Uptown Fare, one of the most popular eateries in Park City closed on Sept. 21 and is in the process of moving. Unfortunately, the restaurant is being forced to close because the Park City Building Department determined that the building was unsafe.
Uptown Fare was located in the Star Hotel on Historic Main Street and was the only occupant of the building when building officials deemed the space unsafe.
This Park City restaurant, owned by Karleen Reilly, has been a mainstay among the locals and visitors alike for many years. The restaurant opened in 1999, and over the next 16 years, it would become known as a place where you could come and have a home-style meal — usually cooked by Karleen herself. Menu favorites included tomato soup, turkey sandwiches, and egg-salad sandwiches. Karleen says that she grew to know regulars’ orders, because many of her customers visited day after day.
The restaurant was open from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., a model that was similar to European restaurants that were located in houses rather than commercial properties.
The restaurant was small — seating only 21 people, yet it was a much loved restaurant. It gained a following among locals when it once advertised itself as a “locals only” establishment during the Sundance Film Festival.
Karleen says that the space where Uptown Fare was located was in good condition. She does say that other parts of the building had deteriorated.
The oldest parts of the building date back to the 1880s. It is a unique building with many different architectural styles. Most recently a Provo firm — Westlake Land, LLC owned the building. Todd Cusick, manager of Westlake, acknowledged that in 2014, the Star Hotel was determined to have structural issues.
In early October, the Building Department issued a notice and order to repair to Westlake Land. This order also prohibited occupancy of the building until the repair work was completed. This is essentially the order that caused the closure of Uptown Fare.
Currently, Uptown Fare is looking for a new location in which to reopen the restaurant. Karleen says she definitely wants to open Uptown Fare in another locations, probably outside of the Main Street area.
Many local residents are rallying around Uptown Fare, and there are many people who are actively helping Karleen find a new location. This truly signifies that the restaurant was a true favorite!
