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Tuscany Turns 20

PARTY LIKE IT’S 1996: Utah Jazz Great Mark Eaton celebrates 20 years of fine dining success at Tuscany in Salt Lake City

For Immediate Release: March 1, 2016

Former Governor Mike Leavitt dubbed March 1, 1996 as “Mark Eaton Day” in Utah when the Jazz retired their All-Star center’s iconic No. 53. The day was one that the 7-foot-4 Eaton will never forget, and not just because he saw his 3XL jersey hoisted to the rafters alongside those of Jazz legends Pete Maravich, Frank Layden and Darrell Griffith. That same week in 1996, Eaton also opened a restaurant called Tuscany with three partners and 20 years later, the name Tuscany is just as iconic in Salt Lake City as the NBA’s all-time per-game shot-block leader.

Opening Tuscany was a new challenge for a man whose legendary work ethic improbably took him from 21 year old auto-mechanic to NBA All-Star. But just as he did in basketball, Eaton overcame long odds to find lasting success in the restaurant business and plans to party like it’s 1996 with business partner Guy Wadsworth and restaurant patrons alike when Tuscany turns 20 on March 11, 2016.

“It’s almost impossible to replace the camaraderie and excitement our Jazz teams experienced together on the court,” Eaton said. “But we’ve come close here at Tuscany and I’m very proud of the two successful decades my team has spent together in the very challenging restaurant business. To reach this incredible 20-year milestone is extremely fulfilling, and we’ll be rolling out 1996 menu items and 1996 prices to thank the great people of Utah who helped us build a successful business.”

Tuscany will also celebrate its 20th birthday with a two week -long sweepstakes in which customers will have the opportunity to win an Easter Brunch for 8, Dining gift certificates and a weekend in Moab. Contestants may enter the drawing by stopping by Tuscany or at www.tuscanyslc.com

Referred to as a “Northern Italian gastronomic extravaganza” by Zagat, Tuscany has won dozens of awards for outstanding food, wine, service and atmosphere in its two decades. And its signature menu items – the Double-Cut Marinated Pork Chop and the 7-foot-4 Chocolate Cake – have become just as iconic to Utahns as Eaton’s great Jazz teams of the 1990s.

Tuscany Chef Adam Vickers plays the role of All-Star on this team and wows his audience with a vast array of skill and expertise in creating distinctive, mouth-watering seasonal menus. But Vickers is far from a one-man show. The restaurant also boosts the local economy by providing 75 jobs at any given time and – just like the Jazz of the 1990s – Tuscany’s road to success has been paved by 20-years of commitment and teamwork.

The endearing selflessness of Tuscany’s staff was never more apparent than on January 27, 2016, when workers went far beyond the extra mile to help deliver Eric and Heather Bailey’s third child, a baby boy named Christopher, during the couple’s pre-Valentine’s Day Dinner.

Tuscany server Sydney Malrose, who helped deliver Christopher on an evening that is now part of Salt Lake City folklore, said teamwork and work ethic have helped the restaurant carve out its own special place in the heart of Utahns – just as Eaton did in his 12-year career with the Jazz.

“We all feed off of each other’s commitment to making this restaurant special,” Malrose said. “I’m proud to be a role player on this incredible team at Tuscany.”

Mark Eaton couldn’t have said it better. For more on Tuscany and its 20-year anniversary, please visit: www.TuscanySLC.com/contest.

ABOUT TUSCANY
Founded on a historic, wooded site in 1996 by former NBA All-Star Mark Eaton and his partners on the day the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year’s jersey was retired by the Utah Jazz, Tuscany has been filling the hearts (and stomachs) of Utahns for 20 years with the finest Northern Italian cuisine in Salt Lake City. Continually rated as one of America’s top restaurants by Zagat, Tuscany is rich in natural beauty and artistic, culinary treasures – just as its namesake region in Italy. Built in the style of a northern Italian Alps chalet, Tuscany offers an unparalleled escape into culinary bliss. Become a part of Tuscany’s ongoing story by making your reservations today!

MEDIA CONTACT
Paul Corliss
Grizzly Sports Marketing
917.621.5744 | pc@gogrizzly.org