White Horse plans early 2026 return after devastating fire

It’s been three months now since an unprecedented inferno ripped through the heart of downtown Salt Lake’s food and drink core – but the green shoots of a rebound are already starting to bloom.

I stopped by the site of Bourbon Group’s properties last week to check on the status of the rebuild, and the signs are promising. Speaking to exec chef and co-owner Matt Crandall, the rebuild progress at White Horse is farther ahead than many would imagine.

Crandall explains, “As you can see, the structural work is largely complete. The floors will be finished this week, and from there we’re mainly looking at furnishings. A new bar, new booths, and a retooled kitchen. Sadly, our entire kitchen was lost due to water damage.”

Of the new White Horse opening, Crandall is optimistic and projects an early 2026 return, “January all being well”, he counsels. “We’re not expecting too much change from the previous setup, a fresh new look with the upholstery for the most part”. Regulars will be heartened to learn that the menu, both food and drink, will return much as it was before, albeit with some modest tweaks here and there.

Whiskey Street, however, is a different story. The business was one of three (including London Belle and Los Tapatios) that bore the brunt of the blaze, essentially destroying the bar in its entirety. All that remains now is an empty shell. The roadmap to return may well take a year or more, according to Crandall. The extended timeline means the group can re-imagine what a perfect Whiskey Street 2.0 should look like – in more ways than one.

“We’re hoping to include plans for a rooftop bar in the design”, explains Crandall, “though there’s some detailed work with the various stakeholders we need to go through first”. The fire represents a tabula rasa for the business, with Crandall keen to also re-examine the heart and soul of the kitchen, too.

“Whiskey Street was such a bustling hub, here on Main, it was difficult to change the formula too much”, he explains. “We’re effectively starting from scratch, so why not examine the business top to bottom?” Crandall also jokes about the cramped kitchen setup at Whiskey Street – again underlining what a complete rebuild and reset offers in terms of potential. Better, faster, stronger, and all that.

It’s a (very) small silver lining to the tragedy of August. The Bourbon Group’s finesse has only grown and grown over the years, culminating with Franklin Avenue (arguably their best effort to date) back in the Summer of 2022. I’m particularly excited to see what comes of a from-scratch buildout, not least with all the knowledge and nous gained from all their years.

As a reminder, Felt, Aker, Bodega / The Rest, and Cheers 2 You are all open for your business. Eva should return in the next few months, alongside a new look White Horse.

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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.