Salt Lake County has three new “virtual” kitchens: SLC Salads; Late Night Ghost Kitchen in the U .; and Guy Fieris Flavortown Kitchen.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mexican street corn salad and arugula and citrus salad from SLC Salads, a new take-away business operated from ComCom Kitchen, 67 W. 1700 South, Salt Lake City.
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A company creates gourmet salads for lunch.
Another delivers hungry students late into the night.
And a third sells hamburgers and sandwiches with stars.
All three of these new Salt Lake County stores have one thing in common: They work in a “virtual” kitchen with no storefront or seating. The only way for their customers to get the food is to order online for pickup or delivery.
SLC Salads, Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen, and Late Night Ghost Kitchen at the University of Utah are the latest additions to the take-out trend that began in response to the pandemic and is now part of our regular eating routine.
And it’s here to stay
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(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brandon Cagle (left) and Matthew Williamson founded SLC Salads, a new take-away-only business operated from the ComCom (commercial) kitchen at 67 W. 1700 South in Salt Lake City.
New salad shop in SLC
After months of hearty and difficult winter excursions, SLC salads come with lighter salads, soups and small plates. It is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Salt Lake City-born and veteran Air Force chef Brandon Cagle of Utah worked at a variety of restaurants in the area – including The Rest and Pago – before partnering with entrepreneur Matt Williamson to develop this new lunchtime option.
The salads cost $ 8-10 and include a chef-made mix of lettuce, nuts, fruits, grains, and cheese, and homemade dressings. The selection ranges from brisk citrus rocket (orange slices, shaved Parmesan and lemon vinaigrette) to Mexican street corn (Fresno chillies, pickled red onions and Queso fresco) to Greek (feta, pickled peppers and Castelvetrano olives).
Each salad can be vegan or vegetarian. For an additional fee ($ 1 to $ 6), you can add chicken, steak, shrimp, tempe, or avocado.
Pick-up is from ComCom Kitchen in Salt Lake City, 67 W. 1700 South (formerly Marisa’s Market), which has several other ghost- or cloud-based restaurants, including Streusel Bakery, Mad Dough, and Silvermoon Taqueria.
Delivery is via Chefpanzee from Utah, as well as DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats. More details at slcsalads.com, on Instagram @SLCSalads or 801-808-7318.
(Photo courtesy University of Utah Dining Services) Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is one of the late night meals that can be ordered and picked up at the U. of U.
Late night delivery at the U.
Eaters on the University of Utah campus were able to satisfy their nightly cravings with a new grocery order and delivery service available through restaurants.
In February, the U. launched its Late Night Ghost Kitchen, which allows students, faculty and staff to order and pay for meals using a new mobile app and then choose a pickup location from a list of locations. (Delivery to offices and dormitories is currently not allowed due to COVID-19 security reasons.)
In its first month, the service had nearly 300 orders and $ 4,000 in sales, said Thea Evans, district marketing manager for U. Gourmet Milkshakes restaurants “by far the number one seller,” she said. Chicken and waffles, buffalo macaroni and cheese, enchiladas, and chorizo-tofu burritos were other favorites.
Opening the ghost kitchen “really brings us a new and innovative way to expand our menu,” said Evans. “We have learned that it is an easy way for us to give our students what they want and need.”
The U.’s two dining rooms close at 8 p.m., and even before the pandemic, the department had received requests for options for the night. Now the virtual kitchen is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 8 p.m. to midnight and is operated from Urban Bytes – the largest restaurant on campus in Kahlert Village.
Chartwells Higher Education, the US food service provider, launched a similar concept at Seattle University in September. It was so successful that four other Chartwell schools took part in the pilot, including the U., SUNY Buffalo State College, the University of Texas at Dallas, and San Jose State University.
The U.’s late-night kitchen will remain open throughout the spring semester, Evans said, with plans to expand the menu and delivery locations this fall.
Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen opens
Utah is one of 23 states along with Washington, DC to get Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen.
Fieri – the host of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network – launched its delivery-only restaurants in February, operating them from existing restaurants or commercial kitchens.
In Utah, food comes from the kitchens of Buca di Beppo in Salt Lake City and Midvale and Brio Italian Grille in Salt Lake City and Murray.
The menu features Fieri’s “real” favorites like Bourbon Brown Sugar Barbecue Wings with Ranch and a filled Mac ‘n’ Cheese hamburger with donkey sauce – a mix of mayonnaise, mustard, roasted garlic and lemon.
There are also pasta starters, salads, side dishes and desserts. Prices range from $ 9 to $ 15. More details at guysflavortownkitchen.com.
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