Our Story
The last 4 years tested our resolve in so many ways. They also showed us grace. They gave us a chance to focus on what truly matters in this world. Our loved ones. From our children, the youngest we look forward to welcoming this February, to our extended restaurant family that has been together up and down Main Street for over 20 years.
We celebrate two decades of good vibes and great food this year, so it’s been a reflective and adventure filled year with lots of reminiscing on our journey, so much learning and thinking about the future, and tons of laughs. This Holiday Season we have so much to be thankful for - family, friends, and especially you! As a family business, your support means the world to us. We’re grateful that you believe in what we are creating, and we feel lucky to have you as part of this amazing journey.
Cheers to you and here’s to a joy filled year ahead!
Like the wild horses of the west, we came close to disappearing from the landscape forever. Also like the Mustang, our story is filled with more than tragedy, it is also filled with resilience, love and hope. This is the story of the Mustang Restaurant………..
There are some of us that are drawn to the restaurant industry. There is a certain magic in the lifestyle, the friendships, the experience. To be in the service of others, even serving a steak, has a beauty in its humility. In these mountains our industry binds us, it is a community and to be a part of it is special beyond words.
Dustin got his first introduction to restaurants during his Park City High School days as a dishwasher for Hans at Grub Steak. After taking a break from the restaurant industry to pursue a degree from the University of Utah and a career as a stock broker, Dustin returned to Park City and to the restaurant industry. From manager of Easy Street on Main to food and beverage manager at the Stein Eriksen Lodge, Dustin dreamed of one day owning his own restaurant.
Dustin wasn’t the only one with big dreams, after working as the Executive Chef for Riverhorse and helping them establish their notoriety, Bill Huffered decided to pioneer his own legacy. In 2004 Bill and his wife Kelly founded the Mustang Restaurant on Main Street.
Dustin met Bill and Kelly when he came to work as a server at the Mustang in 2008. They worked together for 6 years before tragedy struck and Bill left us unexpectedly. But like the wildflowers that bloom after the fire. From the ashes came new life to The Mustang. In 2015 Dustin became the owner of the Mustang Restaurant.
When you truly love what you do and who you do it with, it transcends into something more. Over the years our guests and our staff have become our friends and our family.
In 2020, we went from the birth of our daughter to one month later having our restaurant shut down. When we tried to reopen for the summer of 2020 we quickly realized that we could not do what we do and keep our staff safe. That winter of 20-21 we were reduced to 50% capacity and it did not make sense to try and open. Everything that we had worked so hard for seemed to be going backwards. Our future was uncertain. But, we still had each other and we still had hope.
The winter of 21-22 was approaching. There was no snow and no staff. We were reopening in the worst labor market and the highest demand we had ever seen. We were blessed to have been able to retain ⅔ of our staff after being closed for 19 months, but it wasn’t going to be enough. Then came the knock on the door.
We are grateful to the ski resorts for being open as they are the lifeblood to our business, but this last year they brought us more than business. Our heroes for the 21-22 season were the genuine, hard working, kind J-1 employees. No matter how difficult their days on the mountain had been they showed up ready to work with a smile on their face. They will forever hold a special place in our hearts. To be completely honest, we could not have done it without them.
As if on cue the snow began to fall and the season had begun. The snow came everyday and so did the tourists. We saw the negative backlash towards the other businesses that were suffering from overcrowding and lack of staffing. And so the Mustang Dining Experience began as a way to preserve our level of excellence. It was unlike any winter I have ever experienced, but we survived. We survived what 85% of our industry did not. Not only did we survive our circumstances, we figured out a way to thrive within them. The secret to grit is in grace.
Since that winter we have been voted #1 Fine Dining Restaurant two years running. The overwhelming support and positive feedback from our community warms our hearts more than you will ever know. If you have never experienced the Mustang or it has been a while come on down and say hi. For us, every challenge is an opportunity, our labor shortages have us dusting the rust off of some old skills, but it has also given us a chance to reconnect to the people that make our dream possible. There are not many places left on Main Street where the owners take care of you personally or where everyone still knows your name.
I get asked all of the time, why don't we advertise? The truth is, what we have is special. Anyone in business will tell you that the more you grow the more you lose that special quality. That essence, that magic, that special moment in time when it is still personal, before the demands of growth detach you.
The landscape of Main Street has changed over the years since I first came to Park City. We almost disappeared with the misfits, the rebels, the relics of a time remembered. But, like the wild horse the Mustang survived.
I realize now that our wealth could never be taken away, because it is not measured in silver or gold, but in the lifestyle, we have built, the experiences created and the relationships we have forged in these mountains.
Deep down I think we all came out west looking for the same thing: a place where we can be optimistic about the future, a place that helps us to be who we really want to be, so that we can feel like this life makes sense. A place to discover our destiny. A place where the wild Mustang in all of us can still run free.