Restrauranteur opening Café Sabor in Park City
After looking at property for a year and a half, Justin Hamilton, owner of Café Sabor and Hamilton’s Steak and Seafood, plans to open a Café Sabor near Park City this summer.
The restaurant will be located at Jeremy Ranch, near the Kimball Junction exit where the Park City outlets are located. Hamilton said the area is more residential but has a large population base. He said Park City is a growing market and he believes the opening of Café Sabor will be beneficial to permanent residents because of its location and convenience.
“People don’t want to drive downtown into the tourist area to eat dinner,” Hamilton said.
Having Café Sabor located right near the interstate will also be useful to those who commute, Hamilton said. He plans to have a take-out portion of the restaurant with a separate entrance for those who do not dine in the restaurant.
Hamilton said he is looking forward to opening a restaurant in Park City. He also said he does not currently have plans for further expansion. Business owners must be careful to not have so many ventures that they become overwhelmed and counterproductive, he said.
“The biggest challenge is that it takes so much time. People want to see someone be there to take care of daily needs, so you never want to grow out of your means,” Hamilton said. “Growing out of your means could hurt your other restaurants and your reputation.”
Café Sabor in Logan was opened in October of 2002. Hamilton’s Steak and Seafood opened in August of 2004. Hamilton said he has been surprised by his success.
“With Café Sabor, I was definitely surprised. Hamilton’s is still in a growth phase, but it holds potential,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton frequently holds fundraisers for different events and organizations.
He recently held a benefit for CAPSA. He offered a special on meals to college students and for every special that was ordered, a dollar went to CAPSA. Hamilton said he tries to give back to the community and help as much as he can.
Hamilton said he attended Utah State with the intention of becoming a doctor. He said there were a lot of things he loved about being a doctor, but after taking a few business courses, he was fascinated with the field. His interest in seeing the material he learned put into practice successfully is what drove him to open Café Sabor, he said.
“I wanted to put what I had been learning into practice. There is a drive to see what you learn in practice and that is the spirit of entrepreneurship,” Hamilton said.
One of the advantages to owning your own business is that there are no limitations and you are in control, he said.
“It’s your own business. It’s something you’ve created and there are no limitations. You can do whatever,” Hamilton said. “You can think big, dream big and make it happen.”
-ariek@cc.usu.edu