MURRAY — A growing casual dining restaurant chain inspired by the Rocky Mountains is now planning to take on the Wasatch Front, replacing another national chain near Fashion Place Mall.
Lazy Dog Restaurants has announced plans to open its first Utah location next year, acquiring a property located at 102 E. Winchester Street in Murray, just south of the mall.
“We’re thrilled to introduce Lazy Dog to Salt Lake City for the first time,” Chris Simms, the restaurant’s founder and CEO, said in a statement. “It’s a chance to connect with new guests and bring our handcrafted food and hospitality to a new table.”
Simms first opened what was first known as the Lazy Dog Cafe in Orange County, California, in 2003. While it debuted in Southern California, the name and environment are inspired by the Rocky Mountains, particularly vacations with family and friends — and a lazy dog — in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, he told Orange Coast Magazine last year.
It has since franchised, and now has dozens of locations scattered across California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, Texas and Virginia — with a Pennsylvania location on the way, too.
Lazy Dog features comfort food “with a twist that highlights seasonal ingredients,” according to the company. Its menu includes many of the restaurant classics, along with Western-themed dishes like campfire pot roast, grilled Idaho trout and bison meatloaf. Some of its cocktails also have a Western lodge flair.
The restaurant added that its plans to transform its 8,141-square-foot property into a “warm interior” with furnishings and artwork that pays homage to the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming.
The chain’s first Utah location will replace the Romano’s Macaroni Grill in the area. The Murray address is listed as the Italian restaurant chain’s last remaining location in Utah. Still, customers have reported online, as far back as March, that it closed with a note stating it was moving.
A spokesperson for Lazy Dog told KSL.com that the building will be demolished and rebuilt. It’s expected to open by mid-2026. Once open, it will be open for lunch and dinner, as well as brunch on the weekends.
It is the latest restaurant chain to open or announce plans to enter the Beehive State.
Mensho Ramen, a Tokyo-based chain with several locations all over the world, opened in Salt Lake City this month. Starbird, a California-based chicken chain restaurant centering on “super-premium fast food concepts,” announced in March that it planned to open five locations within the Salt Lake City area beginning by as early as late 2025.
That came after McAlister’s Deli also opened a Utah location earlier this year. Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay, Flower Child and Slice House by Tony Gemignani opened Utah locations in 2024, while Yampa Sandwich Company, Fazoli’s and Pita Pit all announced expansion plans that included Utah in mind last year.
Macaroni Grill, on the other hand, referred to its Murray closure as “temporary” on social media, but it was unclear where its new location would be or when it would reopen. Although a phone number associated with the location remains active, the restaurant did not respond to KSL.com’s call for comment.
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