SALT LAKE CITY — You won't find brunch or matcha at this Salt Lake City cafe, but you will find souffles, flights, and entrees designed to spark creativity instead of curbing your appetite.
Art Cafe, a dining-inspired art studio in the 9th and 9th neighborhood, invites guests to choose from a menu of creative entrees, each offering a different hands-on art experience.
The restaurant's founder, Madison Nilsson, says the cafe was inspired by her childhood home and made for casual artists to come in and play.
"I would host summer camps at my parents' house in the backyard for the neighborhood kids, and one day we'd do watercolor, next day would be sewing or baking," she shared.
Now, Nillson says adults are craving those same playful feelings — something she hopes to recreate at Art Cafe.
"I think a lot of us, we get into corporate, we're working these 9-to-5 jobs, and looking at screens all day, and to be able to kind of relax and create again, and bring everyone back to a childlike sense of joy and play. That's what this whole place is for," Nillson said.
While the cafe does serve small drinks and bites, there's one thing guests won't find on the menu: alcohol.
"We don't want to dull you, we don't want to numb you, we want you to feel that goodness just naturally," she said.
As Art Cafe continues to grow through projects like nationwide franchises and a charitable foundation, Nillson says her focus is on impact.
"This is what the world needs more of, it needs more kindness, it needs more intentionality, and I feel like this space, even though it's just art, it's so much bigger than me or you," she shared.
Anyone looking to book a table at Art Cafe, can find reservations online at opentable.com.
