7 successful restaurant chains that started in Utah

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Proudly owning a restaurant is tough work. Working a profitable restaurant is tougher. Increasing to a number of areas over a number of years is a feat that almost all can solely dream about. In response to an Ohio State College examine, 60% of eating places do not make it previous the primary 12 months and 80% shut inside 5 years of opening.

However towards all odds, some eating places not solely make it previous these powerful first years — they thrive. A number of profitable restaurant chains acquired their begin in Utah, together with the seven listed right here. Did your favourite chain make the listing?

Arctic Circle

Other than their signature fry sauce, Arctic Circle has been serving up scrumptious favorites such because the Brown Topper, Clean Angus burgers and Alaskan halibut because the authentic location opened in Salt Lake Metropolis in 1950. Immediately, the restaurant has over 70 areas in seven states.

Virtually everybody is aware of that Utahns are well-known for his or her fry sauce affinity. The humorous factor is that there is a little bit of controversy over who the unique fry sauce inventor was. However in the event you ask Arctic Circle’s president Kasey Christensen, there isn’t any query about who first got here up with the concept.

“Another chains and restaurateurs additionally declare as properly that they created fry sauce, however we’re assured in our historical past and information right here that Arctic Circle was the birthplace of fry sauce earlier than it ever grew to become standard anyplace else,” Christensen informed the meals web site Eater in 2016.

Kentucky Fried Rooster

Do not be fooled by the title. The “finger-lickin’ good” rooster at Kentucky Fried Rooster truly has Utah roots. In response to OnlyInYourState.com, it began when Col. Harland Sanders (sure, he was an actual individual) cooked a particular “secret recipe” for restaurant proprietor Pete Harman in 1952. Harman had a sense this rooster could be a success with Utahns, so he made a take care of Sanders to start out a restaurant franchise.

It was an indication painter named Don Anderson who got here up with the “Kentucky Fried Rooster” title and Harman later trademarked the phrase and slogan, “finger lickin’ good.” The unique KFC constructing in Salt Lake was demolished in 2004, however a brand new one took its place.

Cupbop

Cupbop proprietor Jung Track began out with a meals truck on the Gallivan Middle in 2013. Quick ahead to 2023 and he now has near 50 areas all through Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Oklahoma. And that is not counting the meals vehicles and concessions areas.

The large progress got here after Cupbop fan Dok Kwon left an funding banking profession in New York to assist Track scale the enterprise on a nationwide degree. Track and Kwon, who now serves because the chief working officer, had an look on Shark Tank in 2022 and landed a take care of investor Mark Cuban.

Cupbop could also be rising quick, however the house owners will always remember the place it began.

“We’re so lucky that we began right here, and we’re so grateful to all of our clients in all places, however particularly in Utah, the place we began, and is completely our dwelling floor,” Kwon informed KSL.com in 2022.

Cafe Rio Mexican Grill

Cafe Rio Mexican Grill was the brainchild of Steve and Patricia Stanley, who opened their St. George restaurant in 1997. Constructed on the idea that “each ingredient have to be recent and made recent to order,” Cafe Rio shot off in reputation, so the Stanleys constructed 5 extra eating places.

Bob Nilsen purchased Cafe Rio in 2004 and began increasing the chain even additional, maintaining the “recent meals, made recent” mantra. The restaurant has new house owners right now, however you’ll be able to nonetheless take pleasure in Candy Pork Barbacoa burrito at any of their areas in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Nevada and Arizona.

Chuck-A-Rama

Typically you need to go to a restaurant the place “the selection is yours.” Enter the Utah-based household buffet restaurant Chuck-A-Rama. When you hop on the Chuck-A-Rama web site, you may be taught that this buffet-style restaurant hasn’t simply been feeding households since 1966. They’re additionally “proud to supply wholesome choices that gas world-famous athletes, sponsor native colleges and universities, and feed worthy causes throughout Utah and Idaho.”

Nielsen’s Frozen Custard

As a substitute of getting a “household farm,” Steve and Debbie Nielsen based Nielsen’s Frozen Custard and Diner in Bountiful in 1981 so their younger youngsters may “be taught to work.” Nielsen’s patented custard freezing machine has been the important thing to churning out numerous gallons of their signature frozen custard via the years, which gained a popularity for being “probably the greatest issues to eat in America.”

However whether or not you eat on the custard aspect, the diner aspect or each, you will not be disillusioned. And here is some nice information: their custard has fewer energy and fats than ice cream, based on OnlyInYourState.com.

Immediately, the Nielsens have expanded their franchise all through Utah and not too long ago in Las Vegas.

Swig Drinks

Yet one more franchise that acquired its begin in St. George, Swig first opened its doorways in 2010 after founder Nicole Tanner and her husband thought a drive-by drink store may very well be a profitable enterprise enterprise. To make an extended story brief: They had been proper. Not solely did Utahns crave easy accessibility to a fast drink and a deal with, however the soiled soda obsession has unfold to Arizona, Idaho, Oklahoma and Texas.

Are you hungry but?

When you managed to make it during this listing with out a single yearning for one thing candy or savory, congratulations. But when studying about these profitable Utah restaurant chains has perked up your urge for food, discover a location close to you and fulfill these starvation pangs. Remember to go away a glowing evaluation on-line to assist these institutions continue to grow!

Siegfried & Jensen

Since 1990, Siegfried & Jensen have been serving to the folks of Utah and surrounding states who’ve suffered useless accidents and dying brought on by automobile accidents, truck accidents, medical malpractice, faulty medication, canine bites, wrongful dying, and different kinds of private damage.

The agency is dedicated to maintaining Utah households and communities protected by making certain wrongdoers are held accountable. Whereas a lawsuit is not all the time the reply when it’s wanted having somebody in your aspect can imply the distinction between declaring chapter and rebuilding your life and transferring ahead, particularly if you’re up towards an insurance coverage firm or a hospital.

Siegfried & Jensen has a 97% success price with greater than 35,000 instances and $1.2 billion recovered for his or her shoppers.