OGDEN — The Oaks restaurant is poised for a fresh beginning after being shuttered since 2021. This historic landmark in Ogden Canyon, which has served the community for over a century, is almost ready to open its doors once again.
New owner David Neal expressed his enthusiasm for revitalizing the beloved establishment. “People in this community love the Oaks, and I want to bring it back — make it my own while preserving the cherished memories they hold,” he remarked. Neal, who grew up in nearby Clinton and attended Clearfield High School, has fond recollections of family outings to Pineview Reservoir, where a stop at the Oaks for ice cream was a sought-after reward.
“My dad would use it as a carrot for us,” Neal reminisced. “We would go up the canyon to Pineview, and he’d say, ‘If you guys are really good, we’ll stop for some ice cream at the Oaks.’”
Neal aims not only to revive the restaurant but to uphold its rich history. The ice cream shop at the entrance will exclusively serve Farr’s ice cream, a tradition that dates back to the 1930s when the location offered hot dogs and popcorn along with its famed ice cream through a takeout window during summer.
With a diverse background as a statistician, math professor, and culinary instructor, Neal’s journey has taken him from Alaska to California and back to Utah. He currently teaches mathematics at Weber State University and culinary arts at Ogden-Weber Technical College. Despite a successful stint at Wells Fargo, Neal’s passion inevitably led him back to the culinary world.
“When I retired, I said, ‘I want to do something different,’” Neal shared, explaining that he attended culinary school in California but didn’t complete the program due to career commitments. After running a restaurant in the Bay Area while working at Wells Fargo proved too much for his wife, Cora Neal, he eventually sold the restaurant and returned to Utah, where they both pursued their teaching careers.
“We actually looked at another restaurant down the hill called Gray Cliff, but it scared me too much,” Neal recounted. A suggestion from his real estate agent led him to consider the Oaks, and he quickly fell in love with the idea of taking it over.
The couple closed escrow in February and began extensive renovations. Neal described the challenging process of sanitizing, cleaning, and repairing the restaurant, which had fallen into disrepair over the years. With the remodeling nearing completion, he is now focused on preparing for the anticipated opening, tentatively set for November 15.
The excitement surrounding the Oaks is palpable, as evidenced by the recent influx of visitors peering through its windows and cars frequently pulling into the parking lot despite “coming soon” signs. An eager young man even knocked on the door, hoping for an immediate job opportunity.
“I want it to feel like the Oaks once felt — but me. And I feel like we’ve done it,” Neal stated confidently, as he readies to reintroduce this cherished community landmark. The revitalization of the Oaks provides a promising outlook for Ogden Canyon, fostering a sense of nostalgia while ushering in a new era for this historic eatery.