“I think what truly makes it special are the people who work here - their passion, their appreciation of beauty, and their love of helping others find the perfect piece to mark a moment in time.” Dominique Anderson was speaking from the heart, seated in one of Salt Lake City’s most elegant and storied spaces: the historic O.C. Tanner Jewelers flagship store.

“It is all about what you have in your own backyard.” And that backyard for James Fowler is Salt Lake City where he has run Sugar House Distillery since 2013.

“I come in every day and still cannot believe this place is ours,” Tammy Barrow said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s the most fascinating place I’ve ever been.” Nestled in a nondescript building, Got Old Wood is anything but ordinary. Step inside and you are instantly transported into history, into craft, into heart. The mother-daughter team of Tammy and Julie Adler-Birch brings reclaimed barnwood back to life, one story and one board at a time.

“I don’t think coffee has to be complicated but it does have to be excellent.” That simple belief sits at the heart of Three Pines Coffee, Nick Price’s first café, tucked into a narrow storefront on South Main Street in Salt Lake City. Opened in 2015, it is a quiet, focused space - no trendy gimmicks, no bells and whistles. Just really good coffee, done right.

“He just can’t die. He’s too needed. I thought he would be with me forever because we’ve been together forever,” said Patsy Savas, reflecting on the sudden loss of her husband, Jim. The Grove Market & Deli - built by Jim’s father, Pete Savas, in 1947 - has been a fixture in the Salt Lake City community for generations.

“This was always the goal, owning our own place,” said Andrew Fuller. “I just had to be patient enough to wait for the right moment.” For Andrew Fuller and his wife, Angelena, that moment arrived in February 2019 with the opening of Oquirrh, a refined yet welcoming American restaurant nestled in downtown Salt Lake City. At once personal and quietly romantic, Oquirrh reflects their shared story: a love for good food, deep respect for craft, and an unshakable partnership that spans both life and work.

“We didn’t start with a business plan or a brand. We started with trust and respect,” said Jorge Rojas. “And a shared belief that artists need each other.” That quiet foundation is what makes Material feel so different. Tucked into a modest building in Salt Lake City, the artist-run space opened with a clear and deliberate mission: to support, exhibit, and elevate other people’s work.

“Underneath it all, it’s about community. That’s what drove me to take the risk of opening a small business, because thriving cities depend on thriving local businesses. And that doesn’t happen without people willing to give everything they have.” Kate Risser did not set out to become the founder of Botanika. The path that led her to this bright, airy, minimalist shop in Salt Lake City was anything but straight-forward. It is a story of reinvention and a deep desire to create something meaningful - not just for herself, but for those around her.

“We’re much better at making beer than marketing. At the end of the day, we just want people to feel like they’re hanging out in our living room, enjoying something we love to create.” Tim Chappell’s path to owning his eponymous Chappell Brewing, one of the smallest breweries in Salt Lake Valley, was anything but linear.

"For us, coffee is an important daily practice, it is our holy water. Honestly, it is a religion to us."  Erin Butler and Nick Price wanted a name that made people laugh but also made them curious. The name ‘Holy Water’ just kind of stuck. That irreverent charm runs through everything at Holy Water, the coffee shop co-founded by the two in June 2023. The name hints at something sacred, but also playful - exactly the kind of balance they set out to strike.

“I turned to Byron and said, ‘Can we be a donut shop?’ And boom, here we are.” Kandy and Byron Tesen never set out to open a bakery. In fact, when they first met in the Army over two decades ago, they could not have imagined that one day, they would be creating rosemary chocolate chip cookies, lavender and earl grey mini loaves, and glazed habanero peach donuts in their own sun-filled café. But after years of service and sacrifice, the couple opened Eats - a vegan bakery that is equal parts community hub and creative playground.

“Finally, something I actually enjoy drinking.” That was the reaction of Jennifer Carleton when she first tried hard cider in a pub outside Galway.” Jennifer is the founder of Mountain West Hard Cider along with her husband Jeff. Jennifer had always loved mulled cider - the warm, spiced, non-alcoholic kind served during the holidays. But it was not until a 2008 work trip to Ireland that she discovered its boozy cousin: crisp, refreshing, and poured like a pint of beer.

In every bite, I want people to feel the love and care, and to feel closer to Argentina.” That has always been Ana Valdemoros’s hope with Argentina’s Best Empanadas. Born in Córdoba and raised in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, Ana came to Salt Lake City in 2000 to study city planning at the University of Utah. At the time, there were few options for traditional Argentine food.

“The recipes are ours,” Mohammad Naim said. “They are what we grew up eating. Now we’re lucky enough to share them.” When he opened Afghan Kitchen in 2016, Mohammad was filling a gap - not just in cuisine, but in culture and connection. Years earlier, Mohammad had launched a small spot downtown called Curry and Kabab, but it was only after recognizing how few Afghan restaurants existed in Salt Lake City that the vision for something deeper took hold. “There were a few back in the 1990s,” he explained, “but they had closed. Since our U.S. soldiers had spent time in Afghanistan, many had become familiar with our food. So, I thought why not?”

“If you can envision it, we’ll make it happen.” Deb Holbrook smiled as she said this, and she meant it. Since 2022, she and her husband Chris have been the proud owners of the Salt Lake Institute of Culinary Education (SLICE), a thriving, hands-on culinary school and event space that has become a haven for aspiring chefs, curious home cooks, and anyone who simply wants to share a great meal and learn something new in the process.

“We believe the world needs more connection. And we built PLUNJ Salt Lake to make that possible.” That vision has guided Brian Brown and his three business partners - Ronnie Withaeger, Michael Bunn, and Jason Blickenstaff - from the earliest conversations about opening a Scandinavian-style bathhouse in Salt Lake City. Though each came from different backgrounds - tech, business, design - they shared a yearning for something more grounded, more communal. When they discovered PLUNJ, everything clicked.

“The two things that bring people together, no matter who they are, are sports and food. And that’s what we built this place on.” Frank and Jovanna Henry, owners of Creole & Sliders Cafe, did not move to Salt Lake City with the intention of opening a restaurant. They came to retire.

“When you walk into Planted, you’re walking into a piece of my heart.” Tucked into the garden level of Salt Lake City’s vibrant Maven District - a community of more than one hundred women-owned businesses - Planted Salon feels more like a sanctuary than a shop. The soft hum of hair dryers mingles with laughter, the scent of rosemary and mint drifts through the air, and conversations range from celebratory to cathartic. For owner Tori Plant, it is not just a salon. It is a place where connection, care, and creativity live side by side.

"I’m just trying to make the world a little bit better through food.” That has been Ian Brandt’s guiding principle from the start. For over two decades, he has been at the forefront of Salt Lake City’s plant-based dining movement, driven not by profit, but by a deep commitment to the planet, the animals, and the people who share it. Vertical Deli, his newest venture opened in June 2025, is the latest expression of that mission - this time, with a drive-through window and a focus on speed, convenience, and community.

“I got my first set of oil paints when I was five years old. I’ve been making art ever since,” announced Stephen Teuscher, one of the trio that founded Studio-de-Verre (studio of glass). As for the other two, it was the illustrations in the Golden Braid books that got Kerry Transtrum hooked on art at age three. For Dan Cummings, he knew in the second grade, when he received all kinds of accolades for a saber-toothed tiger that he drew, exactly what he was going to do the rest of his life.