Moving to a smaller location across the street from the Soup Kitchen

Bob Evans decided to go into the coffee business 20 years ago when he bought Rimini Coffee. Rimini is a local supplier of many other coffee shops and restaurants in Salt Lake City. Evan’s adoration for the “community gathering environment” provided by the coffee shops he serviced made him decide he needed to get into the retail business as well. He opened Blue Cat’s coffee then changed the name to Sugar House Coffee in 2002.

Sugar House Coffee was on the historic Granite Block corner and thrived in that location. Evans who has been described as “Uncle Bob” by his employees—has always been very accepting of teens who fall outside of the norm.

Sugar House Coffee embraced the bohemian tradition of Sugar House. When the Granite Block was determined to be demolished, Evans relocated to a much larger space on 2100 South and 1000 East. He shared the space with the Lucky Jeans Co. who occupied the upper-level. Once Lucky had to close, “it was just much too large for what we needed or could occupy,” Evans attempted to find another tenant to share the space but decided to relocate the shop to a smaller space just a block away.

Evan’s has used local artists to decorate the walls and the new space has much of the same feel as the old, just without the second level. The new Sugar House Coffee is now open.

Watch a video Utah Stories produced on Sugar House Coffee and the Sugar House Granite Block produced in 2007