Contento Cafe
Address: 2280 South West Temple Street
Telephone: 801-455-1959
Website: instagram.com/contentocafeslc
District: South Salt Lake
“The devil is in the details but that is also where the magic happens. I believe if you marry food, service, and music just right, people can feel the love in the space.” Loren Bell, owner of Contento Cafe, never imagined that grief would be the bridge to his dream.
After moving to Utah from San Francisco in 1990 to study biology at the University of Utah, Loren was drawn not only to the classroom but to the natural beauty of Southern Utah. He spent his free time snowboarding, whitewater rafting, and cycling. Eventually, he transitioned into a full-time career as an arborist and master gardener. But something deeper had been stirring in him for decades.
“I read Diet for a New America by John Robbins back in high school,” Loren recalled. “It changed my life.” The book, written by the heir to the Baskin & Robbin's empire, challenged conventional ideas about food, farming, and health. Loren began to examine where his food came from, eventually visiting feedlots and slaughterhouses himself. “It was worse than I could have imagined,” he said. The experience sparked a lifelong commitment to organic, responsibly raised food and a skepticism toward processed ingredients and industrial agriculture.
That same passion took physical form in 2023 when Loren opened Contento - a fully gluten-free, organic Mexican café and coffee bar - in South Salt Lake City. The journey to opening was long and often painful. In 2020, just a month after taking over the space that once housed Vertical Diner, Loren’s wife took her own life after battling postpartum depression. At the time, their son was just over a year old.
“I disappeared for two years,” Loren said softly. “I was raising two kids on my own. My son developed asthma - grief can do that to a little one. And then COVID hit. I tried to come back to the project, but everything shut down again.” Still, the unfinished café lingered in his heart. “I felt driven to finish what I started. It was important for them and for me.”
Loren knew exactly what kind of place he wanted to build. He loved Mexican food. “Everyone loves Mexican food,” he grinned, “but I couldn’t find anything here that was organic, or even remotely clean.” He gathered a few friends and started experimenting in the kitchen. They perfected dishes together - fresh tortillas, tacos bursting with flavor, and his favorite: the chicken nachos.
“Everything we serve is organic and seed-oil free,” Loren said. “Even the animal products - if they’re not raised naturally, I won’t touch them.” Contento’s menu offers a full breakfast and lunch with dishes like huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, loaded nachos, and rotating taco specials. The kitchen opens early for coffee lovers, offering espresso drinks and pour-overs made with single-origin beans, Loren’s other obsession. “I’m snobby about coffee. It had to be done right.”
Though he does not drink himself, Loren added a full bar, offering craft cocktails and wine. “It’s what people want when they’re having Mexican food, and most places here only serve beer and wine.”
Contento opened its doors on Cinco de Mayo - May 5th, 2023, and quickly drew a crowd. “People drive here from Draper, Bountiful, even Utah County,” Loren said. “We’re on the gluten-free and seed-oil-free scout apps. Some people with celiac literally have nowhere else to go for Mexican food.”
The space itself reflects Loren’s passion for rebuilding and restoring. “I love fixing up old homes. I built a cabin with a friend. This restaurant - this was my art.” Though colorblind, Loren worked closely with local artists and designers to bring warmth and vibrancy to the café. Plants from Orchid Dynasty fill the corners, and light pours through the large front windows. The vibe is relaxed, with a mix of regulars from the neighborhood and newcomers discovering the spot for the first time. “I call it the ghetto, but in a loving way,” Loren said with a chuckle. “Some of the best food in the world is found in places people overlook.”
“I still work as a gardener and arborist,” Loren said. “I still care deeply about the environment. But here, I get to share something immediate with people. I get to nourish them.” He recently took over the house next door for expansion and storage, quietly growing the dream.
“I’m not celiac,” Loren explained. “But I eat this way because I vote with my money. I don’t support how they’re growing our grains. I think if more people knew what was going into their food, they’d change how they eat too. That’s what I’m trying to do - make food that matters.”
“I never worked in a restaurant before this. But I always wanted to own one. And now, here it is. People come in, they feel good, and they come back. That’s everything.”
