There’s a hot new destination for Utahns hoping to get their sugar fix. In the past year, a restaurant called Blood Sugar has opened up a number of locations along the Wasatch Front. On any given night their parking lots are packed with cars – mostly belonging to young college students, who are always in on the latest trends.
“Blood Sugar is the BEST,” said U student Jaclyn Meyers. “You go with your friends, hang out, meet new people, listen to some music, all while soaking up that sweet, sweet sugar.”
At Blood Sugar, patrons have an intravenous needle shot in their arm, from which they receive a steady drip of high fructose corn syrup. Dominic Farley, the founder of Blood Sugar, says he was inspired with the idea after visiting Sodalicious, a Utah valley restaurant that exclusively serves soft drinks.
“I had a great experience at Sodalicious,” Farley said. “But I thought to myself, ‘There has to be a more efficient way of ingesting enormous amounts of sugar in a short time.’ That’s how I came up with Blood Sugar.”
The restaurant has received criticism from experts in the nutrition community. Dr. Emily North, a professor of nutrition at the U, said the restaurant doesn’t meet the nutritional standards that young people are accustomed to.
“Sure, they’re getting their sugar,” North said. “But any decent 21st century American diet needs some fat too.”
Blood Sugar has responded to these criticisms by unveiling plans to create a ‘sister’ restaurant called Greasy Heart, where people can have an IV of grease fed directly into their arm.
“With Greasy Heart and Blood Sugar, we’ll be able to provide everyday Americans with an efficient, low-cost source of their primary food groups, without all those preservatives you find at other establishments,” Farley said.
The first Greasy Heart location on Foothill Boulevard is set to open on Oct. 1, but reservations are already booked.
