Festooned with balloons and a fresh new look inside, a longtime restaurant in West Valley City celebrated its grand re-opening at the end of April.

Hires Big H at 2900 W. 4700 South had been closed since early 2020 in large part because of the COVID-19 pandemic and also to allow for the interior remodeling of the eatery which originally opened in 1987. “It looks fabulous,” said co-owner Jon Hale. “It’s clean, it’s bright, it’s lovely.” 

Known for its burgers, fries, onion rings and, of course, root beer, among other menu items, Hires Big H’s dining room had remained largely unchanged from its opening to when the pandemic kept people away and prompted Hale to take advantage of the down time to renovate the dining room to modernize it while keeping a bit of the nostalgic feel of a 1950’s diner. 

The exterior of the building maintains most of its original white brick appearance and the neon Hires sign will be upgraded sometime in the future.

Aesthetics aside, what brings people in is the food, made possible by Hires’ dedicated employees, many of whom show up at 7:30 each morning to prepare it all from fresh ingredients. “We like to do as many things as we can ourselves because we can maintain the quality that way,” Hale said. “These great people are the backbone of the operation.” 

Hires Big H was started by Jon’s dad, Don Hale, in 1959. The elder Hale also established its companion restaurant, Litzas Pizza, in 1965. Hires has other locations in Salt Lake City and Midvale, which opened before West Valley City.

With its re-opening, West Valley City’s Hires Big H will operate Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with additional days and hours possible in the future depending on how business goes. “After COVID, everything’s a new experience,” Hale said. “You just have to find your niche.” λ