Farm-to-Table Breakfast in Park City: How the Kirchheimer Family Built Utah's Most Welcoming Community Café at Hills Kitchen

The first thing you notice at Hills Kitchen isn't the beautifully crafted Danish pastries lining the counter or the aromatic Publik coffee brewing behind the bar—it's the sound of genuine laughter echoing from the open kitchen where Executive Pastry Chef Jessie Rae Nakoneczny works her magic in full view of eager customers. "Think of it like watching an artist paint or listening to live music. The end product is better when you see everything that went into it," explains Salt Lake Magazine's Tony Gill about this deliberate design choice that makes Hills Kitchen one of the most authentic farm-to-table breakfast experiences in Park City Utah.

But here's what makes this place special: it's not trying to be something it's not. While Park City overflows with establishments targeting tourists with inflated prices, Hills Kitchen serves as what one reviewer calls "thoroughly exciting" because of its "practicality"—a place where both locals and visitors can grab incredible, locally-sourced food without requiring "a sudden financial windfall."

The Father-Son Dream That Started with a Childhood Cash Register

The story of Hills Kitchen begins not in a professional kitchen, but in a young boy's imagination. Brooks Kirchheimer, co-founder of Hill Top Hospitality with his father David, has been obsessed with creating dining experiences since he was seven years old. "When I was 7 years old, I asked for a cash register for Christmas so I could play pretend restaurants with my two sisters," Brooks recalls. "From that moment on, I just had a love of creating experiences and moments for people, and that's what the restaurant and hospitality industry is all about."

That childhood dream evolved through serious training. After earning a Restaurant and Hotel Management degree from the University of Denver, Brooks honed his craft at luxury destinations: the renowned Montage hotels in Beverly Hills and Deer Valley, Park City's landmark Zoom restaurant, and finally as Assistant General Manager at famed restaurateur Peter Merriman's oceanside restaurant in Maui. But it was returning to Park City with his father David that allowed the magic to really happen.

The duo opened their first venture, Hearth and Hill, in December 2018, quickly establishing themselves as locals' favorites. But when catering requests began overwhelming their original kitchen, they recognized an opportunity. Hills Kitchen, created by Brooks and David Kirchheimer in 2022, offers a unique café and catering experience that's all about bringing people together. The result is a 2,600-square-foot space featuring a full pastry kitchen and catering facility for up to 500 people, paired with a cozy 25-seat café that feels like the neighborhood living room you wish you had.

The Best Farm-to-Table Breakfast Experience in Park City

Walking into Hills Kitchen Park City feels deliberately different from the ski-town glitz just minutes away. The open-concept design allows you to watch Jessie Rae Nakoneczny and her team create everything from Nutella and hazelnut Danish and pecan sticky buns to more substantial breakfast offerings that fuel both early-morning commuters and adventurers heading to the slopes.

The menu reads like a love letter to Utah's agricultural heritage while embracing the international palates of Park City's diverse community. Think of it like watching an artist paint or listening to live music. The end product is better when you see everything that went into it. Their breakfast burrito with chorizo verde has become the stuff of local legend—a hearty, perfectly-spiced creation that one regular describes as his go-to when he needs "a little more fuel for a big day on the trails."

But it's not just about the substantial stuff. Their raspberry cream cheese Danish represents everything Hills Kitchen does right: "If it's early and I just need a quick bite before work, the raspberry cream cheese Danish is a terrific option." The pastries here aren't afterthoughts—they're daily works of art created by a pastry chef who helped establish programs at prestigious destinations like Stein Eriksen Lodge and Sundance Resort.

The coffee program deserves special mention. Hills Kitchen partners with Publik Coffee Roasters, a local, female-founded company that aligns perfectly with their values around community support and sustainability. Every cup represents their commitment to what they call their guiding principle: "Inspire our associates, thrill our guests, and enrich our community."

From grab-and-go options perfect for busy Park City mornings to leisurely weekend breakfast spreads, the café accommodates every type of day. In addition to the aforementioned pastries, there's a hearty selection of breakfast items like the veggie burrito ($8), quiche ($7), morning muffin ($7) and such. What strikes visitors most is the value proposition—genuine quality at prices that don't make locals wince.

Sugar House: Expanding the Community Table

The success in Park City made expansion inevitable, but the Kirchheimer family chose their second location deliberately. Sugar House, with its "eclectic charm, walkability and strong sense of community," represented the perfect setting for Hills Kitchen's neighborhood-focused approach. The journey to opening wasn't easy—the building burned down in October 2022, setting back their plans by two years—but the family's commitment never wavered.

"From day one when we first opened Hearth and Hill Park City, shortly after that, our goal was to grow and have scale as a company," Brooks explains. The rebuilt Sugar House location showcases what the family learned from their Park City success while adapting to Salt Lake City's distinct energy.

The Sugar House Hills Kitchen features an exciting evolution of their concept. This is Hill Top Hospitality's first property with an all-women leadership team. Vanessa Suminson, Chef de Cuisine, was recruited from Big Sky, Montana, while Pastry Chef de Cuisine Sarah Whistler and General Manager Lucy Clark earned promotions from within the restaurant group. This leadership approach reflects their genuine commitment to "treating employees like family" while expanding their interpretation of what a community café can be.

Unlike the Park City location's focus on morning and lunch service, Hills Kitchen Sugar House operates from 7:00 AM to 8:30 PM daily, offering everything from fresh-brewed coffee and flaky pastries to signature pizzas, hearty dinners, handcrafted cocktails and house made ice cream. It's a bold expansion that recognizes Sugar House's need for an all-day neighborhood gathering spot.

Utah's Farm-to-Table Movement Gets a Community-Focused Champion

What sets Hills Kitchen apart in Utah's competitive café landscape isn't just their commitment to locally-sourced ingredients—it's how they integrate that commitment into genuine community building. "The pandemic opened everybody's eyes that restaurants impact so many people on a daily basis, and we realized that local farmers had struggled to stay alive during that time," Brooks reflects.

This philosophy extends beyond sourcing to active community engagement. The family regularly supports local nonprofits, hosts monthly cooking classes for National Ability Center participants, and maintains what Brooks calls their core commitment: "We're big believers that if you support the causes that those in your community support, then those people will support you."

The approach works because it's authentic. A lot of what Hill Top Hospitality does for others is behind-the-scenes, he said, because it's not about recognition; it's about doing the right thing. Whether that means teaching cooking techniques to community members or simply "picking up trash on the ground," the Kirchheimer family understands that successful community cafés must actually serve their communities.

Their sustainable practices extend throughout operations: composting, recycling, partnerships with local farms, and what they describe as "farm-to-table dishes like breakfast burritos" made with "locally sourced ingredients." But they manage to implement these practices without the preachiness that sometimes accompanies farm-to-table concepts.

Planning Your Visit to Hills Kitchen

Park City Location: 1153 Center Drive, Suite G160, Kimball Junction. Open daily 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM. This location focuses on breakfast, lunch, and their renowned catering services. The grab-and-go options make it perfect for early morning ski departures or quick coffee meetings. Street parking available, and the location is easily accessible from both Park City proper and the greater Wasatch Front area.

Sugar House Location: 2188 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City. Open daily 7:00 AM to 8:30 PM. The expanded hours and menu make this ideal for everything from morning coffee to dinner with friends. The "expansive, all weather patio" provides a perfect gathering spot year-round, especially given Utah's incredible outdoor dining weather.

For the full Hills Kitchen experience, locals recommend starting with the raspberry cream cheese Danish or pecan sticky bun, paired with Publik coffee. If you're staying for a meal, the breakfast burrito with chorizo verde has achieved legendary status among regulars, while the quiches showcase their commitment to fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Both locations offer online ordering for grab-and-go convenience, and their catering services have become the go-to choice for events throughout the Wasatch Front. The Instagram presence (@hillskitchenut) provides daily updates on pastry offerings and seasonal specials.

Hills Kitchen represents something increasingly rare in Utah's tourism-heavy mountain towns: a genuinely local business that serves both visitors and residents with equal enthusiasm and quality. In a state where community values run deep, the Kirchheimer family has created gathering spots that honor both tradition and innovation, proving that the best farm-to-table breakfast experiences come from genuine connections to place and people.

The story continues evolving as Hills Kitchen establishes itself as an essential part of Utah's breakfast culture, but the foundation remains solid: exceptional food, community commitment, and the kind of authentic hospitality that turns first-time visitors into regular family.