Koyoté, the Salt Lake City ramen shop that landed a Michelin Bib Gourmand this year, is taking its broth on the road to Park City. Co-owners Hiro Tagai and Felipe Oliveira plan to open a second Koyoté location in Kimball Junction in October, expanding a west-side favorite that opened to wide acclaim in 2024.
The news was first reported by Axios, whose Kim Bojórquez detailed the pair's plans for a Kimball Junction outpost that will be smaller than the original Salt Lake City restaurant. According to the report, the new location will eventually include an upstairs unit, giving the team room to grow into the space over time even as it opens smaller than its predecessor.
Tagai, who is co-owner and chef of Koyoté, attributes the ramen shop's appeal to authentic cuisine, Japanese ownership, affordable pricing, and vibey ambience, per the same Axios report. Koyoté is one of the few Japanese-owned Japanese restaurants in Salt Lake City, and it sits within a broader cluster of the valley's ramen scene alongside newer entrants like Mensho, which opened in the Post District, and UT Craft Ramen, which opened in Midvale.
From Front-of-House Jobs to Tokyo Ramen Training
Tagai's path to running one of Utah's most talked-about kitchens started far from a ramen counter. He got his start in the food business in front-of-house positions at a local pizzeria and Jimmy John's in Utah County before working as a chef at Provo's Happy Sumo sushi restaurant, according to Axios. Salt & Seek reports that Tagai, who was born in Japan and raised in Utah, spent nearly a decade as head sushi chef at Happy Sumo before moving to Tokyo, where he attended the Shoku Dojo Tokyo Ramen Academy and worked at ramen shops including Pulkkau Ramen Ginri and Matador before returning to Salt Lake City.
His business partner brings a different kind of résumé. Felipe Oliveira, originally from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, managed hospital IT systems before moving to Utah and working his way up through the local hospitality industry, per Utah Stories, which reports he served as executive chef at Valter's Osteria and cooked at Per Noi Trattoria. Oliveira met Tagai while both were working with the Sapa Restaurant Group in Salt Lake City, the outlet notes.
A Second Concept Already Turning Heads
The duo didn't stop at ramen. Tagai and Oliveira opened Junah in March 2025 in Salt Lake City's Central 9th neighborhood, built around itameshi, the Japanese culinary term for the fusion of Italian and Japanese food traditions, as reported by Axios. The Italian-Japanese fine dining restaurant blends dishes like ragù and arancini with Japanese ingredients and technique.
That bet paid off quickly. In January 2026, the James Beard Foundation named Junah a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant, making it one of eight Utah food and beverage entities recognized in that year's awards, according to the James Beard Foundation. Tagai has said he also plans to open another location in Salt Lake County, on top of the Park City expansion.
Michelin Buzz Fuels a Bigger Footprint
Koyoté's original location at 551 W. 400 N. opened in February 2024 as an intimate 30-seat shokudo, or neighborhood diner, operating on a first-come, first-served basis with QR-code table ordering, according to Salt & Seek. The buzz was immediate; Salt Lake Sideways reported that Oliveira recalled opening with only 15 guests on the first day before local food coverage sparked long wait lines, occasionally forcing the kitchen to close early when its multi-day prepped broths ran out.
That momentum has only accelerated since Koyoté won a Michelin Bib Gourmand this year. The ramen shop saw a 25% to 35% increase in customers after making the Michelin list, per Axios. The recognition came as part of the Michelin Guide's inaugural Southwest regional guide covering Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico, which awarded one Michelin Star to South Salt Lake's Monte alongside several Bib Gourmand and Recommended distinctions across Utah, according to Fine Dining Lovers, which reported the guide debuted at a Las Vegas ceremony in late August.
Why Kimball Junction Over Main Street
Koyoté's choice of Kimball Junction over downtown Park City reflects both geography and regulation. Kimball Junction serves as Summit County's main commercial entrance into Park City and is undergoing major retail, transit, and mixed-use redevelopment, including center upgrades at Junction Commons and new transit facilities, according to TownLift.
Park City also enforces a local formula business ordinance that caps conventional chain businesses on historic Main Street at 24 total, a rule passed in 2017 to preserve the street's historic character, TownLift reported. That cap has pushed independent restaurateurs and regional operators toward outer commercial hubs like Kimball Junction, where Koyoté will join the redevelopment.
Salt Lake County has a number of successful ramen shops, and the region's Asian dining scene has drawn growing national attention. Chinatown's One More Noodle House and Phở 777 both earned Michelin Bib Gourmand honors in August 2026, according to Gastronomic SLC, adding to a wave of recognition that now includes Koyoté's expansion beyond the Salt Lake Valley.
