Ali Sabbah is no stranger to awards and accolades. As owner of Mazza Cafe, he has garnered countless “Best Of” honors for the Middle Eastern cuisine and hospitality generously dished up at his iconic Salt Lake City restaurant. And, although he doesn’t call himself a chef (more on that later), he was recently nominated for a James Beard Award as Best Chef in the Mountain region, … [Read more...]
Will Infrastructure Improvements Along 2100 South Ruin Some Of Our Most Beloved Sugar House Businesses?
Projected to span over the next four years, Sugar House will be experiencing a one-two punch of construction. First, Highland Drive will be getting a resurfacing that was supposed to begin at the end of February. This project will start at around 1700 South and new paving will go all the way to the 1-80 freeway overpass at around 2200 South. Then, 2100 South will begin … [Read more...]
Worker Shortages are Utah’s New Normal. Is the Falling Utah Birth Rate to Blame?
Shaunell Runsted loves her job. She is the lead housing and benefits specialist at Volunteers of America Utah, which employs over 300 people, and where she’s worked for the past 10 years helping Salt Lake City’s homeless. But there’s something she doesn’t love, and it’s happening more often. Last week, during one of her shifts, she said a man who was homeless asked for … [Read more...]
POST-COVID SOCIETY: Reintegrating into Utah’s ‘New Normal’
The COVID-19 Pandemic affected our communities in drastic ways, and many are having trouble reintegrating themselves into this 'new normal' When Russell Aaron began a new job in January 2020, challenges due to his autism spectrum disorder made it difficult for him to go into the office five days per week. “Russell is directionally and visually challenged,” … [Read more...]
Homeless Population Forces Prominent Business to Leave Downtown Salt Lake City
Linda Southam called the police “again” one morning to dislodge a passed-out homeless man who wouldn’t budge from the entrance. The founder and co-owner of Southam Gallery told the officer, “You need to be a little more mean so they don’t come back.” The officer replied, “Ma’am, I have to do this a hundred times a day. I can’t be mean every time.” “The police are so … [Read more...]
The Latest Buzz on the Utah Craft Beer Scene
The latest buzz amongst the craft beer brewers and bolsters of the beehive state is now at Salt City Brew Supply in Midvale. What progressed from an online off-roading interest forum to a home brewing website, to a brick-and-mortar home brew supply store front, now carries hard-to-find local craft beer for off premise consumers. With over 200 different beers to choose from, … [Read more...]
A Whole New World
From School teacher to Distiller, The Story of Ashley Cross In 2013, after teaching High School English for 23 years, Ashely Cross told her husband Chris she didn’t want to go back for year 24. Her plan was to turn their hobby into a business, and New World Distillery was born. Ashley and Chris both enjoyed traveling, and their trips often involved experiencing the local … [Read more...]
Electric Porsche in Salt Lake: Current Exchange Converts Classic Roadsters to Electric Collectibles
The Porsche 911. A driver eases behind the wheel of this classic 1980s sports car. While shifting gears, the engine roars its approval. At the Current Exchange in Salt Lake City, it is the same clean-lined Porsche, but with an electric engine that will purr its approval. Martin Prouty and Kyle Palmer started The Current Exchange to convert Porsche roadsters into electric … [Read more...]
MAIN STREET SALT LAKE: Open Drug Use is Hurting Local Businesses
Downtown Salt Lake City: Main Street — Three homeless men sit in the former business entrance to the Off-Broadway Theater and distribute rations of spice or possibly weed. In broad daylight on the busy thoroughfare, they roll joints and watch the passers-by. Around the corner, acrid plumes of blue smoke fill the air. The SLCPD, like most metro Police departments, have … [Read more...]
How Main Street is Being Traded for Wall Street
Ask anybody how they define their community and they will inevitably mention the local businesses: the local grocery store; the shoe repair shop; the hardware store; the watch repair shop, and of course restaurants, bars, and the local farmers markets. It’s cliche, but it’s true: locally-owned businesses are the backbone of communities and Main Street. In the past two … [Read more...]