A cafe with a converted ski gondola is tucked away in SLC’s Granary District
Hello, Eaters! Mecca Cafe is a gorgeous coffee shop slightly hidden inside the Industry co-working space at 650 S. 500 West in Salt Lake City’s Granary District.
When you go inside, you’ll probably notice the ski gondola that’s been converted into a bar; that’s part of Mecca Cafe’s “sister business,” Mecca Bar Co., which provides mobile bar services for cocktails, espresso and other beverages.
Mecca Bar Co. + Cafe’s owner and founder, Sarah O’Donnell (pictured at top), said Mecca “has been just my own little creative endeavor to blend all the things I love,” including plants (the mobile bars and the cafe are often decked out in greenery), the outdoors and mixology.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) A gondola on display at Mecca Cafe in Salt Lake City, Monday, May 4, 2026.
The origin story: O’Donnell started Mecca Bar Co. during the pandemic, without any loans and while keeping a full-time job, she said. One of her mobile bar setups is a gondola from Steamboat Springs, Colo., that was converted into a bar by The Gondola Shop. In early 2025, O’Donnell started thinking about doing a brick-and-mortar cafe, and she opened her space in the Granary District in November.
The vibe: Mecca Cafe is clean, airy and modern, with lots of white tile and white countertops, and tons of natural light. There are couches to cozy up on and plenty of places to set up a laptop and work.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mecca Cafe in Salt Lake City, Monday, May 4, 2026.
The menu: “We do care a lot about how we do things here,” O’Donnell said. “It’s very intentional.” That ethos shows up in practices like not using any seed oils in the kitchen; getting ingredients from local sources whenever possible; and using high-quality ingredients in all the food, which is made by “lead kitchenologist” Jordyn Sharpe.
On the menu are smoothies (to which you can add local protein powder), house-baked sourdough bagels, a couple burritos, espresso, coffee, matcha, hojicha and seasonal special drinks, made with housemade syrups. Nondairy folks: There’s no additional charge for oat milk. To read about my order, scroll down to “Drink and Bagel of the Week.”
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mecca Cafe in Salt Lake City, Monday, May 4, 2026.
The hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Live deliciously,
Kolbie
Note: O’Donnell pays her employees a livable wage, and prices include what you would pay for a tip, so no tips are expected. If you still want to leave an additional tip, there’s a screen where you can do that.
Food News
(STK Steakhouse) The Meredith Marks Caviar tasting plate at STK Steakhouse, featuring the signature brand of the "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" cast member.
• From now until May 26, STK Steakhouse at 111 S. 300 West in Salt Lake City is partnering with Meredith Marks Caviar, the luxury caviar collection from Meredith Marks, a cast member of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.” The Meredith Marks caviar tasting plate is $48 and features Diamond Ossetra caviar on Caviar Kisses (blinis with creme fraiche and caviar), the Meredith Marks caviar deviled egg, and the caviar-grilled cheese soldier, which is brioche layered with cheese and caviar.
• If you’ve been wondering why you haven’t been seeing salsa from Salsa Queen in your local grocery store lately, it’s because the business declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy in February, according to documents filed with the United States Bankruptcy Court. At the time of the filing, Salsa Queen had between $100,001 and $500,000 in assets, and between $1,000,001 and $10 million in liabilities, the documents show.
Openings:
(Magnolia Bakery) The Best of New York cupcake assortment from Magnolia Bakery. The New York-based bakery is planning on opening its first Utah franchise location on June 1, 2026, in Holladay.
• Magnolia Bakery, the first Utah franchise location for the beloved New York bakery, has announced an opening date: Monday, June 1. The location is 1895 E. Rodeo Walk Drive in Holladay, near the Trader Joe’s in the Holladay Hills development. Magnolia was made famous for its cupcakes and banana pudding, and for its mentions in “Sex and the City” and “The Devil Wears Prada.”
• Pittsburgh-based sweets maker MilkShake Factory has opened a new location in Holladay at 1920 E. Rodeo Walk Drive, according to a news release. MilkShake Factory is known for its housemade ice cream, chocolates and handspun milkshakes.
Closings:
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Quarters Arcade Bar as road construction continues in Sugar House, Salt Lake City on Thursday, May 23, 2024.
• According to an Instagram post from Quarters Arcade Bar in Sugar House, the location at 1045 E. 2100 South will close on May 31. “We appreciate everyone who supported us in our second location, but through construction, slow summers and overpriced rent, we aren’t able to keep it going,” the post said.
• Wasatch Brewpub, aka Top of Main, in Park City, is being sold to a New York investor, and the bar and restaurant won’t reopen after closing for the shoulder season, KPCW reports. Wasatch Brewpub, which opened in 1989, was Utah’s first brewpub.
Booze (and Drink!) News
• At last week’s meeting of the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services’ (DABS) liquor commission, Whiskey Street co-owner Jason LeCates told the board that it likely will be toward the end of the year before the business reopens. If you remember, the bar Whiskey Street was one of the businesses destroyed by the big fire last August on Main Street. About 20 businesses also received liquor licenses at the meeting.
Drink and Bagel of the Week
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) A tiramisu cold brew with a blue bay bagel and matcha cream cheese at Mecca Cafe in Salt Lake City, Monday, May 4, 2026.
At Mecca Cafe, I enjoyed the tiramisu cold brew ($9), with dark chocolate, vanilla and sweetened condensed coconut mascarpone, and a blue-bay bagel with matcha cream cheese ($7).
Wow wow wow, this drink and bagel were so good, and high quality. The drink was delicious and actually tasted like tiramisu; that cream on the top is almost as thick as pudding and so decadent. The ladyfinger on top was a cute touch.
The bagel, made with ube, was a fun, vibrant purple, and it was cut into sixths (first time I’ve ever seen that!), so I was able to tear the slightly sweet pieces apart and dip them into the matcha cream cheese, which had that to-be-expected slightly grassy flavor. What a great combo!
