Photo: Matilda // Park City Chamber of Commerce

PARK CITY, Utah —When Ian Pope arrived in Park City in 2018, he quickly fell in love with the town. What began as a management role at Five5eeds grew into something bigger: ownership of three popular local restaurants — Five5eeds, Matilda, and Tilly’s Charcoal Chicken.

From General Manager to Owner

Five years ago, Ian had the opportunity to purchase Five5eeds from founders Andrew and Tiffiny Percy. The cafe, already a community favorite, became the foundation of his culinary journey in Park City.

Locals often asked whether Five5eeds would ever expand into dinner service. “A lot of people really wanted us to open Five5eeds at night,” Ian recalls. “But it really wasn’t the right place to do that. We were fortunate enough to find the space right next door.”

That space became Matilda.

Matilda: A Neighborhood Hotspot

“Matilda is such a great place,” Ian says. “We’ve built something really special for the locals.”

Inspired by his years in Sydney and Melbourne, Ian envisioned a neighborhood-style restaurant reminiscent of the midweek wine bars of Surry Hills. “I really miss those Tuesday, Wednesday night places we used to go — beautiful wine bars — we wanted to bring that to Park City.”

Before opening Matilda, Ian returned to Sydney, where he “cherry-picked a whole bunch of little things” from other restaurants. The result is a menu designed for sharing — pizza, craft cocktails and carefully chosen wines. “It kind of cured my homesickness from Sydney,” he admits.

Tilly’s Charcoal Chicken: A Passion Project

If Matilda is rooted in Ian’s nostalgia for Australian nightlife, Tilly’s Charcoal Chicken is built on childhood tradition. “Every Friday night when I was growing up, my dad would go down to the local charcoal chicken spot, grab a chicken, grab some fries — those fries never made it home,” Ian laughs, “but we at least got the chicken.”

That simple ritual became the inspiration for Tilly’s. “It’s in literally every suburb in Australia,” Ian explained. “You talk to any Australian about Tilly’s, and they’re like, ‘I can’t believe you brought a charcoal chicken shop to Park City.'”

The concept is intentionally uncomplicated: grab a chicken, a salad, some fries and enjoy an easy night off.

Rooted in Community

What ties all three restaurants together is their focus on locals. “Park City really is home for us,” Ian says. “It’s a small-knit community of people who put quality first, and there’s so much opportunity here to keep building on that.”

At Matilda, 50% of tables are walk-ins, and the other half are reservations, ensuring locals can always find a seat. “We don’t want locals to feel alienated, even during winter or summer,” Ian explains. “They can always come in, grab a table or sit at the bar, and not have to book three weeks in advance.”

The Spirit of Mountainkind

For Ian, that sense of welcome is at the heart of everything. “I love seeing the locals here. It means so much to me to drum up a conversation with someone who comes in every week,” he says. “Mountainkind is really about accepting locals, letting them into your place and welcoming them with open arms.”

And that’s exactly what his restaurants have become — not just places to eat, but places to gather. Whether it’s brunch at Five5eeds, a glass of wine with friends at Matilda or an easy family dinner from Tilly’s, Ian has woven pieces of his own story into Park City’s fabric. He’s built more than three restaurants. It’s a taste of home — one the whole community shares.

For more Our Town stories, visit the Park City Chamber of Commerce website.