Kiitos' new Sugar House Bar shows SLC's thirst for corner pubs

Driving the news: Kiitos Brewing opened its new location last Wednesday at 1533 S. 1100 East — in the heart of a neighborhood where almost all other businesses close before nightfall.

• That has left the commercial district mostly deserted after hours.

Context: The corridor sits between the bustling corners at 15th & 15th and 9th & 9th on a prosperous side of town, amid walkable, older residential streets lined with sidewalks.

• Bars were by far the most preferred type of new businesses for the 9th & 9th area in a 2019 survey of East Liberty Park residents.

What's inside: The bar occupies a 113-year-old building that once housed a sewing shop, with a front-room bar that leads to booths and a back room with easy chairs and a couch.

Flashback: Another team of entrepreneurs planned to open a bar there but struggled to secure financing, the previous owner told Building Salt Lake.

The latest: Kiitos Sugar House Bar was teeming with people the day after it opened, filling almost every seat with a continuous rotation of customers.

Yes, but: Be patient and chat up the neighbors while you wait for a table.

• That's how corner bars work.