Utah Focus, October 2011
Fleming’s Steakhouse seeing economic upswing Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar 20 South 400 West (at The Gateway) Salt Lake City, UT 84101 801-355-3704 www.flemingssteakhouse.com From bartending as a teenager at a trendy Maryland restaurant to being a part-owner of an exclusive steakhouse in downtown Salt Lake City, Susan Shrum has learned the importance of owning what you’re in charge of. “It’s about being the mayor of your restaurant,” said Shrum,” a managing partner with Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar at The Gateway in Salt Lake City. “I’m always shaking hands and hugging babies, making sure everyone is having a great dinner.” Shrum, 44, said she learned a lot from Kevin Whatoff, a Fleming’s junior vice president who oversees eight corporate restaurants. “It’s your house and they’re your guest,” she said. “I’m always interacting, networking, trying to find another reference or have them give you another party lead.” Fleming’s was founded in 1998 by Paul Fleming in Newport Beach, Calif., and now operates 65 restaurants under the Outback umbrella. Strum said the Salt Lake eatery strives to be the premier steakhouse in Salt Lake City and one that caters to the business community. With its location in the Gateway Mall directly west of EnergySolutions Arena, Fleming’s has a large businesses clientele.
Shrum estimated 75 percent of all business is consists of business clientele, even though the restaurant is open only for dinner, except for private business luncheon events. “We have a private room for up to 85 people and with the economy, [private business meetings] are coming up more and more,” she said. “We try and cater to businesspeople. You obviously have to read your guests. If a business client wants to be ‘the man,’ we’ll make sure he’s ‘the man.’ You cater to everybody, because everybody is different.” Shrum said Fleming’s has done OK in 2011, up perhaps 5 percent from last year, but is bullish on 2012. “We’re seeing the upswing of the economy,” she said. “More people are coming back, some of our higher-end guests who got hit hard. We used to see them once a week, now we’re seeing them once a month again. Alcohol and wine sales are increasing — it’s all coming back.” She hopes that notion also applies to Utah Jazz home games and the NBA season in general. “[The NBA lockout] impacts us greatly,” Shrum said. “We’ll do 200 guests an hour-and-a-half before the game. If they don’t have a season we expect to lose $700,000 — it’s a lot of money. I was down five grand last week (the week of Oct. 1016), which really sucked. But we’re going ‘into season,’ which is good. We’ve seen an upswing on our parties, so maybe it will counteract it a little bit.”
Mo’s Grill caters to downtown’s working class Mo’s Neighborhood Grill 358 South West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84101 (801) 359-0586 www.mosbarandgrill.com Mohammad “Mo” Khodadad considers his downtown Salt Lake eatery — Mo’s Neighborhood Grill — to be a favorite among the late-night working class, particularly those who work the dinner shift at other downtown restaurants. It’s this clientele, often looking to wind down with a beer and a bite, that has helped Mo’s survive the growing pains associated with Salt Lake’s “Downtown Rising” projects. Khodadad opened Mo’s in 2001 after a successful decade operating Crusty’s in Sugar House. A native of Iran who moved to Utah from Pennsylvania in 1987 to attend Southern Utah State College in Cedar City, he desired a downtown location, but admits he’s ready for some normalcy to return to the area once construction of City Creek Center two blocks north and the $200 million federal courthouse directly across the street are finished. “The biggest [negative] effect on us was across the street,” said Khodadad, 46. “When they took down Port O’ Call, that was big. We were getting a lot of people who wanted to come eat late at night after a night of drinking. It’s like everything else … you take it down, you put it back up, but
Khodadad it takes a while. You’re looking at four years of an empty lot.” Khodadad also operates a reputable long-time catering business and two off-site cafeterias, one for United Parcel Service in West Valley City and a newly remodeled site for Merit Medical Systems Inc. at its South Jordan headquarters. When business was thriving in the mid-2000s, Khodadad had nine cafeterias in operation. He hopes for more opportunities to arise from catering and cafeterias, which account for 60 percent of his annual revenues. Until then, he’s waiting for downtown to finish its facelift. “We will get a lot of benefit from not only City Creek shoppers and customers, but employees who work in City Creek,” said Khodadad. “We’ll do well. The 2,000 people they expect to work there, they will be our customers.”
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Utah Focus, October 2011
GUINNEY from page 7
competition.’ I came from Southern California, where the competition was overwhelming. We’re at ground zero in the capital city – that automatically brings to the table that you’re going to have community leaders, the business community and political leaders as clients. “The concept is upscale casual, and in a lot of respects our menu hasn’t changed that much from when we opened,” Guinney continued. “I had a little book with the recipes for all sauces and dressings and knew exactly what the concept was going to be, because I just came out of working at Delaney’s Seafood for years. We serve the highest quality product attainable.” “Incredibly, it’s the simple things that make the difference,” said Fred Boutwell, general manager of Market Street Cottonwood and a 16-year Gastronomy veteran. “Hot food on hot plates, cold food on cold plates, beverages have full ice, little things like that. Tom, Tom and John’s attention to detail have made a legacy for this company.” Guinney has a basic set of eight nonnegotiable rules he said must be addressed to operate a successful restaurant. The more obvious items include serving great product at competitive prices in an atmosphere that is fun and inviting for guests. Employees must be exact and consistent with guests, who come to expect certain treatment over time. A savvy bookkeeper who pays bills on time is also a must, as are other staff to help out with marketing, public relations and human resources. “You miss on any one of these, and you’re out of business, literally,” Guinney said. Fifteen months after starting Market Street Grill, Guinney, Williams and Seig opened Market Street Oyster Bar next door on New Year’s Eve 1981, adding an entirely new social dimension to the company. Now it had three establishments in the old New York Hotel and wanted to keep the momentum going. Market Street Broiler was opened in March 1983, and later that decade the owners transformed a building that was the first public high school in Salt Lake into Baci Trattoria and Café Pierpont, Gastronomy’s venture into Italian and Mexican restaurants they would ultimately sell in 2004, the money from which went to start Market Street RiverPark. Be Seen at the Bee Scene Over the years Gastronomy, particularly Market Street Grill Downtown, has established a reputation as a place to “be seen,” where people of power and stature in the business and political communities gather to rub shoulders, shake hands and talk shop, particularly during breakfast and lunch hours, when Guinney estimates that 60 percent of patrons are businesspeople. “This has become a place where the powerful come to conduct business,” Guinney said. “I tease our customers to a certain degree because I watch them engage in working the room, going from table to table. They probably shave three hours a month off their schedule by not having to schedule meetings because they come in here and work the room. If you want to meet with a client to keep something confidential, this is not where you
come.” “Business lunch meetings have to be efficient and they have to include topnotch service and great food,” said Lane Beattie, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. “You know when you go to a Gastronomy restaurant you’ll get all of that, plus a great atmosphere to have an important discussion.” “Gastronomy understands the needs of business diners,” added Jason Mathis, executive director of Downtown Alliance. “There is a reason that you see the downtown Market Street Grill full of Salt Lake’s business, political and community leaders every morning from 7 to 9. I can get more
was recently appointed by the governor to the board of the Utah State Parks and Recreation Division, serves on Karen Crompton’s board for Voice of Utah Children, and serves on Rocky Anderson’s board of High Roads for Human Rights. Guinney appreciates the low-key, tight-knit nature of Salt Lake compared to what he experienced in busy California. “We live in a small town,” he says. “I live in the Avenues and can be at the capitol in four-and-a-half minutes – that is what is wonderful about living in the capital city. We really do have a core city here, and you have the opportunity to participate and contribute.”
“There is a reason that you see the downtown Market Street Grill full of Salt Lake’s business, political and community leaders every morning from 7 to 9. I can get more business done during a breakfast at Market Street, just by walking the tables, than I can in making phone calls all morning.”
business done during a breakfast at Market Street, just by walking the tables, than I can in making phone calls all morning.” “If you walk into breakfast at Market Street you see the movers and shakers,” added Cullen. “We get all kinds of people in for weekly meetings. They know what to expect.” “It’s definitely one of two or three downtown restaurants you think of when it comes to impressing a client or making sure whoever you’re entertaining is taken care of on all levels,” said Charles Geltz, owner of Five-Star Installations in Salt Lake. “The food is always good, the service is top notch and I like the atmosphere. It’s a classy place.” Carrying on Community Legacy Gastronomy’s influence on the Salt Lake community, both as a whole and specifically on the hospitality industry, has been widespread and consistent. Guinney, Williams and other employees are active participants on any number of fronts. The company is involved in various charitable and philanthropic events, supports local arts and entertainment groups and sponsors political meetings and other fundraising endeavors for nonprofit organizations. It’s all part of a corporate attitude that requires giving back to what you call your own and being good citizens amongst those you interact with. Guinney has been perhaps the most active employee through the years, donating his time, knowledge and financial resources to causes he believes in. He served on the Salt Lake County Board of Health for over a decade, he’s been past chair of the Downtown Alliance, is an active participant in the Salt Lake Chamber,
Guinney has always been a vocal supporter of Utah’s liquor laws, which over the years hasn’t always been easy, and he also championed the ban on smoking at private clubs at the beginning of the 21st Century. “Liquor laws are something I have worked on for over 25 years,” Guinney said. “You can get a drink in Utah, but we keep tweaking our liquor laws unnecessarily and stirring things up when we don’t need to. I support the work Art Brown and his wife Jamie are doing at Mother’s Against Drunk Driving and [Utah State Senate] president Michael Waddoups’ position on liquor laws I fully support.” Gastronomy also casts a long shadow when it comes to the local hospitality
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industry, and the fact that it has literally employed tens of thousands of people in its 33-year history in Salt Lake. It’s not uncommon for people to work for a Gastronomy restaurant, leave for whatever reason, and then come back to a different restaurant years later. In addition, many former Gastronomy managers have moved on and established careers at other restaurants, or have evened opened their own restaurant after learning the ropes from Guinney and Williams. “I see people all over the place who have worked for our company before,” said Burns, who started working as a hostess/server at The New Yorker in 1979 and has been HR director since April 1990. “Most I talk to say they got a lot out of their experience with Gastronomy, that they learned a lot.” In her present position, Burns oversees hiring of all new employees, from dishwashers to servers to managers. She readily admits it’s not the ideal company for everyone, but for those who are serious about a restaurant career, Gastronomy has always looked to promote from within. “It’s a structured, high-standard environment,” said Burns. “Those who thrive in that kind of environment do really well here. We’ve kept our dress code conservative and strict and haven’t really changed much from the beginning. Our personal grooming standards are almost the same as when we opened.” “I’ve seen a lot of people in 33 years, from 40 employees to over 500,” said Cullen, the longest-tenured Gastronomy employee who worked at The New Yorker for several years before moving into the corporate office. “We’re a close-knit bunch. We have employees who have been with us for over 25 years; that says something about our organization.” Guinney says frankly, “If you work in management here, or even as an hourly employee, you are going to get a business education and you could get a job anywhere in our industry after working here. “I’m told, and I’m sure it’s an overstatement, that we’ve trained half the [Salt Lake] valley in the hospitality industry,” he adds. “A lot of people have gone on to open their own businesses or work in senior management positions. I take great pride in that.”
Gastronomy at a glance Founded: March 1978 Corporate Revenues (2011 projected): $28 million Restaurants: 8 Employees: Over 500 The New Yorker Location: Downtown Salt Lake City Opened: March 1978 General Manager: Will Pliler Employees: 42 Seating Capacity: 240 Market Street Grill/Oyster Bar Location: Downtown Salt Lake City Opened: October 31, 1980/December 31, 1981 General Manager: Todd Johnson Employees: 115 Seating Capacity: 189 (Grill)/110 (OB)
Market Street University (Broiler) Location: Salt Lake City (by U of U) Opened: March 1983 General Manager: Chris Buhler Employees: 75 Seating Capacity: 185 Market Street Cottonwood Location: Cottonwood Heights Opened: October 2000 General Manager: Fred Boutwell Employees: 140 Seating Capacity: 200 (Grill)/175 (OB) Market Street RiverPark Location: South Jordan Opened: February 2007 General Manager: Monae Madson Employees: 95 Seating Capacity: 203 (Grill)/163 (OB)
distinguished meetings & events A locally owned and operated business, serving our friends and neighbors for over 50 years.
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