Before It Opens, a Sneak Peek at Natalie Young's Eat

Grid View

• The Eat logo.
• The waiting area at Eat.
• This outdoor courtyard will soon be patio dining.
• Lights at Eat.
• Artwork at Eat.
• More handwritten artwork on the walls of Eat.
• Bar stools at Eat.
• These chairs are made from 111 recycled soda bottles.
• The green chairs were discovered in a warehouse and became the first design element for Eat.
• Artwork on the walls of Eat.
• This will be seating within the 71-capacity Eat.
• An herb garden greets guests as they walk in.
• The kitchen at Eat.

Natalie Young says her new restaurant Eat, set to debut Sept. 15, is really a tribute to the community. Zappos head honcho Tony Hsieh owns 50 percent of the breakfast and lunch spot, the first business he's funded in Downtown Vegas. A contractor donated shades and the labor to install them because they believed in the project. Project Dinner Table founder Gina Gavan gave Young two chairs for the waiting area. Even the gas company installed a line to the restaurant free of charge.

"It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a city to raise a breakfast joint," Young says. "Or at least, it took a city to raise this one. There are way too many people who helped in way too many ways, big and small."

Walking inside the 2,200-square-foot restaurant, a fresh herb garden with oregano, thyme and basil grows out of the walls. Young used reclaimed wood pallets to decorate the walls and the sign that adorns the inside. In the kitchen, Young found gently used equipment to keep the costs down.

Once open this weekend, Eat plans to serve up breakfast and lunch seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
· All Coverage of Eat [~ELV~]