It’s been an undeniable year of recognition for Utah restaurants. From MICHELIN’s first foray into the region, resulting in a coveted star (as well as Bib Gourmand and recommended picks), through to yet more Utah restaurants making the shortlist and ultimate finals for the James Beard Awards.
Any nod, no matter local or national, is always a huge win for a business. You’d be hard-pressed not to see a successful local outlet proudly displaying its accolades across the walls. As Nick Zocco, a multiple James Beard finalist (for his work at Urban Hill), told me, a big award (such as a JBF nod) is “absolutely meaningful for the restaurant and what it represents. Right off the bat, awareness jumps through the roof. Local media attention rises, covers increase, reservation requests increase, and we also reach more out-of-state guests seeking these types of destinations. Whether that translates to more covers will depend on the restaurant’s available capacity and how strong and relevant the local community support currently is.”
So what does that mean for the actual business? The day-to-day, the impact on the bottom line? I spoke to a few of our recent headliners to see what’s happening on the ground…
Feldman’s Deli
Arguably a Salt Lake institution by this point, and duly honored with a Michelin Bib Gourmand this year. I couldn’t count how many local plaudits and prizes the excellent deli has tallied up over the years. I’ve been in love ever since I reviewed them for the SL Tribune some 14 years ago (ulp). Here’s that story in the Trib from a lifetime of calories ago.
As you might’ve read in local stories over the past couple of weeks, their long-lived success has been supercharged. To the point that the business had to take a several-day hiatus – shipping issues ultimately failing to keep pace with a hungry clientele. John Feldman told me, “September was our busiest month ever, by a long shot! Nearly 50% more revenue than our best month, which is always March.”
The surge in interest meant that Feldman’s had to triple the frequency of critical New York imports that underpin the menu. The slew of monthly deliveries from the Big Apple now adds up to several tons of pastrami and corned beef alone.
Feldman went on to explain that the business continues to see record-setting patronage: “I expected that when the MICHELIN Guide results came out, we would be super busy for a week, then things would go back to a high normal. Just a little busier than what we were before the news. Oh, how wrong I was. Every. Single. Week. has been progressively busier than the last. Saturday the 26th was our busiest day by about $1,000. This is a huge jump from our previous record, which was held by St. Patrick’s Day 2023.”
Pho 777
This popular West Valley City restaurant has gone from strength to strength since moving locations a few years back. From winning the Pho King’s pick of SLC’s best a few years back to scooping a Bib Gourmand at this year’s inaugural Southwest MICHELIN awards.
As the team told me, “We were already busy and fortunate to have a strong base of regular customers before the Bib Gourmand recognition, but since receiving it, everything has really been taken to the next level. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback and reviews, and we’re grateful for all the support. We still see our regulars coming through the doors every day, which means a lot to us.”
That increase in footfall, however, does come with some caveats, as they went on to talk about, “But now we’re also seeing many new faces, people who have never tried Vietnamese food or pho before and are curious to see what a Bib Gourmand Vietnamese restaurant experience is all about. Of course, not every experience has been positive. We’ve had a few guests who were completely new to Vietnamese food, took one look at pho and decided it wasn’t for them.”
If you follow Pho 777 on Instagram, you’ll know they routinely post “sold out” notices. I’ve been covering the Salt Lake dining scene for the better part of 20 years now. This absolutely wasn’t a thing ten or fifteen years ago, and it’s clear that notable nods and awards bring sustained curiosity and added demand.
As 777 ended by telling me, “It’s part of the excitement; we’re introducing Vietnamese food to people who may have never considered trying it before. The recognition has definitely brought us a whole new level of exposure.”
Koyote / Junah
That latter cautionary note is echoed again by Hiro Tagai at Koyote, counseling, “Operationally speaking, at each restaurant, it has definitely been a challenge to keep up with growing demand and also meeting people’s expectations. But It’s definitely something that all restaurants should aim to be ready for.”
If you work in the biz, it’s worth keeping this element top of mind: could you support an immediate overnight 200% reservation spike? Some online sources even suggest a ‘Beard Bump’ for neighboring restaurants; neighboring spots welcoming guests who might discover a sold-out evening, and quickly need an adjacent fallback.
The past eighteen months have been a triple whammy for Hiro Tagai and Felipe Oliveira (the co-owner / chefs) who run Koyote and Junah). Koyote grabbed a recommendation from MICHELIN while Junah received a Beard semifinalist nod, and most recently a hat tip from the New York Times. The same accolade last year saw Cosmica explode in popularity. As for the numbers? Tagai pegs the uptick as an immediately 20 – 30% in business.
Monte
The big winner from the recent MICHELIN Southwest announcement was this South Salt Lake City restaurant; bringing home to the Beehive, it’s first-ever star. I was a big fan when I visited last year, as were many others. Ted Scheffler nailed it on the head when he outright cited the restaurant’s star potential in this piece.
As chef Martin Babio stood shoulder to shoulder with toques from Guy Savoy and Joel Robuchon at the close of the awards ceremony, the impact was immediate. Reservation inventory began to dwindle in real time. A day later, neither money nor love could get you a seat here. Skip forward a couple of months and the restaurant now operates a stricter reservation model. From a recent update on social media,the restaurant is booked solidly through three months. Monte releases a fresh day of seats each day, 90 days in advance.
I would imagine it’s only a matter of time until we see reservations move toward models seen in larger markets. Last time I checked, Austin’s Tsuke Edomae, for example, releases seats much like a Taylor Swift experience. A single release of golden tickets is offered every few months. These, in turn, are snapped up literally within the hour. Frenzied forum talk follows: who were the lucky Charlie Buckets and Verucca Salts this time?
James Beard Awards 2027 awards kick off with open call public voting
With all that in mind…
Heads up, chefs. Actually, heads up, everybody with an interest in food – local or national, for that matter. The open call period for the 2027 JBF process has now started. What many don’t know about the James Beard Awards is that anyone at all can throw a name in the hat during this time. Chefs themselves or restaurant patrons who believe their favorite deserves national recognition.
Lest you feel like you need to be a wordsmith extraordinaire, don’t panic. The entry process allows for video submissions. All you have to do is head on over to https://www.jamesbeard.org/awards/restaurant-and-chef-awards (and scroll to the bottom) to get started.
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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”.
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