What do you do when the address to your business includes the numbers 666?
If you’re owner Andrew Earley, you open Mark of the Beastro, a devilishly themed Salt Lake City restaurant, where all of the dishes are vegan and the atmosphere is, ahem, well, seitan-ic.
Earley has worked for years in Utah’s restaurant scene, but this is his first time owning his own place. He’s been a vegan for more than a decade, ever since he engaged in several “arguments” with his vegan friends.
“They’d say it’s better for the environment, it’s better for animals. The only answer I had was, ‘I like meat,’” Earley said. “And if I can give up something small and make this much of an impact, I’m going to do it.”
He’s had the idea of a vegan place for a while, but had difficulty making it happen, until he teamed up with The Beehive, a local event venue.
Earley acknowledges that most of the city’s vegan places focus on being healthy. But he wanted to offer the “comfort food” he was used to like chick’n and waffles, nachos, and chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes, which he does using seitan, a high-protein food made from cooked wheat gluten.
“I realized that if I wanted to eat the food I wanted to eat,” he said, “I was going to have to make it myself.”
The bistro, which opened in late February, is operating on truncated hours while Earley finalizes the menu and trains staff. He is working with celiac friends to add more gluten-free options.
He plans to have a grand opening soon, after which the restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and offer live performances such as music, burlesque shows, magic acts and comedy.
Mark of the Beastro • 666 S. State St., Salt Lake City; 385-202-7386. Open Monday-Thursday, 6 to 9 p.m.; Friday, 6 to 10 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Sunday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m.
