Forty-five years after it first opened and six years after it closed, The Training Table restaurant will officially be returning to Utah.
In July, a somewhat cryptic message was posted on a website belonging to the company indicating that a revival could be in the works, and on Friday, an official announcement regarding the return was made on the website.
The announcement came on the 45th anniversary of the restaurant’s first opening in Midvale on Oct. 7, 1977.
How The Training Table will be returning
The Training Table became an iconic destination in part because of its phone call ordering system within its brick and mortar restaurants. In its announcement Friday, the restaurant said phones would again be a part of the experience there, but there will be some modern twists.
Initially, the company said, two of the restaurant’s signature sauces — The Ultimate Dipping Sauce and The Ultimate Hickory Sauce, will be available for purchase on the restaurant’s website.
Food trucks will soon follow, with the company saying the trucks will be at “public, private, and community events across Utah.”
Eventually, Friday’s announcement said, brick and mortar restaurants will be opened, with location announcements expected “in the coming months.”
Restaurant chairman Stephanie Chard said in the announcement, “Our restaurant was a Utah institution and phenomenal success for nearly 40 years when we closed our doors. We always hoped that wouldn’t be the last time Utahns would see The Training Table and are proud to be “A Utah Original.”
“We’re excited to move forward, starting with bringing back a part of the legacy that people loved, and missed most — our dipping sauce and cheese fries.”
Why did The Training Table leave?
According to a Deseret News story from 2016, The Training Table closed its five locations amid a lawsuit among its owners — Chard vs. her father, Kent, his trust, two of his business partners and two companies that leased to the restaurants.
But father and daughter are back in the business together, according to Friday’s announcement.
Kent Chard was quoted as saying, “We first opened our doors in Midvale 45 years ago, on October 7, 1977 — so we thought today being our anniversary, would make for an ideal time to announce our intentions to serve the community once more and bring people together again to enjoy great food and make new memories at The Training Table.”
More details about the Training Table’s return
Friday’s announcement said that fans can stay updated on the company’s relaunch by visiting thetrainingtable.com and following @thetraininigtable on Facebook and Instagram.