Family restaurant in Kearns closing after 47 years
Mar 23, 2022, 12:22 PM | Updated: Jun 8, 2022, 1:49 pm
KEARNS, Utah — A neighborhood staple in Kearns is closing its doors after surviving decades, the pandemic and recent staffing shortages.
What started as a Mexican take-out food stand in the 1970s developed into a beloved neighborhood restaurant. But the owners of El Rancho Grande have decided it’s time for them to retire.
“I literally cried when I found out it was closing,” one customer Rachel Bourell said.
Elutrio and Agnes Gallegos started El Rancho Grande as a hobby and a way to share their delicious family recipes. Their children decided to buy a building to make it into a restaurant. Over the years, they expanded on the building several times.
“My dad has always been an ambitious man,” said owner Anita Sharp. “He was so great… I told my brother I feel so guilty retiring because I think of my dad but my brother said no we did it. We made it a success and he will be proud of us.”
Lines have been out the door at the restaurant all week. They quoted some people up to three hours to wait for a table. Their final day is March 26.