Downtown SLC businesses close their doors amid rising costs, tariffs

SALT LAKE CITY — You may have noticed that several bright signs over your favorite restaurants have gone dark. Over the past few months, several Salt Lake businesses have announced they are closing their doors.

Local business owner Derek Kitchen opened Laziz Kitchen in 2016 and expanded the restaurant over the past few years, adding locations in Millcreek and Downtown Salt Lake City.

“Restaurants are tough, even in the best of times,” Kitchen said.

This year brought a whole new set of challenges for him and his staff.

“A business that focuses on Mediterranean food, we import a lot of our goods,” Kitchen said. "Whether it’s pomegranate molasses or the aluminum we use in our takeout containers. So many items that you see on our menu have their roots abroad. The inflation itself took a lo