Ramblin’ Roads rambles into more locations
-
- Christine Celia of Ramblin’ Roads, now with six different locations in Weber, Davis and Salt Lake counties.
-
- The Hobo Scramble at Ramblin’ Roads — a mix of veggies, bacon, spinach and ham, topped with scrambled eggs.
-
- A Reuben sandwich at Ramblin’ Roads.
-
- Nutella crepes at Ramblin’ Roads.
-
- A scone at Ramblin’ Roads.
The owners of Ramblin’ Roads Family Restaurants have rambled a lot in the last five years. Started by Martha Celia in North Salt Lake in 1990, it later moved to Bountiful, and was known for hearty breakfasts and comfort food classics.
Then in 2020, Ramblin’ Roads made the jump to Ogden. When Martha’s husband Randy Celia noticed the vacant restaurant building at 1720 West 12th Street, he brought up the possibility of opening another restaurant with Martha and daughter Christine Celia, who also worked at Ramblin’ Roads. Christine was wary because it was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“But it’s done really well,” said Christine, who ran the Ogden site while her mother ran the Bountiful location.
They weren’t done yet.
In 2021, another Ramblin’ Roads opened at 296 N. Main St. in Layton, previously the Cantina Southwestern Grill.
In 2022, the Celias opened a South Ogden location at 1765 Skyline Drive, in a former Village Inn site.
In 2023, Midvale got a Ramblin’ Roads, in the former Epic Brewery location.
And in March of this year, Ramblin’ Roads doubled its efforts with two new Ramblin’ Roads in downtown Salt Lake, just a block away from each other.
One restaurant, at 169 S. Main St., is the site of the former Lamb’s Grill. In its heyday, Lamb’s was a power-lunch spot for politics and business deals. It closed in 2017, after several years of financial struggles.
The second Salt Lake location is at 206 S.W. Temple St., in the Holiday Inn Express.
What spurred Ramblin’ Roads’ expansion of six new restaurants in six years? Christine Celia credits the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Restaurants were going out of business, and we were able to get into buildings that the owners just wanted rented and maintained,” Celia said. “It was a good time to get into leasing.” (The company doesn’t own any of the buildings.)
At the same time, the public had been cooped up during the pandemic, and wanted to go out.
“People wanted to get out of their homes, and to have a meal, even if they had to sit 6 feet apart,” she said. “We were what people were crying for. Opening a restaurant doesn’t take long to put up partitions and booths, and throw some paint on the walls. It was a lucky time.”
Although other restaurants had post-pandemic staffing shortages, Christine Celia said it wasn’t a problem until the two Salt Lake restaurants opened at the same time. The other restaurants were too busy to move staff to help train in Salt Lake.
Also, they depended on family.
“We have a small family, but a very tight family. We could get our family involved with great teamwork — my brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. If they’re not here tearing a wall out, they are at another restaurant making sure things are up to par.”
The skyrocketing price of eggs was definitely a challenge, since Ramblin’ Roads specializes in all-day breakfast. Omelets, eggs Benedict and scrambles like the Hobo (sautéed veggies with ham, bacon, and sausage, topped with scrambled eggs).
“The price went from $56 for 15 dozen eggs, to $169,” Celia said. “It’s dropping back down. But we didn’t add a surcharge for eggs in our menu, we just eat the costs for the time being, knowing eventually it will come back to us.”
She credits her mother Martha as “the brains of the operation. And I’m the brawn.”
Over the years, Martha Celia honed the menu based on customer appeal. “My mother is a smart woman, and our menu has been condensed to where we don’t have a lot of extra inventory,” Christine Celia said.
The menus are the same, but each location is different. Layton and Ogden’s 12th Street locations are doing the best, sales-wise. South Ogden got off to a slower start, Christine Celia said.
“The 12th Street location has a lot of farmers who come in really early and like anything smothered in gravy,” she added.
The Layton venue gets more chili verde orders. Bountiful serves more alcoholic drinks, which is interesting considering it’s the only Ramblin’ Roads that’s open for breakfast and lunch only.
Midvale sells more dinners than the other locations. In Salt Lake, she expects more lunches and dinners, due to downtown events and the nearby Eccles Theater.
Crepes are a signature item. Utah-style scones (deep-fried dough) are another big seller.
Ramblin’ Roads also offers gluten-free waffles, pancakes and toast.
For lunch there are burgers and sandwiches such as the Reuben and the Malibu (a breaded chicken breast topped with ham and melted Swiss cheese). Dinner options include classics like country-fried steak, breaded pork chops, old-fashioned meatloaf, roast beef, and chicken-fried chicken.
It’s also one of a handful of places that still serve old-school liver and onions. The expansions have been hard work, she said: “It’s something you definitely have to have a passion for. You will never be rich, but there’s a network you gain from lifelong customers and employees.”
