Receiving certification from the Compliance Officers through the Utah Department of Agriculture is one of the most difficult steps any food entrepreneur faces. But in order to sell in stores and most farmers markets, it’s a necessity that anyone with a dream of owning their own food or farm business must endure. I hear the lamentations of makers throughout Utah, most gripes … [Read more...]
Moab Proud, Moab Made
Moab Made describes itself as “a shop dedicated to the local artisan community.” I would add that the Main Street store is hand-crafted for the individual who appreciates singular items. Moab Made’s wares have soul and personality. Moab Made was founded by Rebecca McAllister in 2016. “It was created out of a personal desire to do something that I knew I would feel really … [Read more...]
Top Hat Video: Get the Popcorn!
In 1983, when every street corner had a video rental business, Lee and Lona Earl got in on the ground floor with a franchised Adventureland Video store. They started out at Five Points Mall in Bountiful and remained with Adventureland until that business closed. They looked at options with Aardvark Video or Warner Video. They chose instead to venture out with a … [Read more...]
Village Cobbler Shoe Repair: These Boots Are Made for Walking
Village Cobbler Shoe Repair has long been a staple in the Salt Lake Valley. Since 1968, they have breathed renewed life into countless shoes needing a little or a lot of love. This shop is run by the Morgan family since it was founded by Rob Morgan, and is now managed by his son, Troy Morgan. Troy says, “I didn’t have much of a choice when I started working there as a teenager. … [Read more...]
Evolve Elements
After working in architectural woodwork for over 20 years, designing and selling millwork packages for commercial, academic, and retail businesses, Stan Sommer decided to venture out on his own. He saw a lot of millwork, casework and cabinetry work being outsourced to China and other countries to save money. His philosophy is that sending materials overseas creates problems … [Read more...]
Avenues Barber: Keeping Men Handsome for over a Century
I am sitting in a large old-fashioned barber chair in Ben Paul’s shop while he runs a set of clippers over my head. “I really didn’t think I would end up cutting hair,” Ben says. “I went to get my hair cut at this hole-in-the-wall shop in Sugar House. It had such a cool vibe and was such an honest experience that it left an impression on me. I went home and talked to my wife, … [Read more...]
Hats off to Jim Whittington
Jim Whittington says he never “moved” to Salt Lake City in 1963. “I found myself here after a two-week drunken binge. I was in Helper, then somehow woke up in Springville.” Originally from New Mexico, Jim thought he had died and gone to heaven. “I saw those beautiful mountains,” he says, “and I found that I really like it here. Utah has been good to me.” Jim or JW (Jay … [Read more...]
Arley Curtz: Pipe Making and Memory Collecting
For Arley Curtz, a pipe is more than just a way to smoke tobacco. It summons up a time when pipe smoking was both acceptable and part of a gentler civility in our culture. Curtz is a pipe maker and collector of smoking pipes. He has over 300, ranging from simple corn cobs to handmade antiques. Each one has a story. As the smoke from a pipe curls upwards, it allows Curtz a … [Read more...]
Letter from City of Holladay to Business Owners
Below is the letter from Holladay sent to all its businesses, cited in https://www.utahstories.com/2014/04/utah-business-license-fee/ … [Read more...]
Tickets, penalties, infractions, red tape and more reasons to be a welfare recipient
Every month I need to set aside a few hours to do all the things I don't want to do: I pay my irregular bills, work on taxes. I pay fees and tickets and penalties and deal with my growing tangle of government red tape. It seems law abiding active working citizens and especially a business owners are constantly penalized. For what? For basically being in business and … [Read more...]