Restaurant Names and How They Got Them, Part 2
A few years ago I wrote a post about how some local restaurants, such as Hug-Hes and Chuck-A-Rama, got their names. Then last year I wrote a second post with other restaurants’ names, such as Tonyburgers, No Manches Way and Wimpy & Fritz.
Since then, I’ve talked to more restaurateurs about how they came up with a name for their eatery. Here are ten more restaurants and the story behind their names.
UNIVERSITY BROILER AND GRILL IN OGDEN.
University Broiler and Grill comes by its name honestly. Owner Al Saadati said he chose the name because the restaurant at 4342 Harrison Blvd. is steps away from the Weber State University campus.
There’s a wall of posters and photos of Weber State athletic teams who have eaten at the University Broiler over the years. One standout is an autographed poster of NBA star Damien Lillard, a regular customer when he was a Weber State student. Owner Al Saadati said Lillard comes in to eat when he comes back to visit WSU.
WING WAH RESTAURANTS IN OGDEN AND SOUTH OGDEN
“Wing Wah” means wealth and prosperity in Chinese, according to Nancy Keys, manager of the Wing Wah restaurants at 465 East 12th Street in Ogden and at 1481 E. 5600 South in South Ogden.
As I discovered when I interviewed Keys for a Standard-Examiner story, her father, Joe Lee, immigrated from Hong Kong to California about 50 years ago. He worked in his brother’s California restaurants, then moved to Utah to when his brother’s father-in-law needed some help with his Utah restaurant.
In 1985, Joe and his wife, Sue Lee, opened a small place of their own on 24th and Monroe, called Ho Wah. Then in 1991, they opened the first Wing Wah on 7th and Washington Blvd. Finally, in September 2000, they fulfilled their dream of opening a large, sit-down restaurant, on 12th Street. During the Covid pandemic, Keys opened a take-out location in South Ogden. Last year, she added a spacious dining room so customers can eat in as well.
THE PRAIRIE SCHOONER IN OGDEN
The Prairie Schooner Steakhouse has been an Ogden landmark since 1976. A “Prairie Schooner” is a term for covered wagons used by pioneers to cross the American prairies. The Ogden dining landmark was named for the wagon used by settlers trekking West. From a distance, the wagon’s white canvas bonnet looked like a schooner sailing ship as it came across the prairie. Hence, the term, “prairie schooner.”
The name fits the restaurant’s Old West vibe, with covered-wagon tables, a starry sky, sagebrush, and life-size mounts of wild animals.
LITTLE TASTE OF BRITAIN IN LAYTON
“Little Taste of Britain” in Layton was named for one of the owner’s favorite TV comedy series, “Little Britain.”
“It’s appropriate, because we’re not a big business, but you get a ‘little taste of Britain,’ ” said Mandy Island, who is from a town called Woodend in Northamptonshire, about two hours north of London.
Mandy married an American, Nick Island, when he was stationed in the Air Force in England for 26 years. After he retired, the family moved to Utah where he got a job at Hill Air Force Base. Mandy was homesick for the British foods that she had grown up with, especially Cadbury chocolate. So in 2007 she opened a shop stocked with British products. Over the years, it expanded into a restaurant serving authentic fish and chips and other English favorites.
OGDEN VALLEY PIZZA IN EDEN AND OGDEN
Owners Ryan and Amy Johnson were initally going to name it “Hail Mary Pizza.” A football-loving family, they felt like it was a “Hail Mary pass” to sink all their resources into it — “every last cent,” as Ryan Johnson says.
But they settled on “Ogden Valley Pizza,” to designate the community they were serving.
“We wanted something to let our neighbors know how much this area means to us,” said Ryan Johnson. And at the time, they had no plans to expand outside of Ogden Valley.
The pizzeria proved so successful, that six years later they decided to expand. They looked for a location that would be easy to access from Ogden Canyon, and found it at 216 E. 12th Street in Ogden. They opened in November 2021. So that’s how Ogden Valley Pizza ended up in Ogden City, which is actually in the Weber Valley. Ryan Johnson said they’ve considered They’ve thought about changing the name to something more generic like OVP. But for now, it’s Ogden Valley Pizza.
RAMBLIN’ ROADS IN BOUNTIFUL, OGDEN, LAYTON, SOUTH OGDEN
The name Ramblin’ Roads sounds like it could be an old love song. But it’s a restaurant, with several locations in Northern Utah.
When Martha Celia opened the first Ramblin’ Roads in 1990, she held a “name our restaurant” contest. A truck driver came up with the winning title, according to Christine Celia, who has worked alongside her mother “my entire life.” It’s a fitting name for a restaurant that specializes in classic comfort foods, including all-day breakfast.
“People gather together and enjoy good food,” said Christine. “We have so many customers who have become like family.”
In the past few years, more Ramblin’ Roads have sprung up in addition to the original at 544 W. 400 N. in Bountiful. There’s one at 1720 West 12th Street in Ogden; one at 296 N Main St., Layton, and at 1765 Skyline Dr, South Ogden.
GANDY DANCER, SOUTH OGDEN
Gandy Dancer Mercantile is named for the early railroad workers who laid and maintained railroad tracks. They were nicknamed “gandy dancers” for their synchronized movements together while working on the tracks.
Shop owners Boni Gravelle and Glenn Croydon wanted to pay homage to Ogden’s railroad history, but especially to “the immigrant workers who came here and worked hard for a better life,” said Croydon. “And they had to work as a team. There’s a lot of symbolism in our logo and our philosophy, as well.”
But if you don’t know railroad history, you might simply see the “Gandy Dancer” sign, think it has a nice ring with a bit of mystique, and come inside to check things out.
The combination ice cream/eatery/gift/book shop opened a couple years ago at 3920 Washington Blvd., in the building that formerly housed the Burch Creek Mercantile. Burch Creek’s old-fashioned storefront is still there, as is the vintage marble soda fountain counter with stools, and old-fashioned parlor tables where patrons can sit and enjoy ice cream or house-made fudge.
BROOKEY BAKES, OGDEN
Brookey Bakes on Ogden’s 25th Street was named for its owner, Brooke Barragan.
When she chose the name of her shop, “I didn’t love it, because I would rather not be the center of attention. But my husband and I thought that “Brookey Bakes” just rolls off the tongue.”
Her specialty is hand pies – small pastries, plump with local fruit and dusted with sparkling sugar crystals. You’ll also find cupcakes, and chewy cookies studded with chocolate chips or sprinkled with colorful “jimmies;” as well as savory mini-quiches and “Little Chicago” personal pizzas.
The IDLE ISLE CAFE IN BRIGHAM CITY
The 102-year-old Idle Isle Cafe got its unique name from a contest when the restaurant first opened. Mrs. Walderman Call won a $10 prize for suggesting “Idle Isle,” according to an April 1921 Box Elder News article, that announced the cafe/confectionery opening. The article added that, “The name was chosen because of the harmonious suggestion it offers, which is entirely in keeping with the purpose of the firm. The name is also something different from the ordinary, catchy and suggestive of rest in a comfortable place.”
Some old-timers say it might have actually been intended as “Idle Aisle,” but the “Isle” part of the stuck, and is still with us more than a century later.
Corinna Harris bought the Idle Isle Cafe last year, and added new items like colossal onion rings and the Cowboy Carson Bison Burger (can you say that three times, really fast?)
For more posts about how other restaurants like Annie’s Diner, Tonyburgers, Chuck-A-Rama, Tona Sushi and the Copper Onion were named, check here and here.