OUR STORY
URBAN HILL HERITAGE
Creating popular gathering spots is restaurateur Brooks Kirchheimer’s North Star. The key ingredient? Family. “As family owners, we want a family atmosphere to extend to our associates and guests, to ensure a fun, inviting, amazing experience for all. That’s why we’ve always provided our associates full benefits, hired the best architects to design functional and beautiful restaurants, and assembled the region’s most talented culinary, beverage, and management team.”
At Urban Hill, the Kirchheimer family’s growing collection of “Hills” has reached a new peak with a vibrant fine-dining concept, promising to “make every dining experience a special occasion.” After moving from Los Angeles to Park City in 2010 to manage restaurants at Montage Deer Valley and then Sundance Resort’s Zoom, Brooks opened Hearth and Hill in Kimball Junction in 2018 with a commitment to “Inspire our associates, thrill our guests, and enrich our community.”
A growing events and catering business led to the 2022 opening of Hill’s Kitchen, café & catering, next to Hearth and Hill, sharing its passion for locally sourced, freshly made cuisine and products.
Meanwhile, Salt Lake beckoned. With its blend of sophistication and approachability, Post District—situated near downtown’s sports, cultural, hotel, and business venues—was deemed perfect for Urban Hill. Though the restaurant’s many awards have been gratifying, Brooks and his talented team remain focused on the current guest experience: “We embrace every table as an opportunity to thrill guests with extraordinary service, beverages, cuisine, and ambiance, and in the process, help make Salt Lake a dining destination.”
Through it all, Brooks finds his greatest joy in his wife Catherine, their children Callen and Quinn, and their dogs. “They’re a daily reminder of how important a family culture is for all of us, to help make every day a positive one.”
our commitment:
"To inspire our associates, thrill our guests, and enrich our community."
URBAN HILL team
NICK ZOCCO
EXECUTIVE CHEF
To the delight of Urban Hill’s guests, you can take the chef out of New Mexico, but you can’t take New Mexico out of the chef! True to his roots, Chef Nick infuses many of his creative dishes with the bold, flavorful influences of his native state. He started his career in 2001 at lauded Southwestern fine-dining restaurant La Casa Sena, followed by the Spanish-focused La Boca, where he studied under eight-time James Beard Award-nominated Chef James Campbell. It took Nick just Urban Hill’s opening year to earn his own James Beard finalist Best Chef nomination in early 2024. Nick honed his skills for nine years in Las Vegas, where he worked as a sous chef at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill and under Chef David Walzog at the acclaimed SW Steakhouse in the five-star Wynn Resort. In 2017 he moved to Salt Lake City, where he started as Chef at popular Tupelo, before Brooks Kirchheimer recruited him in 2021, a year before Urban Hill’s opening, to ensure ample time to build the restaurant’s award-winning team and develop its diverse menu while helping run the kitchen at Hearth and Hill.
Jessica Johns
GENERAL MANAGER
Jessica is a Utah native, but had the privilege of growing up all over the world in a military family (USA, Turkey, Germany). She remained curious about cultures and cuisines as she continued her travels and teaching abroad (China, Ukraine). Jessica has a passion for hospitality and making guests feel special. Prior to joining the Leave Room for Dessert Eateries group’s Urban Hill team in 2022, she was Director of Retail Operations and opened two locations with Gourmandise (Utah’s celebrated café & bakery collection), GM of all premium clubs with Levy Restaurants at Vivint Arena, and the GM of Kyoto Japanese Restaurant, Current Fish and Oyster and Sonora Grill. Jessica married her husband Shawn in 2019 and welcomed a beautiful baby boy in 2022. They love soaking up every minute as a family traveling, hiking and seeking new experiences.
Katie Forstner
Beverage Manager & Sommelier
Katie joined Salt Lake’s award-winning fine-dining restaurant Urban Hill in August 2024, where she works alongside James Beard Award finalist Executive Chef Nick Zocco. Currently studying for her WSET Advanced Level III certification, she brings her refined palate and collaborative approach to sourcing Urban Hill’s extensive collection of food-friendly high-end and niche producers. As an undergraduate, Katie developed an interest in the intersection between winemaking and history, which inspired her passion to be a professional sommelier. The Alaskan native relocated to Utah, where she honed her skills at local establishments, such as Pallet, before joining the team at Millcreek’s acclaimed Table X, a chef-driven concept by James Beard Award semi-finalist Chef Mike Blocher. Katie’s interest in wine extends to natural and small-scale winemakers, exploring how history, migration, and old winemaking traditions influence today’s varietals. When she’s not curating exceptional wine selections, Katie loves to backpack, explore the desert, fly fish, travel, and hike, always seeking new outdoor adventures.
Maci Lindsey
Private Event Manager
Maci exudes the love of life, cuisine, gatherings and varied cultures of her native Louisiana. A multi-major Bachelor of Arts graduate of Louisiana State University, she channeled her passion for people into the hospitality and event industry, starting in Nashville. Maci is inspired every day by her interactions with others, whether through small talk with a stranger in the grocery line, a chat with a loved one over dinner, or a team discussion to address client concerns. Outside of work, she’s a dog lover who ended up with a rescue cat named Louise, a tea devotee who’s all about dance classes, and is always down for a crawfish boil. Maci now calls Salt Lake City home and loves exploring SLC hikes and breweries around the city!
locally inspired,
enviormentally conscious
We take pride in using fresh, high-quality ingredients, many of which come from Utah’s dedicated farmers, ranchers, and artisans. These local partnerships allow us to showcase the best of what our region has to offer, while also ensuring that our menu reflects the highest standards. Our commitment to quality extends to every ingredient we use, whether sourced from within Utah or from trusted purveyors elsewhere, ensuring each dish celebrates the finest flavors and ingredients available.
post district, designers, artists
Located in Salt Lake City’s revitalized Post District, just west of Downtown, Urban Hill is part of a vibrant, dynamic community. The stunning space, designed by Denver-based Semple Brown Design, blends beauty, function, and comfort to enhance every guest’s experience. Local artists, including Samantha da Silva, contributed unique pieces that perfectly complement the design, with da Silva’s large-scale works created from raw, natural materials adding a distinctive touch to the restaurant’s aesthetic.
JOIN OUR TEAM
Become part of the exciting Urban Hill team! Our commitment: “To inspire our associates, thrill our guests, and enrich our community.” How do we inspire our associates? Competitive compensation, excellent benefits, opportunities for professional development, work/life balance, a mentoring environment and a convenient location with ample free parking and public transit access. Most of all is a fun, collegial, winning team environment. Check out our open positions and begin your journey to being inspired today!