Utah Business: Permitting bottlenecks and the unseen costs of delay

This story was was first published by Utah Business Magazine. Read the full story online here, or in the April 2026 issue of Utah Business.

When we were on schedule to open our first restaurant — Hearth and Hill Park City — by the start of the 2018 ski season, a last-minute issue arose. The building inspector informed us that the restroom partitions were barely too short and shallow, preventing us from receiving a permit and delaying the carefully timed grand opening we had planned.

That opened my eyes to the degree of detail you must pay attention to throughout the process to ensure your professional team of tradespeople, designers and architects utilize their knowledge to prevent delays. It showed how a single inspector can impact a project and how we often take the little details for granted.

When a business owner begins building brick-and-mortar locations and working through the construction process, they may not realize how vital the permit process is to their project’s success. I know I felt that way. Now, having built five restaurants, I’m much more knowledgeable than I was seven years ago about the complexities of obtaining permits and the frustrations that arise when a seemingly minor item causes significant, expensive delays.

For anyone in the middle of a project or at the beginning of one, my advice is to ask more questions than you think you need to. There is no stupid question. Inevitably, one of those questions will solve an issue before it reaches an inspector, thus preventing project delays.

Hard truths about permitting

Recently, we saw firsthand the impact that delayed projects and permits can have on businesses. In Sugar House, home to our two newest restaurants, Hearth and Hill and Hill’s Kitchen, many of you most likely experienced the extensive road construction that persisted for three years. Sadly, the delays caused multiple small businesses to struggle as locals had to change their commutes, habits and overall patronage of those businesses.

A hard truth of the permit process is that the average inspector or permit issuer is not truly aware of the impact their delays or lack of communication can have on a small business like ours. Every day we’re not open costs money — we’ve already hired staff and sunk expenses into the business. I encourage everyone to overcommunicate with inspectors and be proactive in asking questions and getting ahead of potential issues or scrutiny. Don’t wait until the inspector is on-site in anticipation of opening the next day. We are, of course, grateful for every city and county inspector and official who ensures every building, business and project is compliant and safe.

The gift of lessons learned

In the same vein of turning permitting bottlenecks into opportunities to learn, the everyday dynamics of running a business can present many challenges that lead to growth.

What a whirlwind it has been since opening Hearth and Hill Park City in December 2018. It feels like it was an entirely different world then. Today, we are humbled and grateful to operate five restaurants with over 300 employees, to be a proud community member and, most importantly, to be a locally owned Utah business.

Owning a business is not for the faint of heart and often comes with a new “gift” every day if you choose to see challenges as lessons and opportunities for growth.

Read the full article at Utah Business.