Ambitious new Sugar House food and drink hall will debut this week

You can stop filling my inbox and DMs, everybody. For all those who have asked what, when, and how – I can confirm that the wraps come off Sugar House Station today at 11.00 a.m. and after a quick peep inside with owner Scott Evans, I think it’s safe to say this ambitious food and drink hall is set to become a mainstay of the neighborhood.

First up, a quick word to the wise. Given the scale and complexity of what SHS will offer, this week (and next) will see the business open in a limited fashion; this means lunch service only (11.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m.) with three food options (Bird House, Cannella’s and Proper Burger / Brewing) and one of the five bar menus slated to open.

“There are a lot of moving parts”, owner and operator Scott Evans explained to me. “We’re going to activate the space element by element, so our staff can move through the gears methodically.” Evans, a veteran of the food and drink scene, wants to get this right. I love his moxy. Opening one bar in Utah is a daunting task. Opening five simultaneously while co-ordinating a variety of chefs – let’s just say it’s just the right side of madness. I love it. I really do.

SHS is the most elaborate venture for the serial restaurateur, and handily one of the boldest projects I know of in Utah this year. The hall fills the sizeable space left vacant by the departure of Kimi’s Chop & Oyster House (2155 South Highland Drive). The ground floor alone affords a capacity of 200+ over 10,000 square feet. When the training wheels come off in a few weeks time, Sugar House Station will offer guests seven different dining options supported by five completely different bar programs; all amidst a beautifully re-imagined space, that showcases historical features of the property – a former post office. Here’s some snaps I took, and again, bear in mind the paint is still figuratively drying:

Evans is notably proud of the lineup, and rightly so, tempting more than one well-known name back onto the dining scene. “Our lineup is very intentional. We didn’t openly solicit vendors, instead, we chose to carefully curate”, Evans tells me. “We reached out purposefully to everyone involved in the project, and invited them to come on board – because we love what they do.” That list then:

• Aristo’s
• Birdhouse Chicken
• Canella’s
• Casot Wine Bar
• Greek Tyrant by Aristo’s
• Proper Burger / Brewing
• Publik
• Santo Tacos

In total the space will offer five unique bar programs via the signature Sugar House Station bar, Casot Wine Bar, Proper Brewing, Waterpocket Distillery, and Sugar House Distillery.

Lastly, it’s worth touching on the hybrid ordering system at Sugar House Station. Customers can order directly from any vendor ala carte – but can also start a tab from a POS system. Moreover, on the North side of the room – a mix of tables, booths, and banquettes will be available for reservation, replete with restaurant-style table service. No need to run around the room and risk losing your spot; unless you want to mind you, after all the whole room is 21+ only, meaning you can move freely, and drink in hand.

After my initial glimpse (and a few little secrets about what’s coming down the line) I’ll go out on a limb and say this will be a landmark opening for Sugar House. The central location and multiplicity of use cases will make this a central anchor for the beating heart of the neighborhood. I can’t wait to revisit in a few weeks time alongside the clink of glasses.

Opening week menus…

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Stuart Melling

Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you!  I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC.  I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City  dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.

I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV.   Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune.    I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand.   What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.

Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.