Wave of restaurant closures hits Salt Lake City
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
A string of local restaurant closures is underscoring the challenges business owners are facing to stay afloat.
Driving the news: The Local Market & Bar, Pig & a Jelly Jar, Taco Taco and SLC Eatery are among the latest to shutter in recent weeks.
The big picture: Pandemic-era dining habits, including ordering takeout and ordering delivery through apps, have slowed foot traffic at restaurants, Michele Corigliano, executive director of the Salt Lake Area Restaurant Association, tells Axios.
- Corigliano noted that food delivery apps can take up to a 30% cut per order, hurting a business' margins.
- Supply-chain disruptions that drive up food costs and wage increases have also challenged eateries.
State of play: The Juice Shop owner Meera Patel said last week the juicery, which opened in the Maven District in 2022, wouldn't renew its lease. Friday was its last day in business.
- The celebrated SLC Eatery abruptly announced its closure in August. Chefs Paul Chamberlain and Logen Crew were named James Beard Awards semifinalists in 2023.
- "We tried hard to keep it open for you wonderful people but couldn't do it. This was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make," the downtown restaurant posted on Instagram.
Zoom out: Nationally, menu price inflation and declining foot traffic were among the top hurdles facing the restaurant industry this year, according to Bar & Restaurant News.
Zoom in: Corigliano said the city's Sugar House neighborhood has been hit by closures particularly hard.
- SugarHouse BBQ in July announced plans to close after 26 years in business, citing economic uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing construction on 2100 South.
- By the Bucket: Hot Spaghetti to Go and The Locker Room, the city's first gay sports bar, also appear to have closed.