The Rose Establishment
“The food, the drink - all of it is just a means to an end." Erica O'Brien’s vision for The Rose Establishment was clear from the beginning. She wanted to develop a space that went beyond just serving coffee and food. “Ultimately, nothing else matters other than creating a place where people can connect.” This focus on fostering genuine human connections is central to everything at The Rose, from the intentional absence of Wi-Fi, encouraging face-to-face conversations, to the thoughtfully curated menu that prioritizes quality and sustainability.
Originally from a small coal mining town, Erica moved back to Utah after spending her college years in Santa Barbara, California. She graduated in 2010 and came to Salt Lake but was lost. "I was in the yoga industry prior and then eventually I just knew that I wanted to create my own business. At the time, there wasn't a cafe that offered really high quality everything including service without the Wi-Fi." It became clear to her that this was what was missing in this city. "To be honest, it wasn't taken that well in the beginning. It took a long time to catch on as The Rose was one of the first specialty coffee shops in Salt Lake." It has since become a cherished spot for locals. Where did the idea for the name come from? For Erica, experience mattered more than the name - "Like the Shakespearean quote, 'A rose by any other name...', I still think that's true even though branding, especially fourteen years in, is so much more important than it was back then."
"I wasn’t influenced by any family members to open a restaurant. No, the food, the drink - all of it is just a means to an end. Of course, I want it to be done well, with a high standard of taste and a kind of discerning palette. I’m pretty picky about that, but ultimately, it’s all about connecting with people.” Initially, The Rose faced challenges. The concept of high-quality coffee without the typical trappings, like art on the walls or oversized cups filled with sugary concoctions, was new and took time for people to embrace. “We had to kind of trail blaze in a lot of ways." Yet, her persistence paid off, and The Rose became known for its minimalist yet cozy atmosphere, where the focus was always on quality - both in the products served and the experiences provided. "I am really really proud of being one of the only cafes that you can go to and sit inside, and you can have an authentic conversation and not be bothering the people next to you studying or working."
Erica also introduced a toast menu early on, which was a novel idea at the time. “We put a toast menu up and no one had ever done a toast menu before." Inspired by a cafe in San Francisco that served just one type of toast—cinnamon toast, which was her childhood favorite—Erica saw the potential to expand on this simple idea. Despite having no formal culinary training or equipment, she was driven by her love for toast. The menu began with cinnamon toast and quickly grew to include now-classic items like avocado toast, almond butter toast, and buttered toast. “People made fun of us, some loved it, others hated it, asking why we weren’t doing more food." Yet, this creativity and willingness to push boundaries have been hallmarks of The Rose’s evolution, turning what began as a humble toast menu into a trendsetting phenomenon.
The journey of The Rose has been one of constant evolution, beginning with a simple focus on coffee and tea. As the cafe grew, so did its ambitions. Recognizing the value of fresh, homemade offerings, they decided to start baking their own pastries. This naturally led to the introduction of the toast menu, which became a signature element. Over the years, The Rose has continued to expand its offerings by thoughtfully adding innovative items, always pushing the boundaries of what could be done with limited kitchen space. “We call it a cold kitchen because we didn’t have a hood or most of the classic kitchen equipment." Despite these constraints, the team’s creativity shines through in every dish. From cooking eggs on induction burners to using small hot plates, they have continually innovated to provide a full, satisfying food menu that customers would not guess was prepared in such a minimalistic setup. The Rose is a testament to how passion and ingenuity can turn limitations into opportunities for culinary excellence.
In recent years, The Rose has expanded its offerings with a full kitchen and weekend brunch service, adding new layers to the café’s identity while staying true to its original mission. Despite the growth and success, Erica remains candid about the challenges of running a business in the service industry. She acknowledges the difficulties but continues to focus on her core philosophy: creating a space where people can gather and share meaningful conversations. "It's all just a means for people to come and connect, that's it, ultimately nothing else matters."
