The legacy of The Garden Restaurant and The Roof Restaurant dates back to 1914, four years after the completion of the prestigious Hotel Utah. The two restaurants were then known as The Roof Gardens restaurant, located in the magnificent rooftop garden that the hotel’s general manager spared no expense in building. Corinthian columns and the rose garden pergola were signature features of the ambiance, as well as the entertainment stage placed next to the lily pond at the north end of the garden.

Access to a rooftop is a luxury of city living. It's no surprise that today is bars, restaurants, hotels, and apartment buildings are all racing to cash in on the human impulse to climb to the tops of things and hang out there. But 140 years ago, the only thing that hung out on urban roofs was wet laundry. Back then, rooftops were the exclusive domain of industrial equipment and domestic servants. The impulse of most residents was to stay away.