The city's newest restaurant - HomeTown Buffet, 1150 N. Main - is almost ready for construction and should be open by mid-February.
This "all-you-can-eat" establishment is owned by JB's Restaurants. There is only one other HomeTown in Utah, in Taylorsville, near I-215.According to Clark Jones of Salt Lake City, chairman and chief executive officer for the JB's Restaurant chain, HomeTown has been granted site plan approval from Layton and is now awaiting a building permit.
The Layton restaurant will be located between Shopko and Granite Furniture. It will be 10,000 square feet, with room for 380 patrons.
"We felt this was a good market," Jones said. "This will be a great location."
HomeTown features food in a buffet style, with nine different bars offering a variety of salads, soups, two main courses, beverages and deserts. Prices range from $4.99 for lunch to $6.79 for dinner. Children's prices are based on age, and HomeTown offers a senior citizens discount.
"This has been a very successful concept," Jones said of HomeTown's all-you-can-eat buffet theme.
Jones said most new restaurants have their traditional "honeymoon" period, when they're crowded with people trying them out. But although it doesn't advertise, he said, the Taylorsville HomeTown has experienced little drop in business. Jones believes that's because customers love HomeTown's fresh food, great selection and low prices.
He said HomeTown has other locations outside Utah and that the next new site will be near the South Towne Mall in Sandy.
Besides Sizzler, near the Layton Hills Mall, the only restaurants in the area similar to HomeTown Buffet are Ponderosa in Roy and Chuck-A-Rama in West Bountiful.