Two Sugar House restaurants close amid changing neighborhood

News reported in the Trib today, confirms that both Flatbread Neapolitan Pizza, and nearby Habit Burger (pictured) Grill – have now shuttered. Looking at social media the former seems to have closed around a week ago, the latter just a few days later. Neither restaurant seems to have issued a formal release on their closure. Their departure represents yet another remaking of the dining landscape in the quickly evolving neighborhood.

Flatbread was a well known face alongside busy 21st South for more than a decade, and as the Trib’s Sean Means writes, was one of only two Utah restaurants with formal certification for legit Neapolitan style pizza. The noted density of pies in the area had some wags (yours included) suggesting that the neighborhood be remade Pizza House circa 2018.

Habit Burger lies around the corner, and for sensible money was probably the best fast food bite in the immediate area. The Cali chain was bought by Yum Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell) a couple of years back for a cool $375 mill, and the business has no doubt had some tweaks and prods since.

For those seeking an immediate replacement for their pie-fix, the newish Pizza Volta (that replaced Mellow Mushroom last year) should be a first stop; burger lovers should wander down the road to BGR – another chain for sure – but a boutique one that cooks their stuff to order, and stocks plenty of local beer.

With the two closures, the dizzyingly evolving neighborhood is set to change once again. In the prior twelve months alone, Beard Papas, Quarters Sugar House, Mochinut and De Los Muertos all opened their doors. The SoCal import El Cholo is expected to land in 2023 and barely a couple months ago we reported on Acme Bar Co replacing Campfire Lounge. One would expect these two newly freed spaces to be gobbled up fast – and change continue to be a key element of the Sugar House core.

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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.