Park City’s newest dining spot, Matilda, set to debut this fall

Ian Pope in front of his new restaurant, Matilda, opening fall of 2024. Photo: Ian Pope

PARK CITY, Utah – Five5eeds owners Ian Pope, Price Nicol, and Mark Shrayber are expanding their culinary footprint with a new restaurant, Matilda, set to open right next door. Five5eeds, a locally loved breakfast and lunch spot, was acquired by the trio in early 2023. The trio is now aiming higher to create another community-centered dining experience—but this time for dinner—with Matilda.

Pope originally came on as the general manager of Five5eeds for four years before purchasing it from the previous owners. For him, the only thing that happened after the transition was continued focus on maintaining the quality and reputation Five5eeds has built in Park City.

“Nothing’s changed. We hope that people walk in and don’t notice any difference in the change of ownership,” Pope said. “I’ve been here for five years now managing it, so why screw with a good thing?”

Now, the trio’s dream of growing into the aprés and dinner space has become a reality. Their main goal is to provide a location for Park City locals to come in and dine on the regular.

“Park City has been really good to us, we want to give back and create a neighborhood restaurant for the locals.  We’ll make sure that it’s a casual Tuesday night restaurant as much as a special occasion Saturday night restaurant,” Pope said.

The restaurant’s menu will include Neo-Neapolitan pizzas as well as an extensive menu of produce-driven shared plates. The idea for pizza came after Pope’s adventure into the unknown during Covid. “Like everyone else, we fell in love with the art of sourdough during the pandemic, and the natural progression was pizza,” Pope said.

When asked about his favorite pizza, Pope said, “I love simple Neo-Neapolitan pizza. My absolute favorite, like my mom, is potato, fontina, and rosemary. It doesn’t get more simple than that.”

Pope, Nicol, and Shrayber are taking the minimalist approach to their menu and emphasizing simplicity in what they call “technique-driven” share plates, focusing on local fresh produce and meats,

“We want to make sure the food coming out of the kitchen is on par with the food I love in Sydney, Australia,” Pope said.

But food isn’t the only thing to look forward to: Nicol is a wine lover, and the trio plans to offer weekly specialty wines by the glass to share with diners. There will also be a cozy lounge in the front for those to grab a glass while waiting for pick-up orders and a large full-service bar.

Matilda’s location was a medical center before, and it has now been demolished to the studs, providing a fresh slate to build the restaurant from the ground up. The restaurant is bringing in a Marra Forni pizza oven, which will be the focal point of the kitchen, which is designed to be completely open.

From menu design, to the restaurant’s name and branding, Pope pays homage to his native roots of Australia to help him miss it “just a little bit less.” The restaurant’s name, Matilda, is a nod to Australia’s unofficial national anthem, “Waltzing Matilda. And the use of eucalyptus green is a homage to Australia’s native plant.

Pope’s love for Australia and nostalgia for the food culture drove his inspiration for Matilda. However, when asked why he didn’t move back, he said, “I look outside at the mountains and just love Park City too much.”

The restaurant is expected to open this fall for aprés and dinner, and it hopes to offer a lunch option in the future.

To stay up to date on the restaurant’s opening, visit Matilda’s Instagram page.