Communal Restaurant Announces New Sugar House Location
Owners move to integrate their established brand into a high-density residential complex, shifting the local competitive landscape.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Restaurant owners Kevin and Tessa Santiago announced they are bringing the Communal brand to the Twenty Ones Apartments complex in Sugar House. This expansion marks a new growth phase for the restaurant since the couple acquired the business in 2019.
Why it matters
The expansion reflects ongoing commercial growth in the Sugar House district, where operators are increasingly leveraging high-density residential developments to capture local foot traffic. Choosing an established brand for a new mixed-use complex provides a proven operational track record for developers and tenants alike.
The original Communal restaurant opened in downtown Provo in 2009, with the business changing ownership in 2019. The restaurant is now preparing to scale its operations to a second location in Salt Lake City's Sugar House neighborhood.
The players
Kevin and Tessa Santiago
The owners who acquired the Communal restaurant brand in 2019 and are leading its current expansion.
Communal
A restaurant brand originally established in downtown Provo in 2009 that is now entering the Salt Lake City market.
The details
The expansion project will integrate the restaurant into the ground level of the Twenty Ones Apartments complex. Owners Kevin and Tessa Santiago, who acquired the brand from founders Joseph McRae and Colton Soelberg in 2019, announced the move via social media to reach their existing customer base. The site selection highlights a strategy of embedding retail operations directly into residential hubs to ensure consistent local demand.
Timeline
2009: Communal restaurant opened in downtown Provo.
2019: The business was sold to the Santiagos.
October 30, 2026: Owners announced the new Sugar House location.
Market Landscape
This expansion follows the established trend of independent restaurant brands scaling by anchoring themselves within new high-density residential complexes. The move mirrors a broader industry preference for mixed-use proximity to ensure stable customer foot traffic.
Operators looking at similar expansion paths should evaluate the long-term utility of integrating with high-density residential assets. Tracking the success of this move will provide a data point on whether established downtown brands can successfully replicate their model in Sugar House apartment hubs.
The takeaway
The move underscores the value of leveraging established brand recognition when moving into competitive, high-density residential markets. Restaurant operators should monitor the brand's social media channels for the official opening date to gauge the marketing timeline for their own launches.
Further reading
For more news on local business growth, visit Salt Lake City Openings & Closings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Axios.
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