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When you think of food destinations, Utah might not be the first place that comes to mind. Father and son duo Brooks and David Kirchheimer are working to change that. Together with co-owner and mom Linda, they founded Hill Top Hospitality, a Park City and Salt Lake City restaurant group that has grown to five concepts and over 350 employees in just eight years.

Brooks brings a lifetime of hospitality experience: starting at age seven when he asked for a cash register for Christmas to play pretend restaurant, working his way through the Montage Beverly Hills, the Montage Deer Valley, and Merriman's in Hawaii. David comes from a career in finance, bringing sophisticated business practices to an industry famous for its thin margins and sky-high failure rates.

In this episode, they talk about why they planted their first restaurant in a then-overlooked neighborhood outside of Park City's touristy Main Street, how they've maintained a GM for five and a half years in an industry where 90-day turnover is the norm, and why they believe the restaurant industry may be the last human-centered platform standing.

What we cover:

• The origin of Hearth and Hill and why going where "nobody else was" turned out to be their greatest advantage
• How David brought Fortune 500 business practices, including root cause analysis, into the independent restaurant world
• Their mantra: Inspire our associates, thrill our guests, and enrich our community. And why associates come first
• The full benefits package they offer, from health insurance and 401k matching to free meals, English classes, and the first mental health appointment on the company
• How they scaled from one to five concepts without losing their identity
• Monthly cooking classes with the National Ability Center and why it fills their team up just as much
• Navigating a father and son business marriage and why healthy disagreement is part of the culture
• The food at Hearth and Hill: modern American cuisine that goes beyond the expected, and what "elevated everyday" looks like on the plate
• How Utah's dining scene has quietly become one of the most exciting in the mountain west, and why Brooks believes a James Beard Award is coming
• Advice for anyone starting a business: network without fear, know your risk tolerance, and do not be afraid to ask for help

Find Hill Top Hospitality at hilltophospitality.com for their various restaurants and locations, and on Instagram at @hearth_and_hill, @urbanhillslc, and @_hills_kitchen_.

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