Like Porter Rockwell himself, Porter’s Place will leave Lehi for Juab County. The iconic restaurant will relocate to Main Street in Eureka. The street has been designated a National Historic District and Porter’s Place will be housed there in two historic buildings. Bob Trepanier has indicated he hopes to re-open the restaurant by March 1, 2018, with very much the same menu his Lehi restaurant had.
Main Street in Eureka is also the location of Porter Rockwell’s actual log cabin, which was moved there from his ranch at Cherry Creek, Utah. Eureka is a historic mining town. A historic rail line exists in town and Trepanier owns an old steam engine which he hopes to locate in the area to create a tourist destination.
According to owner Bob Trepanier, “We look forward to opening in Eureka. If I could change the way things ended in Lehi, I would, but Porter’s Place is Eureka presents new opportunities and challenges.” Trepanier said the leadership of the city of Eureka has been very accommodating. “The Mayor or Eureka has all but rolled out the red carpet for us, and it will be nice to be in a city that appreciates its historical character,” said Trepanier.
Nick Castleton, the Mayor of Eureka said, “We’re excited about this and we think it will work out well. We look forward to welcoming Porter’s Place to Eureka.”
The restaurant closed just before Christmas when serious plumbing problems were detected. Lehi City, the owner of the building, investigated the problems and the decision was made to not repair the problems and to terminate Trepanier’s lease on the building. The City has offered to meet with Trepanier since delivering the termination letter, but he has declined the invitation.
