New Restaurant to Open in Wells Fargo Building

By Emily Hudson - 9 Apr 2008

This summer a new restaurant and lounge being built on the bottom floor of the Wells Fargo building on University Avenue will be joining the ranks of Muse, Velour, Mode, Coal Umbrella and the other businesses catering to the hip, contemporary Provo scene. Spark is the first business venture of Blake Ballard, a BYU alumnus who graduated in accounting. Ballard hopes by mixing a chef formally trained in French cuisine with affordable prices and a sleek, contemporary atmosphere, Spark will be a big hit. "Spark is a restaurant lounge," Ballard said. "Its primary purpose is to give Provo and Utah Valley a social and cultural experience in food and nightlife by creating a sleek and modern atmosphere." Ballard got the idea for Spark while living in the Bay area in California. "I went to a lot of different bars and lounges and I realized they provide a great social outlet," Ballard said. But Ballard doesn't want to market Spark as a hip spot just for students. "It's not meant to be the BYU hangout," Ballard said. "It's meant to be for anyone looking for an escape; it's all about the experience. The strategy is to give people an out-of-Provo experience." One of the biggest parts of the out-of-Provo experience Ballard talked about will be the food. Viet Pham is the executive chef for Spark, and with formal training in French cuisine and experience working at the Fifth Floor Restaurant, a high-end California restaurant, Pham said he hopes to bring a bit of flare to Provo with his meals. However, the menu will be diverse and will not only feature French foods. Italian and Chinese, among many other flavors, will grace the Spark kitchen. Pham said he was not always excited about the idea of moving from California to work at Spark, but since he's been to Provo and seen the location he has been all in. "I think this will be a breath of fresh air for Provo," Pham said. "I think people here want something more trendy with a nightlife, and I think this is going to be it." With a heavy emphasis on the restaurant aspect of Spark, both Ballard and Pham hope they avoid the stigma that Spark will be a nightclub. Ballard is excited, but cautious about publicizing the restaurant because people might get the wrong idea. "People in the area could have misconceptions about what 'nightlife' entails, and those misconceptions might conflict with their personal beliefs," Ballard said. Ballard was concerned people would get the idea that Spark is going to be a "bar" or a "dance club," two things it will not be. The trouble with the idea of nightclubs in Provo comes mostly from the controversial party spot, Club Omni, which closed some time after a fatal gang-related shooting in 1998. Due to unruly raves, and questionable parking lot activities including alcohol and drug use at Omni, the Provo City Council passed the infamous Dance Hall Ordinance, which required every business or group hosting a dance to provide their own security. It also required Omni to install security cameras, and metal detectors. This ordinance made it nearly impossible for people to sponsor dances, and left many students and residents crying "Footloose." Still, since the ordinance was passed, Provo's live music scene has been growing steadily. But Spark will not cater to this dance hall demographic. "There will obviously be music, so if people end up dancing that's fine," Ballard said. "But there won't be a dance floor; it's not a dance club." Spark is being built in the location that was supposed to be home to The Vault, a dance hall that had ambitions to revive Provo's diminished contemporary clubbing scene in 2005. The club tried to mix dinner with dancing, but the idea didn't go over well. "It just never took off at all, it never happened," said Suzanne York, the designer for Spark. The new restaurant lounge will not only be a night hang out, but will be open during the day as well. "We'll cater to the business crowd more during the day," Ballard said. However, after a certain time at night there will be an 18+ age limit until the lounge closes, which will be about 1 a.m. on weekdays. With the late hours, Spark will provide an opportunity for BYU students to hang out somewhere other than their apartments, or outside after the housing curfew. "Aside from Wendy's there's not really a place for people to go out late at night to hang out in Provo," York said. Graphic Design student Amanda Cockreil was excited about the new addition to Provo's downtown. "I think it has potential to bring a little class to the Provo neighborhood," Cockreil said. "It could be cool."