More than a quarter-century after it first opened in a historic rail car under the Trolley Square water tower, Trolley Wing Co., known for its wings and beer, is closing its remaining locations.
Trolley Wing Co. posted on Facebook on Sunday that it had closed its Taylorsville location on Saturday, and will close its Midvale location this Sunday.
“We’re heartbroken to say goodbye — but we’re also deeply grateful," the post read. “This bar was never just about the booze. It was the familiar faces at the same stools every week. It was first dates, last calls, broken hearts, and laughs till you cry. It was where strangers became regulars, and regulars became family.”
“... Thank you for being part of this wild, beautiful ride,” the post continued.
The original Trolley Wing Co., which opened in 1999, was evicted in 2010 by the previous owners of Trolley Square, reported Kathy Stephenson, a former food reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune.
Scott Sommerdorf | Salt Lake Tribune Trolley Wing Company is closing, after ten years of operation in a streetcar at Trolley Square. The tavern's future is uncertain as the mall undergoes a $60 million revitalization project. But the mall and tavern owners are discussing where the tavern and streetcar may be located, Sunday 2/28/10.
Its namesake rail car was moved to a nearby parking lot on 600 South and wrapped in plastic, all to make way for a multimillion-dollar renovation that included Whole Foods.
Trolley Wing Co. operated in a makeshift spot inside Trolley Square for four years during the construction — only to be evicted, again.
The business moved to Sugar House, and then opened a second location in Midvale in 2018.
That year, SK Hart Properties — which acquired the square in 2012 — returned the century-old streetcar to its place outside the Salt Lake City shopping center on 700 East between 500 South and 600 South.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The iconic trolley car, that has been sitting in storage for several years, is moved back into view at Trolley Square on Monday, Oct. 15, 2018. The empty trolley car, last seen housing the Trolley Wing Company was moved into place on the north plaza by Pottery Barn.
In 2019, Trolley Wing Co. reopened in the streetcar at Trolley Square.
In 2021, original Trolley Wing Co. owners Jesse Wilkerson and Jeff Krie closed the tiny but iconic streetcar for what Wilkerson described as “the greater good of the company as a whole.”
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake City's Trolley Wing Co. is once again serving cold beer and chicken wings from its namesake streetcar at Trolley Square. Owner Jess Wilkerson was evicted in 2010 by the mallÕs previous owners to make way for a multimillion-dollar renovation. Earlier this year, the trolley car was returned and Wilkerson has spent the past few months remodeling.
After being denied a liquor license by the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for a new Taylorsville location of Trolley Wing Co., Wilkerson said that he and Krie had the option to “borrow” the bar license from their namesake location and move it to the new spot.
Redditors reported in December that the Sugar House location of Trolley Wing Co. had closed. The Tribune reached out to a manager to confirm the closure but never received a reply.
A phone call placed Monday to the remaining location in Midvale wasn’t answered.