Utah State University's "Hot Takes 2025" event combines spicy wing eating with intellectual debates, benefiting the Graduate Student Emergency Hardship Fund.

Pinkbox Doughnuts will open in American Fork on Jan. 17, 2026, with a grand‑opening contest and family‑friendly festivities. The Las Vegas chain is expanding into northern Utah.

A new Squatters sign appeared this week on Highland Drive in Sugar House. The neighborhood pub joins a valleywide rebrand while keeping its familiar menu and lunch specials.

Salt Lake baker Klara Han launched a Kickstarter to open Kyookie, a Seoul‑style dessert cafe serving salt bread, mochi balls and Korean coffee, aiming to open by summer. The campaign runs through early February.

So Cupcake, a Salt Lake dessert shop, will close on Feb. 28 after 18 years. Owners cite high operating costs and plan a farewell party with free mini cupcakes.

White Horse Spirits & Kitchen will reopen Thursday, Jan. 29 at 5 p.m. after months of repairs following the Main Street fire. Reservations are encouraged.

Family-run Soup & Sip opened on Redwood Road with pho bac and salted Vietnamese coffee. The shop occupies a refurbished bank and has drawn early fans.

Passion Flour will close its Maven District bakery on Feb. 1 as owner Jessica Davies relocates. She plans to resume baking for mail‑order once she settles into a new commercial kitchen.

Hruska’s Kolaches moved into a new Sugar House corner at 1751 S. 1100 E on Tuesday, giving away free kolaches and surprise Kolache Cards to early customers.

Bricks Corner is opening a 5,000‑square‑foot West Valley City location in May, bringing its three‑inch Detroit‑style pies plus a gelato bar and an arcade.

Fonsi, from Alfonso and Claudia Brito of Santo Taco and Monarca, has opened downtown with house-baked focaccia sandwiches and a compact dining room. Expect affordable, chef-driven lunch options.

Flower Child has opened at Mountain View Village in Riverton, offering made-from-scratch bowls, wraps and gluten-free options in a bright, family-friendly space. The new location is the brand's second in Utah.

Grove Market & Deli has reopened at its South Main location with a handwritten sign promising the same towering sandwiches and prices after a months-long closure.

Elote Town, from the chef behind Jurassic Tacos, opened a new Orem location near University Mall with elotes, esquites and weekly deals. City officials posted a short reel announcing the shop.

A South Salt Lake staple that opened in 2006 announced it will close on April 5, 2026. Regulars are remembering its pies and home‑cooked menu.

A Utah pet-food maker voluntarily recalled one lot of freeze-dried Quest cat nuggets after testing showed low vitamin B1; owners in 10 states are urged to check lot numbers.

Texas Roadhouse in Taylorsville added 60 seats in a recent expansion, celebrated with a ribbon-cutting attended by city and ChamberWest leaders.

Frankie's Pizza & Pasta is opening in Murray with hand-stretched pies and fresh pasta, and will celebrate Pi Day this Saturday with a 3:14 p.m. kickoff.

Engine Room Pub & Bistro has opened in Salt Lake City's Ballpark, pairing family‑friendly daytime service with a curtain‑backed 21+ bar and a broad pub menu.

Blue Copper 2000 will close its Marmalade shop on March 31 for a redesign and rebrand. The final day will include a Tacos Daddy pop‑up and free merch.

A hand‑roll sushi bar and a minimalist matcha cafe have opened on 200 West, bringing focused Japanese flavors and calm design to downtown Salt Lake.

DABS approved more than 20 restaurant and bar licenses in March, awarding permits from Vineyard to St. George. The round includes full‑service, limited‑service, bar and beer‑only approvals.

Two Salt Lake City chefs — Travis Herbert and Nick Zocco — advanced to the James Beard Awards' Best Chef: Mountain finalist list, putting SLC on the national stage.

In-N-Out has listed a St. George location at 4643 S. Pioneer Road as "opening soon," positioning the site as a first stop for many drivers heading to Zion National Park.

Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay has opened a Holladay Hill location, marking the chain’s second Utah restaurant and bringing the Bacon Crunchburger and custard shakes to the valley.

A croissant-focused bakehouse has opened in Salt Lake City's Maven District. Owner Eli Fuhrman is baking small-batch laminated pastries that take three days to finish and are already drawing weekend lines.

A Japan‑inspired listening room has opened in Fairpark, pairing daytime coffee with vinyl‑led cocktail nights.

Via Veneto Pizzarium opened near Liberty Park, serving Roman-style pizza al taglio with a three-day dough process and park-ready slices.

Brooklyn's Fini Pizza opens its first out-of-state shop in Utah City on May 2, pairing slices with a new Fini Café and family-friendly opening-day events.

The downtown Chili's on 400 South will close this Sunday after more than 30 years, ending a familiar late‑night hangout for students and locals. The chain lists other nearby locations.

Orem officials confirmed Raising Cane’s will replace the Burger King at Center & State; planning approvals are in and permits are next.

Quarters Arcade Bar’s Sugar House location will close May 31, 2026, owners say, blaming long-running construction and rising rent. The downtown outpost remains listed on the company site.

Jequitibá, a Brazilian soul‑food restaurant, has arrived at University Place in Orem; the City of Orem called the space "beautiful" and the food "absolutely delicious."

Salsa Queen filed Chapter 7 in February while Kiitos Brewing filed Chapter 11 last week; both filings list multimillion‑dollar liabilities and reflect strain on local food and drink producers.

Meráki Greek Grill is listed as "Coming Soon" at University Place Mall in Orem. Locals are already asking whether the chain is worth a try.

After nearly 20 years of organizing, Wasatch Food Co‑op opens its Milk Block storefront Wednesday with local produce, refillable bulk bins and a $300 membership model.

Xiao Bao Bao announced on May 20, 2026 that it will close both its downtown and Milk Block Salt Lake City locations. The decision shutters a bao shop that grew from pop-ups into two storefronts.

A new Central 9th counter is serving Berlin-style döner and European street-food from two expat owners. The menu ranges from Im Brot sandwiches to bowls and wraps.

Sugar House staple The Tap Room is leaving Windsor Street for a 900 East storefront; the liquor commission approved the move and no opening date has been set.

Yoko Ramen, a downtown Salt Lake favorite known for east-meets-west bowls, will close on June 30. Locals and late-night diners are reacting to the news.

Salt Lake City's Mark of the Beastro will remain closed after an October shutdown. Owner Andrew Earley says he'll focus on the Beehive event space.

Rise Harvest has an area‑development deal to bring Jeff’s Bagel Run to Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties, planning 15+ shops with a first store due next year.

Market Street Grill’s downtown Salt Lake City location will close June 30 after nearly 50 years. The chain says Cottonwood and South Jordan restaurants will remain open.

Ogden's Sapori has opened a Millcreek counter, bringing Sicilian pastries and coffee closer to Salt Lake County. Many items are still handmade in Ogden and delivered to the new outpost.

Salsa Madre has opened a second storefront on Orem’s State Street, bringing its tubs of fresh salsa, chips and ready-to-heat Mexican meals to downtown. The shop joins the Spanish Fork location and keeps the brand's farmers-market roots alive.

Rouser has opened inside the restored Union Pacific Depot, offering charcoal-fired Modern American plates for breakfast and dinner. The menu focuses on shareable small plates and open-fire mains.

Urban Acre has opened a fast-casual spot in Orem’s University Place corridor next to Costco, offering chef-crafted salads and avocado toast. The city posted a reel welcoming the new shop.

Hand-pressed tortillas and mesquite-smoked meats have pushed Sal Y Limón from a Midvale pickup spot to a City Creek outpost. Early reviews praise the nixtamalized tortillas and a bold salsa bar.

ValSof Bakery quietly opened a Sugar House storefront at 900 East and 2100 South, bringing guava breads, almojábana-style treats and savory puff pastries to the corridor. Early local coverage and tastemakers are already calling out crowd-pleasers.

Taylorsville officials cut the ribbon on The Break Bar and Grill, a new sports‑bar at 5418 S. 1900 West offering TVs, bar food and nightly games. City photos posted this week show the remodeled interior and event lineup.