Sundays and holidays for Utah restaurants: should you open?

Every restaurant owner in Utah eventually faces the same question: should you open on Sunday? In most of the country, Sunday is one of the busiest days for brunch and early dinner. In Utah, local reporting has long described Sunday dining as much quieter than elsewhere, and many restaurants and chains close all day. The answer is not the same for every restaurant, and a wrong guess costs either a day of wages or a day of lost sales. This guide, written in October 2026, gives you a way to decide and to plan the days around it.

Is there a law that closes restaurants on Sunday?

Whether a restaurant opens on Sunday is mainly a business decision, and this guide has not confirmed any rule that decides it for you, so check with the state or your city if you are unsure. The difference is in demand and in habit: many Utah residents spend the day with family and eat at home, and some businesses close in line with their owners' beliefs. Some places treat Sunday as a day of rest by choice. Alcohol has its own rules, though. The state controls how restaurants buy spirits and wine and when its stores are open, so a restaurant that holds a liquor license must plan its stock before the weekend. Confirm current rules and store hours with the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services.

How do you test whether Sunday is worth it?

Do not guess. Open for four consecutive Sundays with a limited plan: one cook, one server, one dishwasher, a short menu and a clear time window, such as 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Record covers, sales, labor and food cost for each Sunday. Compare the result to the same hours on Saturday. If sales do not cover the wages and the utilities by the third week, adjust the hours or the menu, or close. Location matters. The same concept can behave very differently in two towns only a few miles apart, so test each location by itself.

What types of restaurant do better on Sundays?

Concepts near highways, hotels, hospitals and tourist attractions tend to do better, because their customers are not the local church-going crowd. Breakfast places near ski areas and parks do well on Sunday morning. Restaurants in the center of Salt Lake City with a diverse customer base, including visitors, often stay open. Family restaurants in residential neighborhoods may see little traffic. Pick the days and hours that suit your neighborhood, not the national average.

What should you tell guests?

Post your Sunday status in three places: the door, your website and your online listing. If you are closed, say it plainly. If you are open with shorter hours, say that too. A guest who finds a locked door is a guest who may not return. In your listing, use special hours for holidays, and update them a week ahead.

How do you staff Sunday and holiday shifts?

If you open, offer shift swaps and voluntary sign-up before you assign anyone, and be clear about pay. Utah does not have a state law requiring extra pay for Sunday work, so any premium is your decision, but a small premium for holidays helps you keep staff who would rather be with family. Respect staff religious practice where you can, and be consistent. Keep a written schedule at least two weeks ahead.

What about Pioneer Day, Thanksgiving and other holidays?

Pioneer Day on July 24 is a Utah state holiday, and many families celebrate with parades, fireworks and picnics, so restaurants often see different traffic. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the days most restaurants close; a few open for a set menu or takeout meals. If you plan a holiday meal, announce it early, take orders ahead and cap the number so the kitchen does not run out. Check holiday dates and local events every year, because they change from year to year.

If you decide to stay closed on Sundays, make the other six days stronger. Offer a Saturday brunch or a Monday family night, and use your social pages to remind guests that you are open when others are not. Use Sunday for the work that is hard to do in service: deep cleaning, menu testing, staff training, paperwork and ordering. A day of rest also helps keep good people, which is hard to put a dollar figure on but easy to feel when the weeks get long.

If you decide to open, keep the plan lean and the promise clear. A short menu, a fixed closing time and one signature dish for the day are better than a full menu served by a thin crew. Review the numbers every month for the first quarter, and be ready to change your mind in either direction.

Do you want a steady base of regulars on the days you are open?

Mosey is a food-first app where diners search by dish and mood, rate what they ate and keep lists of places they want to try. For a restaurant with limited hours, being easy to find in the hours you are open is the whole game, and a page with your menu and your regulars list keeps the right guests coming on the right days. Mosey is built so that your customers stay yours, whatever days you choose to open.

More guides for your business:

• Utah food handler permits and certified food managers
• Utah alcohol licensing for restaurants: what to ask before you apply
• Utah sales tax and the 1 percent restaurant tax for food businesses

More in the US guides for food businesses.