There\u2019s something new happening in Utah County and it comes with both the scent of fresh pizza and a sense of goodwill.<\/p>\n
Fini Pizza and Fini Caf\u00e9, co-founded by Sean Feeney [pronounced Fini], are the first restaurants to open in Utah City, a 700-acre, mixed-use development in Vineyard that aims to be the area\u2019s lively, walkable urban center. For those following the neighborhood\u2019s progress, it finally feels real. And what better way to start than with pizza?<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up in New Jersey and my parents invested heavily in experiences,\u201d Feeney explained. \u201cA lot of those experiences were traveling, restaurants and eating dinners as a family every night, which has stayed with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
After college, Feeney moved to New York and found that he had a talent for connecting with people, especially in restaurant settings.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor 13 years, working in finance, I would go out, five to six nights a week and meet people and build relationships,\u201d Feeney recalled.<\/p>\n
Feeney married his wife, Maria, in 2008. Not long after, he became friends with a chef who lived in their apartment building, which deepened his passion for connection through food. This partnership encouraged him to take a chance and in 2016, he opened his first restaurant, Lilia, in Williamsburg. By 2019, Feeney left finance to focus fully on the restaurant world. Today, he owns 10 restaurants, including five Fini Pizza locations, with four in New York.<\/p>\n
The Utah City restaurant is Fini\u2019s first location outside the Empire State.<\/p>\n
A Brooklyn original, now calling Utah home, Fini is not just another pizza shop. It started in Brooklyn and became known for its modern take on the classic neighborhood pizzeria. The restaurant serves New York style pizzas in a lively, welcoming space and cares about the communities within which it operates. You can order pizza by the slice or as a whole pie. (Be sure to try the white pizza with lemon and a drizzle of hot honey-chili!)<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we started Fini in 2022, I did it because of all the great things I had experienced growing up with pizzerias,\u201d Feeney explained. \u201cI wanted to be the best version of what I loved about them. One of the things I loved was that they sponsored youth sports teams.\u201d <\/p>\n
Fini is known for supporting local communities. The brand has built its reputation by enriching neighborhoods and it plans to bring that same energy to Utah City. \u201cPizzerias are amazing hubs for communities. I am obsessed with pizza, but I am also obsessed with what it does for a community,\u201d Feeney said. \u201cIt really brings it together, whether you try to or not, a pizzeria just does it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fini\u2019s stated mission is in \u201cdelivering good days together.\u201d Feeney believes in shared experiences and strives to create an environment where every visit helps make someone\u2019s day a little brighter.<\/p>\n
Thus, Fini\u2019s \u201cGood Day\u201d community-first touches include 25% off discounts for teachers and first responders and free pies for young readers\u2014children who read at least three books in a month earn a free pizza.<\/p>\n
The restaurant also runs a Clean Streets program. In every neighborhood where Fini operates, the team and a private trash company maintain trash cans. Utah City now has 15 of these cans.<\/p>\n
In addition to pizza, the restaurant offers Fini Hoops (finihoops.com). This initiative kicked off Father\u2019s Day weekend, offering courts, culture and connection to Utah City. Basketball camps will run during the summer for kids ages 8-13.<\/p>\n
\u201cFini Hoops was started in Brooklyn, where we would have high school tournaments throughout the summer. We have done it for four summers,\u201d Feeney explained. \u201cWe now have our own court for Fini Hoops in Utah City; we can do so many great things on it. Anyone can play, any time of day, but on certain days we have camps and tournaments and adult summer leagues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fini Caf\u00e9, a small spot next to the pizzeria, serves fresh bagels, pastries, drinks, salads, sandwiches and Italian ice. Feeney also plans to introduce Family Dinners, where groups can share pasta and other family-style meals.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started coming to Utah for AAU Basketball championships at a very young age,\u201d Feeney said. \u201cThe first time was in 1992. Utah became a place we really enjoyed. When a friend, who was a partner in the Utah City development and was from Utah, told me about the project in 2022, I came out with my family in 2023 to look at the property and consider creative ways we could add to it. It really has become something I could never dream up. We are actually building a community from the ground up.\u201d <\/p>\n
Fini Pizza & Fini Caf\u00e9
875 N. Main Street, Vineyard, Utah
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