Roosters Hospitality Group
Legacy Business
253 25th Street, Ogden, UT (listed in Lower 25th Street Historic District, original construction 1893)
2325 B Avenue, Ogden, UT (National Register eligible, built 1945)
748 W. Heritage Park Boulevard, Suite 101, Layton, UT
The People Behind It
Founders and Owners: Kym and Pete Buttschardt
At a Glance
For 30 years, Kym and Pete Buttschardt have operated in historic spaces on Ogden's most significant historic corridor, treating older buildings not as liabilities but as assets worth caring for. They helped catalyze the revitalization of Historic 25th Street at a time when its future was uncertain, and they have remained rooted there through every challenge since. Their civic presence, nonprofit support, and commitment to community gathering have made Roosters something that no new business can replicate overnight: a trusted, familiar, and genuinely beloved part of the place it serves.
The Story
When Kym and Pete Buttschardt opened Roosters Brewing Co. on Historic 25th Street in 1995, Ogden's downtown was at a crossroads. The street had a colorful and complicated past, known for decades as a rough corridor few businesses were willing to bet on. They renovated a 119-year-old building that had been a Chinese laundry during 25th Street's earlier era and opened with a stated goal that has guided every decision since: to create a community gathering space first, and a restaurant and brewery second.
Pete came to Ogden via Philadelphia, studying economics at the University of Utah and working in restaurants before hearing about an opportunity at Union Station. He opened Union Grill in 1991. Kym, who had grown up in Ogden in a family that owned a restaurant, joined him shortly after. She has described her decision to return as a commitment not just to Pete but to the city itself: if she was coming back to Ogden, she was going to help make it a place worth coming back to.
Over the following three decades, that commitment took many forms. The Roosters Hospitality Group grew to include additional Roosters locations in Layton and Ogden's B Street district, Union Grill, now celebrating 35 years, and The Coop, with breweries, catering operations, and a licensed presence at Salt Lake City International Airport. Each expansion was approached with the same preservation-minded philosophy that guided the first: choosing historic buildings and neighborhood-centered locations, treating the challenges of older structures as opportunities rather than obstacles, and modernizing sensitively without sacrificing the character that makes a place worth inhabiting.
Preservation Work
Operating in historic spaces over the long term requires more than good intentions. It requires consistent reinvestment, the willingness to absorb higher maintenance costs and infrastructure limitations, and the discipline to make decisions that honor a building's history even when easier paths exist. The Buttschardts weathered recessions and the COVID-19 pandemic, with some years seeing one location offset another's losses, navigating those pressures without abandoning the places and values that define the group.
Each of Rooster's locations has been chosen and cared for with the understanding that the building itself is part of what the business offers: a place with history, character, and a sense of belonging that no new construction can replicate overnight. That philosophy, applied consistently across 30 years and multiple properties, is itself a form of preservation, keeping historic spaces active, economically viable, and woven into the daily life of the communities around them.
Why It Matters
The success of Roosters and Union Grill helped transform Historic 25th Street from a struggling corridor into a destination that became a backdrop for festivals, a farmers' market, concerts, and civic events. Kym and Pete were not passive beneficiaries of that transformation. They were among its primary architects.
Beyond their properties, both have been steadfast contributors to civic life. Kym has served on the boards of Ogden's Chamber of Commerce, the Dinosaur Park, the Museum Foundation, the Zions Bank Advisory Board, and the GOAL Sports Foundation and received a Lifetime Community Service Award from the American Red Cross of Utah in 2015. Paid time off for volunteer work is part of the Roosters' benefits package, ensuring that community engagement is built into the organization at every level.
In 2023, the Utah Restaurant Association honored Roosters with its Golden Spoon: Restaurateur of the Year award. Kym described the recognition simply: it is for restaurateurs with a community-minded spirit. That spirit has defined the Roosters Hospitality Group from its first day on 25th Street to the present.