Published by Paul Ivinskas
Saturday, October 24, 2026

Everything Utah, every day.

Help Utahns understand their communities and hold government accountable. Our mission →

Directory · Business profiles

Cafe Rio Mexican Grill

Cafe Rio is a restaurant business that grew from a 1997 opening in St. George into a multistate brand.

Food & beverage · Salt Lake City · Sources checked October 20, 2026. Flag an error

Official company website ↗Salt Lake City news and communityBusiness directory in Salt Lake City

Cafe Rio’s company account begins in St. George in 1997, where Steve and Patricia Stanley opened the first restaurant. The business grew around a fast-casual Mexican-food format. Its company-authored corporate profile lists Salt Lake City as headquarters, distinguishing the present business base from the southern Utah origin. [1] [2]

The chain’s recognizable menu and restaurant format connect that local beginning to a larger food-service operation. Its own descriptions emphasize preparation in individual restaurants and its sweet pork barbacoa. For readers, the history is a way to understand the brand’s Utah connection without treating promotional awards, restaurant counts or claims about every ingredient as independently verified operating facts. [1] [2]

Sources

  1. Company-sponsored founding history (KSL, April 26, 2024)
  2. Company-authored headquarters and restaurant description

Most sources here are the company’s own, so they describe its activities, not how well its products perform.

All organization profiles →

Saved on this device. Statewide news and alerts remain available.