Moving south from central Salt Lake City, as busy streets and towering apartment buildings give way to quiet neighborhoods and green yards, the Holladay neighborhood lies under the protective shadow of Mount Olympus. Without much chatter, this area of the valley has quietly amassed one of the best food scenes in the state, boasting one of the widest ranges of cuisine in the valley. Fácil Taqueria is one of the newest additions to this fast-growing corner of the city, although it’s in no way a new member of the culinary community.
Fácil Taqueria started as a mobile part of the city, serving tacos from a truck and sharing their passion for smoke, spirits, and local farms at events in neighborhoods throughout the valley. They easily cemented their place among Salt Lake City’s foodies’ favorite meals, and soon were turning their ambitions towards physically cementing themselves in a brick and mortar space in Holladay.
The layout is completely open, with all of the action taking place in the same room and demarcated by custom furniture or clever design moves. Keeping the room open allowed for Fácil to maintain the personal connection between their food and their customers, and gave the design team opportunities to get creative with breaking up areas of different uses.
Our approach to minimizing costs centered on avoiding demolition, and instead refinishing and repurposing most of the materials and features that were already in the space. We refinished the original tongue-and-grooved ceiling, transforming it into a source of warmth in the space. The honey toned wood spans the entire ceiling, acting to tie together all the natural materials used in the restaurant. White subway tile and the exposed concrete floor matched our aim of creating a down-to-earth space. Specialty light fixtures with a linear character fill the space above the main dining area, infusing the room with rich, golden light. Above the bar, separating the dining area from the kitchen, large glass pendants draw the eye, adding extra warmth to the focal point of the room.
The space is a triumph of community efforts, and has hosted a successful first two years with no signs of slowing down. It demonstrates the potential for low-cost transformations, and reimagines the style of traditional restaurants in order to provide a space as welcoming and spirited as the original taco truck.
