Utah
Utah Restaurants that Thrive Through Grit and Great Food
We’ve all seen the sad news, peppered throughout our social media feeds. A rumor about a favorite Utah restaurant suddenly closing its doors or an official announcement from a local eatery shutting down after years in business. Restaurants are hard. And if you think it’s hard to watch your favorite spot close its doors, it’s that much harder for the owners, managers and staff.
To combat the bad news, we wanted to take a moment and share the stories of several Utah restaurants that have adapted, moved, transformed or doubled down on staying the same to stay in business.
Tea Rose Diner—A New Move and a New Flavor of History
When Anny Sooksri quit her job with the post office in 2007, she decided to take over a little burger bar tucked in Murray. Anny did what she has always done.“I jumped right in,” she says. “I didn’t know what I was doing.” Tea Rose Diner was named because when she opened, she carried 82 varieties of tea and had a rose house next door. “It’s hilarious that I never had a sign,” she says. “Not until I had been open for 10 years.” Anny built her customer base the old-fashioned way, over 18 years—by serving delicious Thai food with her unique, spicy twist.
Anny could never find food that was spicy enough for her taste buds in the U.S. “I eat super spicy, but I couldn’t make food as spicy as I want because of the risk factor. So we started giving customers a choice of zero to 10 for spice,” she says. To be clear, going from a “one” to a “two” is doubling the spice. “We add a spoon of chili on each level,” she says. Tea Rose Diner guests were also shocked at the quality (and quantity) of food coming out of the tiny kitchen. Anny even managed to impress her future husband when he came in for lunch with friends.
I think every success comes with hard work. And we are a ‘hard-work’ people, you know? For us to fail, it’s not an option. I was the first generation and I’m here by myself and I came here with nothing. I wish I could be an example to a lot of people. If I can do it,
why can’t you?”
Tea Rose Diner has lived and thrived for nearly two decades. Anny went on to open four other restaurants: Chabaar Beyond Thai, Fav Bistro, Tea Rose Thai Express and Uncle Jeffi’s Place. Tea Rose will always be her figurative firstborn, but it’s starting to show its age. The kitchen is so small that you can’t have two people in there without feeling cramped. The building is grandfathered in for code, so, “I could never sell it,” Anny says. “The permit would not transfer.”
“We were keeping an eye out for a new location,” she says, but they didn’t want to go far. When the option to bid on the city-owned, historic Murray Chapel (kitty corner from the original) came up, Anny jumped. She won the bid in late fall 2024 and has big plans to renovate the space. The new Tea Rose Diner will be a full-service restaurant with a tea/coffee shop and a small event space on the lower level.
Anny won the bid because of her dedication to keeping history alive in the building. “I come from a country that has a lot of history,” she says. “And to keep something historical is something to feel honored about. We lose our history and then we don’t have anything to look forward to as a new generation.”
The Murray Chapel will take at least a year and $900,000 to bring it up to code and build it out. She can’t alter the historical facade but wants to extend the back of the building with an all-glass structure and upper deck. “It’s going to be a lot of work, but it is going to be so cool,” she says, getting animated.
Tea Rose Diner (The Original)
65 E. 5th Ave., Murray
bestthaifoodinutah.com
Kimi’s Chop & Oyster House—A New Location for a Local Institution
After 10 years, Kimi Eklund decamped her namesake restaurant, Kimi’s Chop & Oyster House, from the historic Sugar House post office to the former site of Primo’s Restaurant in Holladay. The new location is a good fit for Kimi’s brand of service, but before the move, her Chop & Oyster House came within inches of closing forever. Constant construction in Sugar House had severely impacted the business. “When Jan. 2 came and they closed the road [1100 East], our sales dropped 85% overnight,” she says. “Sugar House was a ghost town.” But Kimi hoped that when construction ended, things would improve. So, she prepared to renew her lease for another 10 years.
Then, the universe intervened one evening in July. “I seem to always have these fateful things happen,” Kimi laughs. “That night, one of my guests told me ‘It’s such a pity that we can’t sit out on your patio [due to construction]. It’s too bad you don’t have Primo’s patio. It’s one of the best patios in town, and they’re closed.’”
That same night, she learned about a new Sugar House development that would bring even more long-term construction to her block. One of the servers had waited on a developer. “The server told me that he [the developer] was talking about plans to put a 26-story building in the area behind us.” Oh and, to top it off, “there will be a high-end restaurant at the top overlooking the whole valley.”
The development might be a few years out, but it would definitely mean more chaos, more construction. Kimi knew she either had to close or move. She drove over to Primo’s location and peeked in the windows. Then she started dreaming.
Kimi and the owners of the Primo building came to an agreement. They wanted Kimi’s in the space and were willing to hold out for almost a year until Kimi was ready to move. “I got cold feet,” Kimi admits. “I didn’t want to start over again.” But the fact that her potential landlords were willing to work with her was heartening. She says, “It was telling me that I should trust my instincts.”
To make the old Primo building move-in ready, Kimi brought in some trusted advisors and fellow restaurant owners. The pad was segmented, with some walls blocking the energy and flow in the center of the restaurant. “We Tauruses are sensitive people,” Kimi says. “We are in tune and very sensory. Once I got those walls down, I knew it was going to be a success.”
The new decor is just so “Kimi.” Lush, vibrant, Scandinavian-cozy, with bright art and dramatic lighting, “a combination of white sherpa and velvet, illuminated with tear-drop chandeliers.” Each room and each nook is different, with private dining options and a beautiful lounge area, stone fireplaces and views of Mt. Olympus.
The kitchen is more spacious and modern, which means there are more options for the classic menu, more specials and more small-plate dishes, as per Kimi’s customer requests. “We’re turning into a neighborhood restaurant. People are sharing plates, doing a lot of tapas and trying everything on the menu.”
Kimi’s Chop & Oyster House
4699 S. Highland Dr., Holladay
kimishouse.com
Open seven days a week, with private dining for groups of 10–58 guests, live music and seasonal cocktails.
Log Haven’s Lasting Legacy—Declious value and a great team behind every meal
Log Haven is a Utah institution. For nearly 30 years, it is the quintessential place for proposals, weddings and family gatherings. Couples who got married there have watched their kids get married there.
As the name suggests, it is both rustic and a retreat, romantic and renowned. But at one point, it was more ramshackle than anything. That is when Margo Provost came to own the property in Millcreek Canyon. At first, she planned to remodel it as a private residence, but soon it became clear it needed to be more. “I was attempting to sort through the detritus. It was really in terrible shape.” As Margo recalls, she struck up a friendship with Jean Rains, whose father had built it as an anniversary present for her mother. Jean had photos from when she was a child, and her family would come out from Philadelphia every summer. “As we talked and I learned more about its history, I decided to restore it, add on to it and make it into a restaurant,” says Margo.
The idea of Log Haven was born. But, “It was a much bigger project than I expected,” says Margo. “We encountered problems. We had to jack the building up to meet earthquake code, remove asbestos and remove an underground heating oil tank. But eventually, we got up and running.”
On top of all the challenges, Margo was not native to the restaurant business. “I was a Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Operations for a multi-billion dollar healthcare company,” she says. “I found that things weren’t really right in line with my passions. So I took a leap to retire and was looking for a project that would fulfill what I wanted to offer to the universe.” Log Haven fit the bill. “And so when we opened, my intention was nature, nurture and nourish.”
That is one of the reasons Log Haven has stayed close to their mountain sanctuary. “You can’t be ‘nature, nurture, nourish’ if all you’re trying to do is build a brand and spread it out everywhere,” Margo says. “You put your stamp on something special, show where your values are and hope that others respond to it. We’ve been fortunate to pull that off at Log Haven.”
“Nature, nurture and nourish” have been the guiding values for Log Haven’s team, which has been there almost since the beginning. All are co-owners: Ian Campbell, the General Manager; Faith Scheffler, the Sales and Event Manager, and David Jones, the Executive Chef. “When big things occur, like recessions, significant legislative changes, or, heaven forbid, COVID, we tend to take a longer view,” she says. “We’ve been through these things.” And so, Log Haven, like with any true haven, stays the course and is known for its team, values and amazing food. Chef Jones was a James Beard semi-finalist for the best chef in the mountain region this past year and Log Haven has consistently been lauded by this very magazine’s Dining Awards. But Margo sees a bigger mission. “We’re so darnn lucky,” she says. “We have so many people who’ve gotten engaged, celebrated promotions, recruited people to move to Salt Lake. We give them a place, a beautiful, almost sacred space to celebrate the desire for connection.”
The general manager, Ian, always says, “We have a soul.” And Margo sees that as what really sets Log Haven up as the special place it is. “We see it as more than just a business. I believe we do have soul, and I think that’s a beautiful thing.”
Log Haven
6451 Mill Creek Canyon Rd., SLC
log-haven.com
See more stories like this and all of our food and drink coverage. And while you’re here, why not subscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best of life in Utah?
SALT LAKE CITY — The Environmental Protection Agency awarded Utah and Salt Lake County a total of $3.5 million in grants to assess potentially polluted properties for eventual cleanup and redevelopment.
The agency announced a $2 million grant to Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality and $1.5 million to Salt Lake County to conduct environmental assessments and inventory brownfield sites for cleanup. Brownfields are sites that may be difficult to redevelop or expand because of “the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant,” according to the agency.
“These brownfields grants will help Utah communities clean up contaminated sites and unlock opportunities for redevelopment and investment,” EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western said in a news release announcing the grants earlier this week. “By transforming underused properties into community assets, EPA is helping create healthier neighborhoods and stronger local economies.”
The two grants awarded to Utah and Salt Lake County are among more than $248 million awarded to nearly 200 communities nationwide for brownfield assessment and cleanup. Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality plans to focus the resources on several areas in Ogden, Heber City and Fillmore, among others, according to Bill Rees, who leads Utah’s brownfield cleanup program.
“What we do is work to secure the funding and then begin to reach out to our communities across the state, say, ‘Listen, there’s opportunity to do some assessment work in your community if you’re interested,’ and then work with our rural partners, work with our urban partners to see if there are sites that will fit that bill,” he told KSL.
The state has received similar grants in the past, and Rees said the money can help local governments determine what to do with ailing properties such as old schools, hospitals or private property that have gone to waste.
“Is there asbestos in it, or is there hazardous material in it? Or could there be something that’s impacting the soil or the groundwater, and a policymaker needs to make a decision?” asked Rees. “Knowledge allows you to make good decisions.”
The $1.5 million awarded to Salt Lake County is the largest brownfields assessment grant the county has ever received, according to a county press release.
“This grant is a real win for our communities,” said Mayor Jenny Wilson. “This funding will let us do vital environmental work on a larger scale and in more neighborhoods. It reflects exactly the kind of partnership between local and federal government that gets results for residents.”
The county grant funds will be used to help create cleanup plans in three areas, including a vehicle storage yard in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark Neighborhood, a 4.26-acre vacant lot in Millcreek and a small commercial building in Magna that was damaged during an earthquake in March 2020, according to the EPA.
Contributing: Don Brinkherhoff
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued red flag warning Friday morning as emergency workers continued to battle one of the state’s largest wildfires in its history.
The red flag warning, issued when critical fire warnings are occurring or imminent, was to be in place through midnight Saturday.
“This is the FIRST Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning issued in NWS Salt Lake City history. This is an exceptionally rare event,” the federal agency said in its warning.
A map of the area under the warning covered much of central and southwest Utah, with an area of the southwest, central and southern mountains also outlined as “particularly dangerous red flag.”
The particularly dangerous area includes the Cottonwood Fire, near the town of Beaver, which started Monday and had grown to covering almost nearly 71,000 acres by Thursday, 15 News reported. The fire forced evacuations.
The NWS warned that gusty winds and dry conditions would lead to rapid fire growth.
Utah also was dealing with the Iron Fire, which started June 19, and nearly destroyed the town of Eureka. The fire was about 27% contained Friday morning.
The fire danger led Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to issue executive order restricting fireworks statewide during the July 4 holiday, which marks the nation’s 250th birthday this year. The ban is in effect through July 5.
“Nothing about this decision was easy,” Cox said in a statement issued by his office Thursday.
“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent memory. We’re seeing fires spread farther and faster under conditions that defy historical expectations” Jamie Barnes, Utah state forester and director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, added in the statement.
Cox allowed cities and local communities to set aside areas where fireworks could be safely used. The city of Provo announced it would enforce a citywide prohibition on fireworks and would not designate a safe area for fireworks.
“This year is different,” Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins said in a statement. “The wildfire danger facing our community is real, and protecting lives, homes, and our natural spaces must come first.”
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Earlier this month, 2News Investigates brought you a former inmate’s federal lawsuit alleging Utah Department of Corrections leaders failed to address reports of alleged sexual assault by correctional officers. Now, 2News Investigates examines another key claim in that lawsuit.
MORE: Federal lawsuit alleges Utah prison leaders covered up guards’ sexual assaults on inmates
The lawsuit alleges a mass cross-gender strip-search operation – women being viewed by men was intended to further silence female inmates.
Federal law generally prohibits cross-gender strip searches of female inmates except during emergencies or when conducted by medical personnel. UDC says that during body-search procedures, male correctional officers are not allowed in the immediate area and inmate privacy is maintained. Former inmates say that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Three former inmates agreed to speak with 2News Investigates but asked that their identities not be revealed.
“It was very traumatic.”
According to the lawsuit, on May 13, 2025, UDC carried out a large-scale operation known as a “reset” in women’s housing units at the Utah State Correctional Facility (USCF) in Salt Lake City.
Wendy: “They call it a reset. What do you call it?”
“A violation.”
“It’s like a rape.”
The lawsuit alleges UDC Deputy Warden Derick Zorn and Warden Sharon D’Amico directed the operation, along with more than a dozen members of the Critical Incident Response Team, or CIRT.
According to the plaintiffs, officers stormed dormitories, shouted profanities, and issued conflicting commands.
The women say and the lawsuit states they were ordered to pack their belongings into totes and change into state-issued uniforms in front of male CIRT officers. They were then marched to the Emerald Building for processing.
“It felt almost like we were at a concentration camp.”
The lawsuit alleges the women were required to undergo body scans and then strip completely naked. Plaintiffs claim they were ordered to lift their breasts, spread their buttocks, and cough while visible to male staff.
Women who were menstruating allegedly were instructed to remove menstrual products in full view of others.
“Just use one hand to remove it. Hold it up in front of you.”
“I felt really small and worthless.”
The lawsuit alleges some women were forced to hold soiled menstrual pads while performing physical maneuvers.
“I just did what I was told. I just wanted to get it over with.”
The plaintiffs also claim they were required to sit on toilets or squat to provide urine samples while completely naked and visible to male officers.
“It was humiliating. It was degrading.”
The lawsuit further alleges cell doors were left open, exposing naked women to other inmates and male staff.
An overhead observation booth with reflective glass overlooked the strip-search area. Plaintiffs say they observed movement inside and believed they were being watched from above.
The lawsuit alleges the female inmates were being watched from above during a mass strip search on May 13, 2025
“I could see in the overhead, the two-way mirror. There were multiple men walking around up there who had direct vision inside those cells.”
The lawsuit alleges Captain Jared Beers and Lieutenant Matthew Coombs were inside the booth and that Deputy Warden Derick Zorn observed women in various states of undress.
“I made eye contact with Officer Arroyo, and I also saw Deputy Zorn.”
“I knew if I could see the male officers, they could see me.”
One former inmate described the experience as state-sanctioned sexual violence.
“When that happens, and you’ve gone through the same kind of thing as a child, it’s very traumatic.”
The lawsuit alleges Warden D’Amico knew male officers were viewing naked female inmates and “ratified, condoned, and failed to stop it.”
An allegation in the lawsuit filed on May 15, 2026
“You’re pretty much a hostage.”
UDC Executive Director Jared Garcia declined repeated requests for an on-camera interview. A letter sent said:
“During the body search process in female living areas, male correctional officers are not allowed in the immediate area, and privacy is maintained. In general, resets are conducted routinely, according to UDC policy and under strict protocols designed to ensure safety while also preserving the privacy and dignity of incarcerated individuals.”
“The manner matters.”
Walter Mason represents the plaintiffs.
He told 2News Investigates, “The law protects inmates from being exposed to members of the opposite sex viewing their naked bodies unless there’s an emergency. Unless there’s what the law calls an exigent circumstance, the prison can take necessary actions to protect safety. There was no emergency. There was no exigency.”
UDC says the reset involved approximately 150 trained staff members and was conducted according to department policy.
UDC’s letter goes on to say:
“Every effort was made to treat belongings with care and document confiscated items appropriately. UDC stands by our methods and policies, which are intended to maintain the highest standards of integrity, safety, and efficiency during the reset process.”
Written response from the Utah Department of Corrections regarding 2News investigations
I asked UDC whether any exigent circumstances existed on May 13, 2025, during the reset operation.
The response:
“No exigent circumstances occurred on May 13, 2025.”
I also requested information about what items were confiscated. UDC said it could not provide a specific list.
Response to questions posed by 2News Investigates to UDC regarding mass strip search and if exigent circumstances existed that day
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and accuses the defendants, all supervisors, of participating in a “coordinated effort to humiliate, mock, and psychologically degrade the plaintiffs … operating with a brazen and intentional disregard for clearly established law, fueled by an institutional custom of impunity.”
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