(Park City, UT) — Kimball Art Center (KAC) has earned its reputation as Park City’s cornerstone for creativity, education, and inspiration. In recent years the nonprofit art organization has also gained quite a following among the community’s more socially engaged lunchtime crowd.
“When Uptown Fare began serving lunch in the Kimball’s café space, our visitor numbers increased considerably,” noted Jory Macomber, KAC’s executive director. “Being home to a local’s lunch spot helped us showcase our exhibitions and classes and really interact more with the community.”
When Uptown Fare’s owner, Karleen Reilly, announced her retirement in March, Jory knew they needed to fill the void, but he had some strict criteria. “We really wanted someone already established in Park City, with a local following an excellent reputation. We also wanted a similar price point, and a partner excited about growing with us.”
Turns out, Jory didn’t have to look far. In fact, he only had to look out his window.
Ellie’s Private Chefs and Catering, a catering and private chef business with a commercial kitchen just steps from the Kimball, will soon expand its services with a retail café component. Owner Ellie Shropshire says a café is a natural next step. “I’ve been looking at ways to grow my company and knew I wanted to open a café. With the Kimball Art Center being just a few yards from our catering kitchen, and being an organization I already proudly support, it just felt like a perfect opportunity.”
Much like Uptown Fare’s well-loved menu, Ellie will offer soup, salads, sandwiches, and sweets, but with a contemporary flair. She plans to change her menu seasonally, take advantage of the outdoor dining area, update the existing interior space, and even offer beer and wine.
“We’ll also have a grab and go case, which is perfect for those looking for a home-cooked meal in a hurry. As an eco-friendly business, I will provide a discount to those who bring their own to-go containers and have some available to borrow for a small deposit. I’m going to try to minimize the use of throwaway materials.”
Ellie expects to open the café the end of May. She will be open seven days a week serving breakfast items, lunch, snacks, and coffees. Hours will be: M-F 8am-5pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm.
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