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Meet Hearth and Hill’s Brooks Kirchheimer

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Refuel Salad with Salmon at Park City's Hearth and Hill
Refuel Salad with Salmon at Park City’s Hearth and Hill; Photo Credit-The Traveling Bornsteins

A couple months before the pandemic caused the travel industry to grind to a screeching halt, Park City hosted The Traveling Bornsteins for a ski getaway. Our first lunch was at Hearth and Hill where we sampled several entrees. Our host, Dan Howard, the Director of Communication for Park City ordered one of his favorites, a Banana Dutch Baby. I took a healthier approach with a Refuel Salad while Ira feasted on Korean Fried Chicken. After starting The Traveling Bornsteins’ Chefs and Recipes series, I reached out to Brooks Kirchheimer. I wanted to learn more about his popular, award-winning restaurant and how they are coping with the ramifications of COVID-19.

Brooks Kirchheimer, what caused you to return to Park City in 2017 to pursue your goal of starting your dream restaurant?

My Dad, David, had just retired. He was intrigued by opening a restaurant. As crazy as it sounds, my wife and I were ready to move from Maui back to Park City. Park City has always been our home. We were so excited to return. The community is so welcoming, and we are so grateful we decided to move back! 
 
What is the significance of your restaurant’s name—Hearth and Hill?
 
Hearth means fire, which everyone loves to gather around a fire.  Our vision for Hearth and Hill is for it to be a gathering spot for all in Park City. In terms of the word “hill,” we are on a hill that is surrounded by many.
 
Jordan Harvey, Executive Chef Park City's Hearth and Hill
Jordan Harvey, Executive Chef Park City’s Hearth and Hill; Photo Provided by Hearth and Hill
Can you identify three aspects of your restaurant’s brand that led to being singled out for numerous culinary awards?
 
Our executive chef, Jordan Harvey, is a BIG reason. He is culinary creativity brings together different concepts. Hearth and Hill’s emphasis is on executing well every single day. If an item is on our menu, we are going to ensure we can execute successfully every day of service. We provide a diverse menu that appeases to our audience. It has a wide blend that seems to be attractive to all. From ramen to burgers to trout to mac & cheese to shumai to hummus. Everyone goes home happy!
 
Finally, we are BIG believers of supporting our local artisans and farmers by showcasing their amazing Utah made products. Because of the winter season, many don’t believe believe that there are great products coming out of Utah. They are wrong. We love buying them and serving them to our guests.
 
How has your emphasis on promoting “a popular gathering spot for every resident and visitor to the area” been affected by the pandemic?
 
Instead of being able to provide a gathering spot at the restaurant, we were able to provide meals that could be the centerpiece to families gathering at home. We realized that families were spending more time with each other. We love that our food could be a part of that experience,  We came up with new family meals for 4 to accommodate these moments. The family meals were a brisket dinner, fajita dinner, and chicken dinner. We wanted to make a lunch or dinner meal easy for guests to have at home or outside or wherever they decided to enjoy the food. Let us do all the hard work. We love our community! 
 
A strong community is at the heart of your message. Can you describe three ways that you give back to the Park City community?
 
Yes! We have been dedicated to giving back to the Park City Community since we opened our doors in December of 2018. During the pandemic we have:
  • Donated $1,000 to the Park City Community Foundation.
  • Contributed $750 to Hive Family Collective, a non-profit for new or expecting mothers in Park City.
  • Donated over 40 meals to families in need in the Park City community. 
  • Participated in the EATS foundation fundraiser, assisting them in raising over $40,000.
  • Distributed over 50 free grocery bags to our associates to assist them with food needs.
  • Gave 25% off to our a la carte menu from day one of curbside to show love to our community when we could all use a little.
  • Donated 9 $50 gift cards to a restaurant in SLC that is having a BLM fundraiser.
We are not successful if our community and associates are not successful, so we are ALL about it. 
 
As COVID-19 restrictions are changing, what are your challenges?
 
We are going above and beyond to follow all state health department standards.
  • Creating new signage throughout the restaurant
  • Encourage social distancing
  • Placing all tables at least 7-feet apart
  • All staff wear masks and gloves at all times
  • Asked guests to wear masks while walking through the restaurant
  • Sanitize the restaurant constantly
  • Installed hands free foot holds in the restroom to open the doors
  • Using disposable menus for our guests

We spent a week training our entire staff before we opened. 

In the next post, we will share Chef Jordan Harvey’s recipe for Korean Fried Chicken.

BIO

When Sandy isn’t trekking or writing in Colorado, she is traveling. She has visited more than 40 countries and lived as an international teacher in Bangalore, India. Sandy’s award-winning book, May This Be the Best Year of Your Life, is a resource for people contemplating an expat lifestyle and living outside their comfort zone. 

Sandy shares her lifestyle and travel experiences with international and domestic online sites and print media. She has contributed stories to Hemispheres, Destinations Magazine, KUHL’s Born in the Mountain blog, Grand Magazine, Wandering Educators, Golden Living, AARP, Hadassah magazine, Localliz, One Travel, Miles Away, Canadian Jewish News, Getting On Travel, Far and Wide, Colorado Parent, Traveler Confidential, Family Circle- Momster, and others. 

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