New downtown eateries anticipating revival

(Salt Lake Tribune) For more than a year, the lunch choices for downtown workers such as Jenny Punzo were so slim that eating out seemed more like a chore than a treat.

"There seemed to be way more sandwich places than necessary," said Punzo, a paralegal for Suitter Axland PLLC, on 300 South near Main Street.

It's not practical for workers like Punzo, who parks adjacent to the Wells Fargo tower, to walk to the parking structure and navigate traffic through the city for better food.

But in recent months, a handful of new restaurants, cafes and bars have taken up residence on or near Salt Lake City's Main Street.

The new businesses may signal that Main Street has begun to revitalize, after almost a decade of downturn, in anticipation of completion of parts of the City Creek Center retail-office-residential complex in the blocks formerly occupied by Crossroads and ZCMI malls.

The businesses also may signal that the recession has turned a corner.

"It's a good time to sign a lease downtown because it's inexpensive," said Jason Mathis, executive director of the Downtown Alliance. "The time to get your foot in the door is now."

Original Article