Coffee Shops

There's a building on the corner of 1700 South and 300 East in Salt Lake City's Liberty Wells neighborhood that still carries faint traces of painted words on its exterior. Grocery and meats. Whatever life that corner held a century ago, something new and entirely specific to this moment in Utah's cycling culture now lives inside. Bikes hang on the walls. An espresso machine hisses from behind the counter. Dogs wander through. And on any given morning, you'll find road cyclists unclipping their shoes at the door, neighbors grabbing a cortado before work, and the occasional triathlete deep in conversation about saddle height. This is Peak State CycleCafe — the bike café Salt Lake City didn't know it needed and now absolutely cannot do without. "The welcoming atmosphere, combined with high-quality coffee and snacks, creates a unique and enjoyable experience for bike enthusiasts," wrote one recent customer. That sentence sounds simple enough, but it undersells what Heather and Pat Casey have actually built here: a genuine third place for Utah's cycling community, one that didn't exist before and that no one else was building. From a Bike Shop in Alabama to Utah's Most Unexpected Community Hub Heather Casey grew up in Auburn, Alabama — an only child with an athlete's rhythm built into her early. Swimming came first, then cycling. By fourteen, she was spending long hours after swim practice at a local bike shop, learning the language of parts and repairs, and quietly noticing she was almost always the only girl there. That observation never left her. Pat Casey's story runs parallel in its own way. He grew up in St. Louis and took his first job in a bike shop at fifteen. Even while studying biology at Truman State University, bikes stayed constant. As Pat has put it: "Everywhere I moved, I ended up working in a bike shop. I never aged out of it. I just grew in experience." They met in Alabama in 2012, at a bike shop where conversation came easy and rides went long. By 2018, they were in Salt Lake City and officially launched Peak State Fit on a $10,000 startup loan from Pat's mother, Carole. No investors, no debt. Just two people who cared deeply about how cycling could change someone's relationship with their body — and a growing suspicion that the experience of getting a bike fit could be something more human than a transaction. Then COVID arrived. And something unexpected happened: people turned to their bikes. Pat's days stretched longer as riders came in with sore bodies and new mileage, looking not for performance gains but for relief. During that period, Pat started making coffee for clients. It wasn't strategic — it was instinctive. "Sitting down with a cup of espresso changes the conversation," he's said. "People relax. They start telling you what's really going on." That casual cup became the seed of everything that followed. Heather joined Goldman Sachs's 10,000 Small Businesses program and began shaping the café idea with intention. "We realized we were not just fitting bikes," she said. "We were building a place where people wanted to stay." In 2024, they made what Heather calls their "boldest move yet" — opening the CycleCafe, Salt Lake City's first bike-centric coffee shop, inside the historic general store building they'd watched for years and finally convinced the owner to lease. The result is now recognized as Triathlete Magazine's Best Bike Fitter in the USA, a Salt Lake Chamber featured business, and — more importantly — a space people actually want to come back to. The CycleCafe Experience: Specialty Coffee, Serious Bikes, and Good Vibes on 1700 South Walk into Peak State CycleCafe and the first thing you notice is that it doesn't feel like either a typical bike shop or a typical coffee bar. It's both, and neither. Carbon fiber frames hang alongside pour-over stations. There's a patio that Heather and her team finished just before a drunk driver crashed into the building in March 2025 — a setback the community rallied around, and that the CycleCafe came back from without missing a beat. The coffee program is anchored by Idle Hands Roasting Company, a partnership Heather credits as being "built on mutual respect, shared values, and a commitment to excellence." Idle Hands sources single-origin beans with serious intentionality — a medium blend drawing from Colombia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Brazil, processed with a washed Colombian and Natural Ethiopia approach and landing with notes of brown sugar, milk chocolate, cherry, and sweet citrus. For those who lean light, there's a juicy, vibrant pour featuring Ethiopian and Colombian beans processed naturally that drinks floral and full of red berries. In other words: this isn't gas station coffee for cyclists. This is third-wave coffee for people who apply the same precision to their espresso as they do their cadence. The food menu keeps things clean and rider-focused. House-made overnight oats with honey, cinnamon, and gluten-free granola show up alongside pastries and snacks designed for people who actually move their bodies. It's not precious — it's practical, well-made, and exactly what you want before or after a long effort on the Jordan River Parkway or up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Customers consistently rave about baristas Lauren and Tori, who have, as Heather put it, "helped shape the culture and personality of CycleCafe with heart, talent, and an incredible commitment to hospitality." One reviewer summed it up the way regulars always do: it feels "like family." The seating is designed with intention — quick espresso at the bar if you're mid-ride, or a long post-ride debrief with friends at a proper table. The building itself adds something ineffable. A hundred years of Salt Lake City life pressed into the walls, and a new layer being written right now by cyclists, neighbors, teachers, and anyone who just appreciates a well-crafted cup. The Liberty Wells Cycling Community Hub That SLC Has Been Waiting For Peak State CycleCafe doesn't just sit in Liberty Wells — it's become one of the neighborhood's anchoring presences. The location at 1700 South sits at a natural hub point for cyclists coming off the Jordan River Parkway trail corridor, riders looping through the city's south side, and bike commuters navigating toward and away from downtown. The cycling community in Salt Lake City is active and growing, and for a long time it lacked a dedicated gathering space that could hold the whole culture: the serious endurance athlete, the weekend gravel rider, the commuter, and the person who's just curious about getting their first proper bike fit. Weekly group rides leave from the shop regularly. Saturday coffee meetups have become a social tradition. Educational clinics cover everything from coffee brewing to the science of bike fitting. The Wheelie Spoked group ride calls the CycleCafe home base. It's the kind of programming that makes a business feel less like a retail space and more like an institution. The shop's technical credentials are worth noting too, because they give the community piece real weight. No shop worldwide has performed more Retül bike fits than Peak State Fit. Pat Casey was voted Best Bike Fitter in the USA by Triathlete Magazine. The custom builds feature ENVE, Ventum, Factor, Moots, and Mosaic Cycles. This isn't a cute concept café attached to a mediocre wrench shop — it's one of the most serious cycling operations in the country, and the café is its heartbeat. "Whether you're gearing up for your next adventure, enjoying a coffee after a ride, or simply chatting with fellow cycling enthusiasts, we're here to be your hub for all things cycling," Heather told the Salt Lake Chamber. That sentence, said simply, contains everything that makes this place remarkable: it was built for all of it, not just part of it. Planning Your Visit to Peak State CycleCafe Address: 301 E 1700 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84115 (Liberty Wells neighborhood, corner of 300 East and 1700 South) Hours: Open 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily (hours subject to change; check @cyclecafeslc or @peakstatefit on Instagram for current updates) Phone: 801-703-3019 Website: peakstatefit.com What to order first: Start with an espresso drink featuring the Idle Hands medium blend — brown sugar and milk chocolate notes make it especially satisfying post-ride. The overnight oats are the right call if you're fueling up before hitting the Bonneville Shoreline Trail or any of the Wasatch Front cycling routes. Best time to visit: Saturday mornings are the heartbeat of the community here — group rides form up, regulars gather, and the energy of Utah's cycling culture fills the room. Come ready to talk bikes and stay longer than you planned. Insider tip: If you've been dealing with knee pain, saddle discomfort, or just want to know if your bike actually fits you — book a Retül fitting while you're there. It's world-class, and it changes rides. Instagram: @cyclecafeslc and @peakstatefit Why CycleCafe Matters to Utah's Food and Cycling Scene There's a version of this story that gets told as a business success narrative — the startup loan, the Goldman Sachs program, the award, the magazine coverage. That version is true but incomplete. What Heather and Pat Casey actually built is rarer: a space where the door is genuinely open to everyone, where the little girl who felt out of place in a bike shop would feel welcome, where a retired teacher from the neighborhood and an elite triathlete can share the same counter and the same good cup of coffee. The bike café Salt Lake City has now — Utah's only one, as they'll tell you plainly — is proof that the most powerful thing a business can build isn't a product. It's a place people want to be. Come for the specialty coffee. Stay because of how it feels when you're there. Peak State CycleCafe is located at 301 E 1700 S in Salt Lake City's Liberty Wells neighborhood. Follow @cyclecafeslc on Instagram for ride schedules, events, and daily specials.

It was 28 degrees outside and the line stretched out the door and down the sidewalk. People stood in the January cold on 2100 South, stamping their feet, phones tucked in their coat pockets, genuinely talking to strangers. Nobody left. And when a Deseret News writer finally made it inside — on her second attempt, her first having ended with a humiliating 12-point turn out of the parking lot — she bit into a butter and salt cake doughnut and said out loud, "That's one of the best things I've ever tasted." That's the Sidecar effect. And it has officially arrived in Utah. Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee opened its first location outside of Southern California at 701 E. 2100 South in Salt Lake City's Sugar House neighborhood on January 21, 2026. For anyone who's made a pilgrimage to one of their California locations — maybe while on a trip to Disneyland, maybe on a long weekend in Santa Monica — and spent the drive home thinking about those doughnuts, the wait is finally over. Sidecar has come home to Utah. And the best doughnuts in Salt Lake City aren't a debate anymore. They're right there on the corner of 2100 South and 700 East, fresh from the fryer, every single hour. From a Backyard Party to Utah's Most Anticipated Food Opening The story of Sidecar Doughnuts doesn't start in a professional kitchen. It starts with a guy named Sumter Pendergrast, a clothing designer who loved coffee more than almost anything, hauling a mini doughnut machine and a coffee roaster to a party. Pendergrast was in the clothing business before he founded Sidecar. But he loved coffee, bought a roaster to use at special events, picked up a mini doughnut machine, and brought both to a party. He said people went crazy over it. That moment of communal joy — warm doughnuts, good coffee, strangers becoming friends — sparked something. He started thinking about what the American doughnut experience could actually be if someone took it seriously. "Doughnuts are just American classic food," Pendergrast has said. "It's just a classic thing that people in the United States always go to. They have memories of doughnuts and I thought, there's more you could do with it." He and his wife Chi-lin Pendergrast founded Sidecar in 2012, starting with a humble test kitchen and food truck in Costa Mesa, inviting friends and family to weekly taste-tests and using the truck to share fresh doughnuts around town. The flagship Costa Mesa shop opened a year later. Locations slowly expanded across Southern California's Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange Counties in the years that followed. No aggressive franchising. No shortcuts on quality. Just a slow, deliberate build. Then Bob Nilsen joined the company in 2016. A Utah native who had climbed to CEO, Nilsen spent years making the case that his home state deserved a Sidecar. He pushed for the growing Southern California chain to reach Utah someday. That vision became a reality on January 21, 2026. Nilsen wasn't able to attend the ribbon-cutting in person — but the crowd of Sugar House neighbors who lined up in the cold were proof enough that his instincts were right. Pendergrast called the Utah expansion a "big step" for the brand. "We know people in Salt Lake City love sweets," he said. "I think it was a natural fit." The Sidecar Doughnuts Experience: Warm, Fresh, and Worth Every Penny Here's what sets Sidecar apart from every other doughnut shop in Salt Lake City, and honestly from most places in the country: the doughnuts are fried fresh in small batches every single hour. No heat lamps. No morning rush where everything is made at 5 a.m. and sold stale by noon. Their doughnuts are made daily from scratch using only the finest ingredients possible, with no preservatives — ever. Everything is made in-house from real ingredients: infused glazes, hand-crushed compotes, flavored custards and creams, and even homemade pie crust and streusel crumble toppings. You want to talk about scratch-made doughnuts in Utah? This is what that actually looks like in practice. You can stand at the counter and watch the dough get cut, dropped into the fryer, pulled golden and hot, and glazed in front of you. It is, genuinely, a show. "It really is a life-changing experience when you have a hot, fresh doughnut for the first time," Pendergrast said. That sounds like marketing copy. It isn't. The first time you bite into a warm vanilla bean glazed raised doughnut, dense and gooey in exactly the right way, you'll understand what he means. One Deseret News reviewer described the experience of the vanilla bean as "dense and gooey in the best way possible." Now, let's talk flavors. Because this is where Sidecar becomes a weekly obsession rather than a one-time visit. The butter and salt cake doughnut is the one everyone raves about. It's a study in restraint — rich and sweet upfront, finishing with a hit of salt that keeps you reaching for another bite. The huckleberry cake doughnut has become the signature of the SLC location, with real berry notes baked into both the dough and the glaze. The strawberry buttermilk is lighter, almost delicate. And the maple bacon is exactly what you want on a Saturday morning when you can't decide between sweet and savory — so you don't have to. The premium price point runs around $4 per doughnut, which makes some people pause. Pendergrast is direct about it: "Obviously, we think it's worth it, because everything's made from scratch, and they're hot and fresh, and it takes a lot of labor to do it."  On the coffee side, Sidecar serves their own Vintage Blend signature espresso — sourced and roasted exclusively by Common Room Roasters, with notes of dark chocolate, toasted almonds, and a hint of smoke. The Black Onyx Mocha has become a customer favorite. And here's something you won't find at any other Sidecar location in the world: dirty sodas. Utah's signature drink culture got a nod when Sidecar made their Sugar House location the first in the company to offer dirty sodas — part of the territory of entering the Beehive State, as Pendergrast put it. A fresh huckleberry doughnut and a dirty soda is, it turns out, a very Utah kind of perfect morning. Monthly rotating seasonal flavors mean there's always a reason to come back. There's also a weekly gluten-free option and a monthly vegan flavor, which matters in a city with a growing audience of dietary-conscious food lovers. Sidecar Finds Its Home in Sugar House's Food Renaissance Sugar House has always had character — the kind of neighborhood that's a little bit edge, a little bit family, and entirely its own thing in the Salt Lake City food scene. And right now it's in the middle of something real. Scott Little, co-chairman of the Sugar House Chamber, attended the ribbon-cutting and said Sidecar's choice of location says a lot about where the neighborhood is headed. "I think these guys selecting this location says a lot of things about the future of Sugar House, and what we're trying to do here." The specific corner — 2100 South and 700 East — isn't accidental. Sidecar picked it for foot traffic visibility and neighborhood energy. It's directly across from the new Trader Joe's, which draws the exact kind of food-curious customer who's going to see that open kitchen, smell those doughnuts, and walk straight in. The SLC location employs 35 to 40 people locally, and if the Sugar House launch proves out, Pendergrast has mentioned that other parts of the Wasatch Front — and possibly St. George — could be next. On their own website, Sidecar describes Salt Lake City this way: its strong sense of community, creative spirit, and growing food scene made it the perfect place for their first home outside of California. That's not just brand copy. You can feel it in that opening-day line. People waiting in January cold, watching doughnuts get made, talking to their neighbors. Exactly what Sumter Pendergrast dreamed up at that party with a mini doughnut machine a decade ago. Planning Your Visit to Sidecar Doughnuts Salt Lake City Address: 701 E. 2100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84106 (corner of 2100 South and 700 East, Sugar House, across from Trader Joe's) Phone: (385) 606-0930 Hours: Monday–Thursday 6:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. | Friday–Saturday 6:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m. | Sunday 6:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Best time to visit: Mid-morning on a weekday tends to have shorter lines than weekend mornings. If you're going on a Saturday, come early and be ready to wait — but it moves. The open kitchen makes the line genuinely entertaining. What to order on your first visit: Start with the butter and salt cake doughnut — non-negotiable. Add the huckleberry cake doughnut and a vanilla bean glazed raised doughnut. Pair with a Black Onyx Mocha or their Vintage Blend drip from Common Room Roasters. If you're visiting on a weekend, try the dirty soda — it's the most Utah-specific thing on the menu and a total delight. Parking: The corner lot can get crowded at peak hours. Street parking on 700 East and 2100 South is your best bet during busy windows. Pro tip from anyone who's been there: don't attempt a 12-point turn. Just park a block away and walk. Instagram: @sidecardoughnuts Sugar House has been quietly becoming one of the most interesting food neighborhoods in the state. The arrival of Sidecar Doughnuts isn't just a new shop opening — it's a California brand that chose Salt Lake City, specifically, for their leap outside the Golden State. That kind of confidence in Utah's growing food scene means something. And when you're standing in that line, watching the dough hit the fryer, holding a box of the best artisan doughnuts in Salt Lake City, you'll understand why Bob Nilsen spent years lobbying for this moment. "It really is a life-changing experience when you have a hot, fresh doughnut for the first time." He wasn't wrong. Go find out for yourself.

There's a moment — you've probably had it — where a single sip of coffee stops you cold. Not because it's expensive. Not because someone's standing over your shoulder explaining the terroir. But because it just tastes the way coffee is supposed to taste, and you realize you've been settling for less your whole life. That moment is exactly what Josh Rosenthal set out to engineer when he left Texas behind, fell hard for the Wasatch Mountains, and decided in 2012 that Salt Lake City deserved something better in its cup. The result is La Barba Coffee — Utah's most decorated specialty coffee roaster, and since 2019, the state's best coffee according to Food & Wine magazine. Looking for the best specialty coffee in Salt Lake City? The award is already on the wall. But the story behind it is what makes La Barba worth knowing. From a Bootstrapped Dream to Utah's Defining Roaster Josh Rosenthal is a musician from Texas who fell in love with Utah's Wasatch Mountain range while on a snowboarding vacation — and six months later, called himself a Salt Lake City resident. He invested himself in this city the way converts always do: harder than the locals. He didn't just want to open a coffee shop. He wanted to drag Utah's coffee scene into a conversation with the best cities in the world. He did it by finding Levi Rogers. Since 2010, Rogers — a Portland, Oregon transplant — had been on a quest to set his coffee apart with the goal of roasting the "absolute best coffee." Together with Josh and his wife Becky Rosenthal, they built something genuinely new for Utah. La Barba started as a specialty coffee wholesaler in November of 2014 going by the name Charming Beard, and after a couple of years of success in the wholesale world, opened a couple of shops on campus at the University of Utah. The rebrand to La Barba — Spanish for "the beard" — came in 2015, developed in partnership with the design firm WeLikeSmall. The Spanish influence was deliberate: Utah was once part of Mexico and Spain, and the brand's identity reflected that history, uniting old Spanish aesthetics with a nod to Salt Lake City's own story.  The team chose not to go too deep into the rabbit hole of coffee details, for the sake of keeping newcomers engaged. As Rosenthal put it, it's important for Salt Lake coffee drinkers to know that drinking good coffee is really easy to do — it doesn't require an advanced degree. That philosophy became the brand's north star: four words, "Good Coffee for Everyone," that turn out to be a lot harder to live up to than they sound. Today, La Barba has aimed to be the best coffee in the great state of Utah since its start in 2012, and is now in almost 70 restaurants and markets in Utah, with three operations of their own. No local competitor comes close to that wholesale footprint. What Food & Wine Saw That Everyone Else Already Knew In April 2019, Food & Wine released their "Best Coffee in Every State" list and put La Barba at the top for Utah. The citation said everything. "Since 2012, Utah's best has been on a mission — multiple missions, actually — working not only to make great coffee accessible to everyone, without pretense," author David Landsel wrote, "but also to keep their sourcing sustainable, with the goal of producers earning a living wage for the beans that La Barba buys." Food & Wine called it "Salt Lake's most precise, most modern, and very best little café, sourcing from some of the country's finest." That last phrase — sourcing from some of the country's finest — is worth sitting with. Josh Rosenthal sells a mix of fair-trade, direct-trade, and Rainforest Alliance Certified coffees. This isn't a marketing checkbox. It's the operating principle that shapes every buying decision La Barba makes. The farmers in Colombia's Huila region, the cooperatives in Ethiopia, the producers in Guatemala — they're not anonymous suppliers. They're the reason the coffee is good. La Barba's supply chain ethics are more explicitly documented than any local competitor's, and it shows in the cup. What to Order: The La Barba Coffee Menu Explained La Barba's specialty coffee is selected and roasted to entice your senses with a rich array of aromas and a balance of sweetness, acidity, and body. The lineup is tight, deliberate, and built around the idea that every kind of coffee drinker deserves something excellent. Here's how to navigate it. The House Blend is the anchor. Colombia and Mexico, roasted to taste like milk chocolate, toffee, and stone fruit. The House Blend is designed to taste the same bag after bag — like blended whiskey, a good coffee blend is optimized for balanced flavor and consistency. If you're new to specialty coffee and nervous it'll taste "weird," start here. You'll understand immediately why people come back. Noche Oscura is the manifesto in roast form. Specialty coffee has tended to shun anything dark. With Noche Oscura, La Barba sought to roast high-quality green coffee for those who prefer a dark, bold cup — coming straight out of their conviction that good coffee is for everyone. It's the most pointed rebuttal to coffee snobbery on the menu, and it's outstanding. Deviation Espresso is for the adventurous. Bright, fruit-forward, and deliberately non-traditional — designed to break from everything you expect espresso to be. Pull it as a straight shot or drop it into milk and watch the character completely transform. La Barba created Deviation specifically so their roasters could work with a wider, more experimental array of origins. It's the opposite of their classic Standard Espresso benchmark, and having both side by side is genuinely illuminating. Single origins are where La Barba shows off. When available, the Colombia Diego Bermudez Letty Geisha delivers pineapple, peach, and caramel — one of the most sought-after coffee varieties in the world, and not something you'll find at most Utah cafés. The Ethiopia natural process offerings bring deep blueberry and a brightness that doesn't quit. Ask the barista what's on bar and order a pour-over. You won't regret it. Coffee + Tacos: SLC's Most Unexpected Pairing Nobody saw this coming. A specialty coffee roaster deciding that the perfect companion to a precise, ethically sourced espresso was — a breakfast taco. La Barba Coffee + Tacos, located in the Maven area of Salt Lake City, beckons both locals and visitors with its inviting atmosphere, specializing in coffee, tacos, and breakfast offerings with made-to-order meals. Guests can enjoy watching the team prepare tortillas right in the kitchen, adding to the experience.  The Maven District is experiencing a quiet food-and-culture moment in Salt Lake City, and La Barba's presence at 155 E 900 S is a big part of why people are talking about the neighborhood. There is, for the record, zero direct competition for this concept in Utah. That's not an accident. It's a move that says something about who La Barba is: a roaster that makes bold, slightly counterintuitive decisions and then executes them with enough conviction that everyone else wonders why they didn't think of it first. La Barba's Place in Salt Lake City's Coffee Community La Barba doesn't exist in isolation. Every time you step into La Barba, you know exactly what experience you'll get. That reliability is its own kind of community service in a city that's still figuring out what kind of food town it wants to be. The Draper location at 13811 Sprague Ln extended that community south into Salt Lake County — giving the suburbs a genuine specialty coffee anchor where one was badly needed. Combined with nearly 70 wholesale accounts across the state, La Barba's footprint is quietly enormous. Their coffee is in restaurant kitchens and market shelves across the Wasatch Front, often without anyone noticing, which is exactly how they seem to want it. Their Roaster's Choice Subscription brings rotating single-origin coffees — freshly roasted, seasonally sourced from Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, and beyond — directly to home brewers who want to taste the world without leaving Utah. It's among the best local coffee gifts in the state, and one of the few Utah roasters offering a truly robust mail subscription. Planning Your Visit to La Barba Coffee La Barba Coffee + Tacos — Maven District 155 E 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Monday–Friday: 7am–2pm | Saturday–Sunday: 8am–2pm La Barba Coffee — Draper 13811 Sprague Ln, Draper, UT Monday–Friday: 7am–4pm | Saturday: 8am–4pm | Sunday: 8am–2pm Go on a weekday morning if you can — that's when the bar is most dialed in and the beans are freshest off the roast. At the 9th South location, order a breakfast taco. At either location, ask what single origin is on bar. If you're a dark roast person who's been burned by specialty coffee before, Noche Oscura is your entry point. And if someone you love hasn't discovered La Barba yet, the coffee subscription is the best gift you can give them. Online: labarbacoffee.com | Instagram: @labarbacoffee Here's what Utah's food scene needs more of: people who came here not because it was an obvious move, but because they genuinely believed in what this place could become. Josh Rosenthal is one of those people. He arrived for the mountains, stayed for the city, and spent over a decade building something that national publications eventually had to acknowledge — the best specialty coffee in Salt Lake City wasn't happening in New York or Portland or Austin. It was happening in the 801. La Barba has been on a mission since 2012 — making great coffee accessible to everyone, without pretense, while keeping their sourcing sustainable and ensuring producers earn a living wage. Good coffee for everyone isn't a tagline. It's a standard. And if you haven't held them to it yet, it's past time.

There's a special kind of magic that happens when you scan a QR code at Bix Bakery & Café in Sugar House, upload your cat's face, and watch a machine print that exact image onto your latte foam in edible ink within ten seconds. It's the kind of moment that makes you stop scrolling, look up from your phone, and genuinely smile—which is precisely what Lavanya Mahate wanted when she brought Utah's first photo latte printing machine to Salt Lake City. "It's just a moment of joy for people," Mahate explains simply. And in a world where coffee shops are a dime a dozen, that moment of joy—seeing your own face, your best friend's grin, or your pet's goofy expression staring back at you from a perfectly foamed cappuccino—is what sets this bakery cafe Sugar House SLC spot apart from every other artisan coffee shop in the valley. One customer captured it perfectly in a recent review: "The coffee was very cute as well and able to add a custom design in the foam! We will definitely come back." From Chennai to Sugar House: The Woman Who Built a Culinary Empire on Connection  How a Former Chamber Director Became Utah's Most Unlikely Restaurant Powerhouse Lavanya Mahate's journey to becoming one of Utah's most successful restaurateurs didn't start in a kitchen—it started in the Women's Business Center at the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, where she spent years helping other entrepreneurs launch their dreams while her own simmered quietly in the background. Born in Southern India in a multigenerational home with a rich culinary tradition, Mahate learned to cook from her mother and the family's kitchen help, Kanthama, starting around age six. She moved to Utah in 2001 after finishing a master's degree in mass communication, but found herself on a dependent visa that prevented her from working. So she went back to school at the University of Utah, earned another master's in integrated-marketing communications, and then spent two years as an unpaid intern before landing at the Salt Lake Chamber. "I was eager to come get started in the workforce here," Mahate recalls. "But I was on a dependent visa, so I couldn't go to work." While working at the Chamber, she cooked constantly for family and friends. In Indian culture, she explains, cooking and sharing food is a love language—it shows people you care. By 2010, she'd had enough of helping others start businesses. She quit her job, launched a line of spice blends at the Downtown Farmers Market, and a year later opened the first Saffron Valley restaurant in South Jordan. Fast forward to 2023, and Mahate had built an empire: five Saffron Valley locations across the valley, a nonprofit culinary training institute for refugees called RISE, and the vision for something entirely different—a European-style bakery cafe in Sugar House that would serve as both a neighborhood gathering spot and a showcase for the kind of joyful, unexpected experiences she'd seen in Japan. The name "Bix" itself comes from Australian slang for bites or cookies. It's playful, unpretentious, and perfectly captures the vibe Mahate wanted: a place where you can grab a quick pastry and coffee on the way to work, or settle in for hours on the back patio with friends over Belgian waffles and custom cakes. The Latte That Prints Your Face (And Why That Actually Matters) Utah's First Coffee Printing Experience: More Than Just Instagram Bait Let's talk about the photo latte Salt Lake City experience that's turning Bix into a destination. The technology itself isn't new—coffee printing machines have been popular in Japan and parts of Asia for years—but Bix is the first spot in Utah to offer it, and the execution is surprisingly delightful. Here's how it works: You scan a QR code at the register with your phone. You either upload a photo from your camera roll or take a selfie right there. Hit send. Within 10 to 20 seconds, a barista uses a specialized machine to print your image in edible ink—made from coffee grounds or carrots—directly onto any foamed coffee drink or hot chocolate. The resolution is photo-realistic, the ink is completely food-safe, and the whole thing costs just $2 extra. One DoorDash reviewer nailed the appeal: "Loved the festive holiday pictures in our latte foam! The breakfast burrito was big and delicious." The latte printing isn't a gimmick—it's a gateway. It gets people in the door, sure. But what keeps them coming back is everything else: the housemade chai brewed with black tea, ginger, and cardamom; the Chicken Tikka Puff that one customer called a "life changing pastry"; the coconut blueberry pancakes that earned an "ohhh so yummy" from a Tripadvisor reviewer who also praised the mango and red velvet custom cakes. The cafe uses coffee from King's Peak Coffee Roasters, a local specialty coffee roaster, and kombucha from Han's Kombucha, another Utah producer. The pastry case is stocked with European-inspired treats: Nutella éclairs filled with hazelnut praline and glazed with chocolate buttercream, ganache-dipped chocolate almond Swiss rolls with almond buttercream between bouncy chocolate sponge, French macarons, and lemon pound cake loaves. And if you're not a coffee person? There are fruit-forward smoothies, sparkling refreshers, and an afternoon tea service every Thursday from 3-7 PM that includes a scone, a sweet confection, two cookies, a finger sandwich, and your choice of beverage for just $16. The Brunch Scene and the Neighborhood Vibe Why Sugar House Locals Are Making Bix Their Weekend Ritual Bix sits at 479 E 2100 South, right next door to Saffron Valley in the heart of the Sugar House and Liberty Wells neighborhood. It's the kind of corner location with ample parking that makes it easy to pop in for a quick morning bite or coffee to go—which matters more than you'd think in a city where good coffee shops are often buried in neighborhoods with no parking. The space itself has that French bistro warmth that makes you want to linger. There's a sunny front patio for people-watching, a secluded shaded back patio for more private conversations, and an air-conditioned interior with comfortable seating and free wifi. The walls outside are painted with murals that add to the neighborhood charm. But it's the weekend brunch that's really building Bix's local following. One family who visited left this review: "The food was absolutely delicious and the selection was spectacular—Belgian waffles, made to order omelettes, sausage, mac & cheese, stuffed tomatoes, soup, fresh fruit, GORGEOUS pastries and my favorite was the grilled chicken with pesto sauce!!!" The brunch setup is thoughtful—there are plenty of grab-and-go options like premade pecan strawberry salads, breakfast sandwiches, burritos, and granola Greek yogurt with fruit for people in a hurry. But there are also sit-down options like those coconut blueberry pancakes, Belgian waffles, avocado toast on sourdough, and the Morning Melt Sandwich with sausage, egg, and cheese. And yes, you can absolutely get your face printed on your brunch latte. It's become a thing—customers uploading selfies with their dining companions, printing group photos on their cappuccinos, even proposing via coffee foam. One couple used the latte printer to add their engagement photo to their drinks at a celebration brunch. The vibe is genuinely welcoming. Multiple reviewers use the word "friendly" when describing the staff. One called them "highly skilled culinary experts with a passion to make, bake and serve the best quality food." Another noted that "Everyone made us feel welcomed and appreciated." The RISE Connection and What It Means for Utah's Food Scene How Bix Fits Into Lavanya Mahate's Bigger Mission You can't talk about Bix without talking about RISE Culinary Institute, the nonprofit Mahate founded in 2018 to provide free culinary training to refugees and underserved youth in Utah. The training kitchen is located right behind Saffron Valley and Bix in Sugar House, creating a practical model where students can learn skills in the kitchen and then gain real experience working in the adjacent restaurants. The program addresses a genuine need—Utah's restaurant industry has faced consistent labor shortages, while the state's growing refugee and immigrant population includes people who are willing and eager to work but need resources and training to break into the culinary field. RISE offers a three-month hands-on training program followed by a six-month paid internship with partnering restaurants. For Mahate, it's a way of giving back to the community that welcomed her when she arrived from India more than two decades ago. "Food to me is a symbol of my homeland," she's said. "It keeps me tied to my roots. It also allows me to share narratives and experiences about food in the form of new anecdotes, memories and valuable life lessons." That philosophy—food as connection, food as joy, food as a bridge between cultures—infuses everything at Bix. The menu reflects Mahate's global influences: you'll find Indian-inspired items like the Chicken Tikka Puff and housemade chai alongside European pastries and American brunch classics. The afternoon tea service brings a bit of British tradition to Sugar House. Even the photo latte, inspired by a trend Mahate saw in Japan, speaks to her willingness to pull the best ideas from around the world and make them accessible to Utahns. What to Order and When to Go Planning Your Visit to Bix Bakery & Café Bix is currently operating at its year-round location inside Kiln at The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake City (26 S Rio Grande St), while the Sugar House flagship location takes a seasonal winter break. The Sugar House spot typically reopens in spring and operates Tuesday through Sunday from 8 AM to 5 PM (closed Mondays). Here's what customers consistently recommend: For Coffee Lovers: Get the photo latte with your face on it—obviously—but also try the housemade chai made from scratch with black tea, ginger, and cardamom. The dirty chai and caramel chai variations are also popular. Coffee is from King's Peak Coffee Roasters, and they serve flat whites, cappuccinos, and a full espresso menu. For Pastry Hunters: The Chicken Tikka Puff is the sleeper hit that gets rave reviews. The Nutella éclair and chocolate almond Swiss roll are both decadent. French macarons and coconut macaroons appear frequently in customer praise. For custom cakes, reviewers love the mango and red velvet options. For Brunch: Coconut blueberry pancakes and Belgian waffles top the list. The grilled chicken with pesto sauce has a devoted following. The Earth Burger (black-bean patty on brioche) and avocado toast on sourdough are solid vegetarian options. The breakfast burrito is noted as being "big and delicious." For the Full Experience: Hit the Thursday afternoon tea service (3-7 PM) for $16. You get to try multiple items—scone, cookies, a sweet, a finger sandwich, and a beverage—which is a great way to sample the menu without committing to one thing. Insider Tips: Use the code "BixPix" for a free photo printed on your foamed coffee drink (though this promotion may vary). Arrive during off-peak hours to avoid waits. The back patio is shaded and more secluded if you want a quieter spot. Parking is ample, which is rare for Sugar House cafes. Follow @bixcafeutah on Instagram for updates on seasonal offerings, grand opening celebrations, and special events. Why Bix Matters to Utah's Evolving Food Landscape Bix Bakery & Café isn't trying to be the fanciest pastry shop in Salt Lake City or the most artisanal coffee roaster in Sugar House. It's doing something arguably more valuable: it's creating moments of genuine joy in an industry that can sometimes take itself too seriously. The photo latte Salt Lake City experience is fun, sure—but it's also democratizing. It makes specialty coffee approachable for people who might be intimidated by a traditional third-wave coffee shop. The European pastries sit alongside Indian-inspired puffs and American brunch classics, reflecting the increasingly multicultural palate of Utah's food scene. And the whole operation is run by a woman who started selling spice blends at a farmers market and built it into a restaurant empire while also training refugees to become the next generation of Utah chefs. One reviewer summed up the Bix experience perfectly: "Our mission is to provide a friendly space for neighbors and patrons like yourself, where you can take a moment to savor the little joys in life." In a city where new coffee shops and bakeries open and close with alarming frequency, that mission—joy, community, connection—might just be the secret to longevity. Plus, where else in Utah can you get your dog's face printed on your cappuccino while eating a life-changing Chicken Tikka Puff? Bix Bakery & Café Sugar House Location: 479 E 2100 South, Ste B, Salt Lake City, UT 84115 Gateway Location: Kiln at The Gateway, 26 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City Phone: (385) 259-0359 Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 8 AM - 5 PM (Closed Monday) Instagram: @bixcafeutah Website: bixbakeryandcafe.com

There's a moment that happens around 9pm on a Friday night in Orem when most dessert spots are closing down—chairs stacked on tables, ovens cooling, that universal restaurant wind-down. But walk into THE CHOCOLATE on South State Street and you'll find the opposite: warm cookie dough hitting hot cast iron skillets, the hum of conversation spilling from seven different dining rooms, and the kind of chocolate-scented air that makes you stop scrolling on your phone and actually look up. "The Cazookie was PERFECTION! The cookie was warm and gooey, the ice cream was a huge scoop and still frozen," one customer wrote after a late-night visit. It's this kind of moment—the made-to-order sizzle, the vanilla ice cream melting into the edges of a fresh-baked skillet cookie—that Kajsia and Brett Belingheri have been perfecting since they took over this Orem institution in 2019. From Basement Baker to Historic Mansion: The Evolution of THE CHOCOLATE The story begins in 2009, when THE CHOCOLATE first opened its doors in a founder's basement kitchen with a simple mission: scratch-baked desserts in a comfortable atmosphere. But by 2018, something bigger was brewing. Kajsia Belingheri had worked her way up from baker to head baker to manager, spending years working directly under the founder, learning every recipe, every technique, every detail of what made THE CHOCOLATE special. When the founders decided to sell, they came to Kajsia and Brett first. "I had been working directly under her for years," Kajsia explained in a recent interview. "I knew a lot of the business side and of course the baking side, it made sense to pursue this option." In early 2019, they became the official owners of THE CHOCOLATE, taking stewardship of both the Orem location—housed in that stunning 1909 mansion on South State Street—and the West Jordan spot. Their timing wasn't exactly lucky. Their first full year as owners was 2020, which brought challenges nobody could have predicted. But Kajsia and Brett doubled down on what THE CHOCOLATE did best: scratch-made desserts, warm hospitality, and that cazookie that keeps people coming back. Now raising their three children in what Kajsia calls their "second home," the Belingheris have made THE CHOCOLATE a true family affair while maintaining the quality and charm that built its reputation over 15 years. The Cazookie Phenomenon: Utah's Answer to the Skillet Cookie Let's talk about what brings most people through the door of this dessert cafe Orem: the cazookie. If you've been to BJ's and had their pizookie, you understand the concept. But THE CHOCOLATE's cazookie has become such a Utah County signature that people drive from American Fork and Lehi specifically for it. "I wish they had a location in American Fork or Lehi but it's always worth the drive," one devoted customer admits. Here's what makes it work: fresh cookie dough—choose from chocolate chip, peanut butter, white chocolate macadamia nut, or seasonal specials—pressed into a hot skillet and baked to order. Not pre-made. Not microwaved. Actually baked while you wait in one of those seven cozy dining rooms. The result comes out with crispy, caramelized edges and a warm, gooey center that's still slightly underbaked in the middle. Then comes a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top. "They give you the perfect amount of ice cream for every bite," raves one Yelp reviewer who ordered two cazookies to share—half chocolate chip/half peanut butter, and half white chocolate/half Cadbury. "So freaking delicious." Another customer, married 15 years ago at an event catered by THE CHOCOLATE, returned recently and found the experience unchanged: "Still just as charming as ever. Warm, inviting vibe, friendly staff, and desserts that absolutely hit the spot." The cazookie runs $13 for the regular version, with a gluten-free option at $16 for those who need it. And yes, it's shareable—though plenty of date-night couples have been known to order one per person. "The cazookies are always hot and a perfect dessert for a date night," explains a regular customer who loves mixing up the seasonal flavors. Inside the 1909 Mansion: Seven Rooms, Seven Vibes What makes THE CHOCOLATE's Orem location genuinely special isn't just what's on the plates—it's where you eat it. This historic mansion built in 1909 has been transformed into seven distinct dining rooms, each with its own personality, furniture, and artwork. "Feels more like a comfy old home than a café, and that's exactly why it works," wrote one reviewer after returning to the spot where they'd ordered their wedding cake 15 years prior. One room might have mismatched vintage couches perfect for girls' night. Another features traditional tables for family celebrations. There's even intimate corners that work for first dates—and yes, Kajsia's heard from couples who came for their first date and later contacted her about doing a proposal in the same spot. The converted house layout creates something most modern dessert spots can't replicate: actual privacy and atmosphere. "The bakery is in a house so there are rooms with lots of small tables that can be combined for larger groups or separated to accommodate smaller groups," notes a TripAdvisor reviewer. It's the kind of place where you can host a bridal shower in one room while a couple celebrates their anniversary in another, and nobody's experience feels diminished. And that late-night advantage? While most Utah County dessert options close by 9pm, THE CHOCOLATE keeps serving until 10pm Monday through Thursday and 11pm Friday and Saturday. For a state where many restaurants shut down early, this makes THE CHOCOLATE Utah's late-night dessert spot almost by default. Beyond the Cazookie: Signature Cakes That Earn Their Names While the skillet cookie Utah residents rave about gets the most attention, THE CHOCOLATE's cake slices deserve equal billing. These aren't your standard bakery offerings—each signature flavor has a name, a story, and a devoted following. The Husband tops the popularity charts: milk chocolate cake layered with milk fudge frosting. "Their chocolate cake is still a knockout. Rich but not overdone—just how it should be," explains that 15-year customer. At $6.95 per slice, it's the #3 most-liked item on DoorDash with an 84% approval rating. Though some customers note occasional inconsistency—"Most of the time, it's pretty moist. However, there are times where it's dry and crumbly," admits one honest regular. The Cherub brings a different profile: milk chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. With 91% of DoorDash customers giving it positive reviews, it's become the #2 most-liked item after the cazookie itself. The Kitty Katrina offers vanilla lovers their moment: Madagascan vanilla cake layered and frosted with vanilla buttercream. It's proof that not everything here revolves around chocolate—though let's be real, most things do. Then there's the rotating "Cake of the Week" program, which keeps the menu fresh and gives Kajsia's baking team room to experiment. Recent specials have included Lemon Curd (lemon cake with lemon buttercream and curd filling), Strawberry Nutella (chocolate cake with Nutella buttercream and strawberry filling), and seasonal flavors that change with Utah's holidays and celebrations. "We love trying the different flavors. You can tell it is always fresh. They will even write cute thank you notes on the box," gushes one DoorDash customer. The Scratch-Baked Philosophy in Action In an era when many dessert cafes rely on pre-made bases and mixes, THE CHOCOLATE doubles down on the scratch-baked approach. Everything is made fresh daily, from the cookie dough that goes into those cazookies to the buttercream frostings on the cakes. "Everything is made fresh," confirms a FindMeGlutenFree reviewer who's also celiac. "They have the best cazookies and they also offer seasonal flavors of cazookies which are always fun to mix it up." This commitment extends to their gluten-free offerings, which aren't afterthoughts but actual menu items people seek out. "Their gluten free treats are so good," writes one celiac customer. "I've never had a problem with cross contact, they state that they make the gluten free treats away from everything else. They also change gloves and prepare in a clean area." For custom cakes—whether birthday cakes Orem families order for celebrations or wedding cakes for big events—the same philosophy applies. Kajsia's years working under THE CHOCOLATE's founder gave her deep knowledge of recipe development and cake construction. The business handles everything from tastings to setup for wedding cakes, maintaining the quality standards that made couples order from them 15 years ago and come back today. Utah County's Dessert Destination for Every Occasion THE CHOCOLATE has found its place in Utah's celebration culture. This is a state where family gatherings matter, where missionaries return home to parties, where every graduation and birthday calls for something special. "We love being able to be the place to have everyone come enjoy scratch made desserts and be able to celebrate what is going on in their lives," Kajsia explains. The two locations—Orem at 212 South State Street and West Jordan at 9120 South Redwood Road—serve slightly different communities but share the same mission. The Orem location benefits from proximity to UVU, making it a late-night study break destination for students, while the West Jordan spot serves the southern Salt Lake County crowd. Parking isn't the nightmare you'd expect from a downtown location—there's a spacious lot in the back of the Orem mansion. And while walk-ins work fine most nights, larger groups might want to call ahead during peak Friday and Saturday evening hours. The price point runs reasonable for the quality: cazookies at $13, cake slices at $6.95, and custom orders priced based on size and complexity. As one TripAdvisor reviewer notes about the premium pricing: "The best dessert establishment in Utah County. Their cakes are on the expensive side but are excellent quality and worth the premium price." Planning Your Visit to THE CHOCOLATE Orem Location: 212 S State Street, Orem, UT 84058 West Jordan Location: 9120 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, UT Phone: (801) 224-7334 Hours: Monday-Thursday: 11am-10pm Friday-Saturday: 11am-11pm Sunday: Closed What to Order: First-timers should absolutely get the cazookie—go classic chocolate chip or try a seasonal flavor if you're feeling adventurous. If you're cake people, The Husband delivers that rich chocolate experience, while The Kitty Katrina satisfies vanilla cravings. Check their social media or call ahead to see what the Cake of the Week is—those rotating flavors often become customer favorites. Best Times: Late-night visits (9-11pm Friday-Saturday) offer the full experience without crowds. Date night couples love this window. For family gatherings or groups, earlier weeknight hours provide more room flexibility across those seven dining rooms. Parking: Use the large lot behind the historic mansion—don't try to parallel park on State Street. Instagram: Follow @thechocolate.cafe for cake reveals, cazookie beauty shots, and seasonal flavor announcements. The Cazookie Legacy Continues Fifteen years after opening in a basement kitchen, THE CHOCOLATE has become woven into Utah County's dessert landscape. The cazookie Orem residents crave at 10pm on a Saturday night. The birthday cake families order for milestone celebrations. The historic mansion where first dates happen and proposals follow years later. Kajsia and Brett's ownership has preserved what made THE CHOCOLATE special while bringing their own touch—new recipes, seasonal innovations, and that family atmosphere that comes from literally raising their kids in the business. "Since becoming owners we have had 2 more children and this has become their second home as well," Kajsia shares. "We are excited to continue bringing the joy of desserts to everyone in the area." In a Utah food scene increasingly known for quality craft—from Amano Artisan Chocolate to Ritual Chocolate to the state's thriving bean-to-bar movement—THE CHOCOLATE holds its own lane: scratch-baked comfort, late-night availability, and that democratic magic of a warm skillet cookie with melting ice cream that transcends trends and just makes people happy. As one customer summed it up perfectly: "A true Orem gem."

There's a moment—maybe it's 11 p.m. on a Tuesday, maybe it's three days before someone's birthday—when you realize regular cookies won't cut it. Not the grocery store tub. Not even the trendy chain bakery down the street. You want something that makes people look up from their phones. Something that, when you open the box, feels less like dessert and more like an occasion. That's the exact space Derek Jaeger and Alana Arnold were chasing when they started Last Crumb in 2020. Not another cookie brand. Not a bakery you could walk into on your lunch break. They wanted to build what Matthew Jung, their CEO, would later call "the Rolex of cookies"—luxury cookies online that people would join a 200,000-person waitlist to taste. "From the buying experience, to the packaging, to delicious bites of each unique flavor," wrote one customer on Thingtesting. "These cookies are hands-down the most amazing treat I have ever experienced." The Holiday Party That Changed Everything: Derek Jaeger's Journey to Luxury Cookie Mastery Derek Jaeger didn't wake up one morning and decide to sell $140 boxes of cookies. His path to creating America's most exclusive gourmet cookies delivered nationwide started years earlier in San Diego, where he co-founded The Cravory—a mail-order cookie company that experimented with over 950 flavors at farmers markets. But something was missing. After leaving to start a marketing company, Jaeger told Go Solo that "I felt I had lost touch with what truly made me happy." That all changed at a 2019 holiday party. His longtime friend Alana Arnold—a digital marketing veteran with a decade of experience building brand partnerships and influencer programs—had been eating his cookies for years. "My co-founder Derek Jaeger and I have been friends for well over a decade, and we initially bonded over our passion for food and my love for his cookies," Arnold told Angeleno Magazine. "I thought they were the best I've ever had!" At that party, Arnold pushed Jaeger to take the leap. Not to open another cookie company, but to create something the food world had never seen: handmade artisan cookies sold through a streetwear-style "drop" model. Limited batches. Exclusive releases. Cookies that sold out in minutes, not days. Six months later, Matthew Jung—a self-described skeptic and serial entrepreneur with 15 years of DTC brand experience—joined as CEO. "Derek told me he wanted to build the 'Rolex of cookies,'" Jung told Commercial Baking. "It was crazy, but that's what made it so intoxicating." Within three months of their August 2020 launch, Last Crumb was profitable. By the end of year one, they'd hit eight figures in sales. The waitlist ballooned to 80,000, then 200,000. Kim Kardashian posted about them. Chrissy Teigen ordered them. Cardi B became a fan. The Three-Day Secret: What Makes $12 Luxury Cookies Worth Every Dollar Walk into most bakeries and you'll see bakers mixing dough in the morning, baking by noon, and selling by afternoon. Last Crumb's process takes three full days—a timeline that sounds absurd until you taste what it produces. "Some people melt butter, others brown it—we go a step further," the company explains on their website. "Our secret recipe requires caramelizing European high-fat butter a day in advance of the dough, to allow the decadent sweetness to build. Machines can't do this—it requires a real human to ensure it's done right." That caramelized European butter becomes the foundation for every cookie. Then comes the rest period—what Last Crumb calls "the real secret." As the dough ages and dries over those three days, sugar concentration increases, enhancing browning. The butter solidifies and absorbs into the dough, creating Last Crumb's signature rich, almost cake-like texture. "These cookies are fcking good," admitted one initially skeptical Thingtesting reviewer who rated them 5 stars. "And I wanted it to be different, but I can't fight it. They're fcking excellent. They are soft, gooey, a truly elevated dessert." The ingredient list reads like a luxury fashion label's supplier roster: Barry Callebaut French chocolate (hand-chopped into chunks and chips for texture), King Arthur Sir Galahad flour, Plugrà European butter (82% butterfat), Tahitian vanilla beans, Maldon sea salt as the finishing touch. Real bananas instead of artificial flavoring. Actual Maine blueberries turned into puree and tossed in whole. Toasted macadamia nuts. Hand-torched marshmallows. Each cookie is hand-rolled, hand-mixed, baked fresh, individually wrapped with a serial number, and shipped the same day. The Core Collection features 12 signature flavors with names like "Better Than Sex" (three types of chocolate chip with hints of coffee), "The Madonna" (peanut butter explosion), and "Donkey Kong" (banana cream pie with vanilla wafers and pudding). "The banana cream pie flavor, which the brand refers to as its flagship cookie, beat my expectations," wrote Elite Daily's reviewer. "Using real bananas instead of artificial flavoring really made a difference both flavor and texture-wise." The Drop Model That Disrupted the Cookie Industry Last Crumb didn't just make expensive cookies and hope people would buy them. They borrowed the scarcity playbook from Supreme, Nike SNKRS, and luxury streetwear brands—then applied it to cookies. Limited weekly drops. Waitlist-only access initially. Collections that sold out in under 30 minutes. When Last Crumb's Platinum Collection dropped in January 2023, it vanished in 28 minutes. "Right before Last Crumb, I was working for an Esports company where I learned about the culture of merch drops and the brand affinity that drove people to purchase," Arnold told WWD. That experience shaped Last Crumb's entire business model: make people want access, not just cookies. "The more people we sell cookies to, the more people are talking about us," Jung explained to Retail Brew. "These social posts and videos of unboxing [our cookies] have a really interesting compounding flywheel effect." The strategy worked. TikTok's #LastCrumb hashtag has racked up 13.8 million views. Instagram unboxing videos became a genre unto themselves. "This is THE Best unboxing experience for any brand I've purchased from," wrote a Thingtesting reviewer. "It will truly make you (or the person you bought it for) feel special." The packaging lives up to the hype: a black matte box housing 12 individually-wrapped cookies, each with its own tongue-in-cheek description and serial number. Early drops included a 40-page booklet. The whole experience feels less like opening cookies and more like unboxing a limited-edition sneaker release. Born in LA, Reborn in NYC: Last Crumb's Bicoastal Luxury Cookie Empire While Last Crumb started in Los Angeles—specifically Pasadena, later Hollywood—the brand's expansion to New York City cemented its status as a national luxury dessert delivery phenomenon. The company now operates a speakeasy-style pickup location in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where customers who make purchases receive the secret address. The password? "Give me my damn cookies." This bicoastal presence isn't just about logistics. It's about positioning. Born in celebrity-obsessed LA where Kim Kardashian and Hailey Bieber could become brand ambassadors simply by posting about their cookie deliveries. Reborn in culture-capital NYC where food exclusivity and drop culture thrive. "We wanted to bring luxury, exclusivity and most importantly, a unique experience," Arnold told WWD. "After a year of developing our ideas and turning them into a brand, we landed on delectable, decadent cookies with an elevated experience." The company has since launched collaborations with the Beverly Hills Hotel, Call of Duty, Serendipity3, Fly By Jing, Guinness, and Pudgy Penguins. Each partnership reinforces Last Crumb's positioning at the intersection of food, culture, and lifestyle. The $140 Question: Are Last Crumb's Luxury Cookies Actually Worth It? Let's be direct: at $120-$140 for a dozen (that's $10-$12 per cookie), Last Crumb is expensive. Like, "is this a joke?" expensive. Customer reviews reflect this tension—rave reviews about flavor sitting right next to sticker shock about price. "Between the unique flavors and the overall tasting experience, we think Last Crumb cookies are worth the splurge," concluded Taste of Home's comprehensive review. "Plus, they make fantastic gifts for serious cookie lovers." But not everyone agrees. "I just don't think these viral cookies are worth it," wrote Tasting Table's reviewer, who appreciated the quality but couldn't justify the premium pricing compared to Crumbl's $4 cookies or homemade batches. The truth lives somewhere in the middle, and it depends entirely on what you're buying. If you want a Tuesday afternoon snack, Last Crumb probably isn't your move. But if you're looking for a gift that makes someone feel genuinely special? If you're planning a party where one cookie per person creates actual conversation? If you're the type who'd rather experience something exceptional once than settle for mediocre weekly? "These cookies are decadent," wrote a Scary Mommy reviewer who tried the Valentine's Collection. "They aren't the bite-sized lightweights you'll find in a Keebler box. They're super thick and big, and they are rich—so rich that you're not going to sit down and eat them in one go." Multiple reviewers confirmed that each cookie easily serves 2-4 people. Heat them in the oven at 350° for 3-5 minutes (or microwave for 10-15 seconds if you're impatient), and they taste bakery-fresh. Sealed cookies keep for two weeks on the counter, two months in the freezer. "I would buy it again for a special occasion gathering," wrote the Thingtesting reviewer who initially planned to hate-review them. "I'll be meeting up with my whole family this Spring and if there's a drop I just might just have to treat my loved ones to a box." Planning Your Last Crumb Cookie Experience Where to Order: Visit lastcrumb.com to browse collections. The Core Collection is available year-round, while limited-edition seasonal drops (Valentine's, Halloween, holiday collaborations) rotate throughout the year. Sign up for email alerts to catch exclusive releases. Pricing: Half-dozen boxes start around $90; full dozen boxes run $120-$140 depending on collection. Save 10% with monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly subscriptions. Shipping: Orders bake and ship within 1-4 business days. Delivery typically takes 1-4 additional business days depending on location. Overnight shipping available Monday-Thursday before noon PST. NYC Pickup: In-person pickup available at Last Crumb's South Williamsburg, Brooklyn location (exact address provided with purchase). Because nothing says "I'm in the know" like picking up luxury cookies at a speakeasy. What to Order First: Customer favorites consistently include Better Than Sex (the signature chocolate chip), Donkey Kong (banana cream pie), Not Today Mr. Muffin Man (blueberry with streusel), and The Madonna (peanut butter). Start with the Core Collection to sample the range. Pro Tips: Heat before eating (seriously, don't skip this). Share with friends (these are rich). Consider them for gifting, corporate events, or milestone celebrations where presentation matters. Instagram: @lastcrumb Last Crumb isn't trying to replace your grandmother's chocolate chip recipe or compete with the local bakery's Tuesday specials. They're operating in an entirely different category—one they essentially invented. Luxury cookies online positioned as status symbols, sold through drop culture, delivered nationwide with the kind of packaging experience usually reserved for Gucci handbags. Whether that's worth $140 depends on your definition of worth. But there's a reason 200,000 people are on the waitlist. A reason Kim Kardashian and Cardi B order them. A reason reviewers who wanted to hate them ended up admitting they're "f*cking excellent." Sometimes a cookie isn't just a cookie. Sometimes it's an experience. And sometimes—just sometimes—that experience is worth every damn dollar.

There's a specific kind of chaos that happens at a Dutch Bros Coffee location around 7:30 AM on a Tuesday. Cars snake around the building in impossible configurations. Music thumps from speakers mounted outside the stand. And somewhere in that organized mayhem, a Broista with genuinely unhinged levels of enthusiasm is leaning out the window asking if you've tried the Aftershock Rebel yet, because "it's like Sour Patch Kids in a cup and I'm obsessed." This is not your grandmother's coffee shop. Hell, this isn't even your regular Starbucks experience. Dutch Bros Coffee has taken Utah by storm with 33+ locations from Logan to St. George, and they're doing it with a formula that shouldn't work but absolutely does: drive-thru-only service, proprietary energy drinks that appeal to Utah's unique beverage culture, and a secret menu that's become something of an obsession on TikTok. From Failing Dairy Farm to $484 Million IPO: The Brothers Who Changed Coffee The Dutch Bros story starts where a lot of great American businesses do - with desperation and a pushcart. In 1992, brothers Dane and Travis Boersma were watching their family's third-generation dairy farm in Grants Pass, Oregon, slowly die thanks to changing environmental regulations. They needed a pivot, and fast. Travis suggested a coffee cart. Dane had some money saved from running a Dairy Queen franchise. They scraped together $12,050 for an espresso machine and a single pushcart, set up shop in downtown Grants Pass, and named it Dutch Bros in honor of their immigrant grandparents. That humble beginning has become a drive-thru empire. Dutch Bros went public on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2021, raising $484 million in their IPO. As of 2024, they operate 912 locations across 24 states and employ approximately 24,000 people. The company's still majority-owned by Travis Boersma (Dane passed away in 2009), and that family-business DNA shows in everything from the Broista culture to their aggressive community giving. Why Dutch Bros is Crushing It in Utah's Unique Beverage Market Here's something most national chains don't understand about Utah: this state has a thing about customized beverages. We're talking about the birthplace of dirty soda culture - where shops like Swig, Sodalicious, and Fiiz have built empires on the concept of adding flavored syrups to fountain drinks. Dutch Bros arrived in Utah in May 2021 with their first St. George location, and they immediately understood the assignment. With 25+ flavor syrups, customizable Rebel energy drinks, and a Broista culture that encourages experimentation, they slotted perfectly into Utah's existing beverage obsession. "I've heard great things about Dutch Bro's Coffee, and I was excited to see they made their way to Utah" one Draper customer noted. Another regular at the Sandy location shared, "My go-to drink is the iced Annihilator with white chocolate and oat milk." The secret sauce? Dutch Bros gets that Utah's beverage preferences lean heavily toward energy drinks over traditional coffee - a cultural quirk tied to the large LDS population that avoids coffee but embraces energy drinks. The Rebel lineup, their proprietary energy drink base, has become the star of the show. The Golden Eagle Phenomenon: Utah's Most-Ordered Dutch Bros Drink Walk into any Dutch Bros in Salt Lake City or Provo and ask what people order. You'll hear the same answer: the Golden Eagle. According to Dutch Bros' own data, the Iced Golden Eagle Breve is the #1 ordered drink in Salt Lake City, and it's not even close. So what makes this drink so addictive? It's a breve-style espresso drink (meaning it's made with half-and-half instead of regular milk) combined with vanilla and caramel syrups, topped with caramel drizzle. The result is smooth, creamy, lightly sweet without being cloying, and most importantly for Utah's tastes - not too coffee-forward. "We ordered what they said was the most popular drink, the Golden Eagle. It was a perfect blend of vanilla and caramel sweetness" one St. George customer explained. An Ogden regular raved about their location's crew making drinks with "hearts of GOLD(en Eagle)." The Golden Eagle is available hot, iced, or blended as a freeze, runs about $5.50 for a large, and can be customized with sugar-free syrups or alternative milks. One customer at the Sandy location praised the "iced sugar free Golden Eagle" calling it "So good!" Rebel Energy Drinks: Dutch Bros' Secret Weapon in Utah If the Golden Eagle is Dutch Bros' most popular coffee drink in Utah, the Rebel energy drink lineup is what separates them from every other coffee chain. These aren't canned Red Bulls with syrup added - they're Dutch Bros' proprietary energy drink base that can be customized with any combination of their 25+ flavors, served iced or blended. The Electric Berry Rebel - with blue raspberry and lime - is a staple. The Aftershock Rebel combines strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, and lime for what customers describe as a "Sour Patch Kids" flavor profile. The Shark Attack Rebel adds coconut and pomegranate drizzle for an Instagram-worthy presentation. But here's where it gets interesting: Broistas actively encourage customers to create their own combinations. One insider favorite that's made the rounds on TikTok? A blended Rebel with peach, pomegranate, passion fruit, and mango - essentially a tropical vacation in a cup with 150mg of caffeine. "The Broistas are known for their friendly and engaging personalities. They're often eager to help customers navigate the vast Rebel menu and suggest flavor combinations" one industry analysis noted. This isn't corporate-mandated upselling - it's genuine enthusiasm for helping people find their perfect drink. The Rebel drinks come sugar-free if you want them, can be made with different milk alternatives, and topped with their signature Soft Top (a marshmallow-like frothy cream) or regular whipped cream. A medium Rebel has about 150-200mg of caffeine depending on customization. The Annihilator: For Chocolate Lovers Who Mean Business The other drink you'll hear about constantly in Utah? The Annihilator. This is Dutch Bros' answer to anyone who thinks coffee drinks can't be indulgent enough. The Annihilator combines chocolate macadamia nut syrup with breve-style espresso and chocolate milk. It's rich, nutty, decadent, and according to fans, "a chocolate lover's dream." The medium size packs about 180mg of caffeine along with 340 calories if you get the full-sugar version. "My go-to drink is the iced Annihilator with white chocolate and oat milk" shared a regular at the Draper location, demonstrating how even signature drinks get customized. Some customers add Soft Top, others request caramel drizzle, and the truly committed order it with white coffee for a nuttier flavor profile. The Annihilator can be served hot, iced, or blended as a freeze, and like everything at Dutch Bros, it's fully customizable. Sugar-free chocolate macadamia nut syrup? They've got it. Want it with almond milk? No problem. Need an extra espresso shot? Just ask. Cracking the Dutch Bros Secret Menu Code Now we get to the part that's turned Dutch Bros into a social media phenomenon: the secret menu. Unlike Starbucks' secret menu, which is mostly customer-created chaos, Dutch Bros' off-menu drinks are actually known by many Broistas and can be ordered by name or by ingredient list. The Bob Marley blends coconut, banana, and dark chocolate for a tropical-meets-mocha vibe. The Ninja Turtle Mocha adds crème de menthe to white chocolate. The Birthday Cake Frost combines almond roca, white chocolate, whipped cream, and sprinkles for what's essentially a party in a cup. The Vampire Slayer Rebel has become cult-favorite - strawberry and pomegranate added to the Rebel base for a sweet-and-sour combination customers compare to Sour Patch Kids candy. The Dino Egg Rebel goes visual with blended blue raspberry Rebel plus Unicorn Blood drizzle (strawberry, white chocolate, and almond). Here's the key to ordering secret menu drinks: know the ingredients. Some Broistas will recognize names, but having the recipe ensures you get exactly what you want. For example, the Flapjack Breve is a breve with salted caramel, vanilla syrup, white chocolate sauce, Soft Top, and caramel drizzle. If they don't know it by name, just rattle off that ingredient list. Pro tip from regular customers: Don't be afraid to ask for drinks "half-sweet" or "quarter-sweet" if you find Dutch Bros too sugary. The customization is genuinely encouraged, not merely tolerated. The Broista Culture: Why Dutch Bros Service Feels Different Walk up to any Dutch Bros window and you'll notice something immediately: the person taking your order seems genuinely, almost disturbingly happy to see you. This isn't accidental - it's core to what Dutch Bros calls their Broista culture. "I am so impressed with the customer service, everyone was so enthusiastic and sweet and very friendly. Seriously, for that alone I will be going again" one Heber City customer explained. A regular at the Morgan location noted, "All the workers have the best attitude and it is so fun to chat with them!" Broistas are trained not just to make drinks but to create connections. They'll remember your order after a few visits, they'll dance to whatever music is playing, and they'll genuinely ask about your day - not in that scripted corporate way, but like they actually care. The company backs this up with internal culture practices. Most Dutch Bros locations don't have phones because they'd "rather speak with you face-to-face at the window." They hire starting at age 16 and promote from within - many franchise owners started as Broistas. The company requires franchise candidates to have worked for Dutch Bros for at least three years, resulting in a 97% continuity rate. This culture shows up in the details. First Wednesday of every month is Sticker Drop day - free stickers with every drink while supplies last. Your birthday gets you a free drink through the Dutch Bros app. The company runs regular charity events and giveback campaigns throughout the year. Dutch Bros' Utah-Specific Innovation: The Dr. Dutch Dirty Soda In February 2025, Dutch Bros made a move that showed they really understand Utah. They introduced "Dr. Dutch" dirty sodas - exclusively available in Utah and Tennessee. Dirty sodas are a Utah cultural phenomenon - regular soda plus flavored syrups, creams, and sometimes boba. Chains like Swig and Sodalicious have built entire business models around them. Dutch Bros created their own proprietary Dr. Pepper-style soda called Dr. Dutch and launched it with three signature combinations: Snake Venom: Dr. Dutch with coconut and strawberry OG Dr. Dutch: Dr. Dutch with coconut, lime, and sweet cream Just Peachy: Dr. Dutch with peach and vanilla You can also build your own on the app with up to four flavored syrups, add strawberry boba, whipped cream, sweet cream, or Soft Top, and choose from three sizes. "We know how passionate Utah residents are about dirty sodas, so we wanted to bring our version of the drink to them" explained Alissan Speidel, Dutch Bros communications specialist. Planning Your Dutch Bros Visit in Utah With 33+ locations across Utah, you're never far from a Dutch Bros. Major markets include Salt Lake City (multiple locations), Provo (near BYU campus), Utah County (Sandy, Draper, Saratoga Springs), and expanding north into Ogden and Logan. Most locations are open 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily - yes, you can get a Rebel at 5 in the morning if that's your thing. These are drive-thru-only stands, though most have small parking areas if you want to mobile order and pick up. The lines look intimidating. Don't let them scare you. Dutch Bros has mastered the art of line efficiency with Broistas taking orders before you reach the window. What looks like a 30-minute wait typically moves in under 10 minutes. "I look at the long line at Dutch Bros and its always worth it! The drinks are excellent and the line moves faster than you think" one West Valley City customer noted. Best times to visit? Early morning (5-7 AM) if you want speed. Mid-afternoon (2-4 PM) if you want to actually chat with your Broista. Avoid the immediate post-work rush (5-6:30 PM) unless you're using mobile ordering. What to order? Start with the Golden Eagle if you want coffee. Try an Electric Berry Rebel or Aftershock Rebel if you want energy drinks. If you're feeling adventurous, ask your Broista what their favorite secret menu drink is - they'll get genuinely excited to make you something special. Download the Dutch Bros app before you go. Dutch Rewards earns you 3 points per dollar spent toward free drinks, you get a free birthday drink, and you can mobile order at most locations. Payment options include cash, all major credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and PayPal. Why Dutch Bros Works in Utah's Beverage Ecosystem Here's the thing about Dutch Bros that makes them different from every other national coffee chain: they're not trying to be a coffee shop. They're a beverage company that happens to serve coffee. In Utah, where energy drink culture rivals coffee culture, where customization is expected not extra, and where drive-thru convenience matters more than cozy third-place vibes, Dutch Bros has found their perfect market. They understood that Utah didn't need another Starbucks - we needed a place that combines the customization obsession of soda shops with the caffeine delivery of coffee culture and the positive energy of, well, Oregon hippies who really care about your day. The secret menu gives regulars a sense of insider knowledge. The Rebel drinks provide coffee-free caffeine for the large LDS population. The Broista culture creates genuine human connection in an increasingly automated world. And the drive-thru model fits perfectly into Utah's car-dependent, fast-paced lifestyle. Dutch Bros Coffee isn't conquering Utah despite being different from Starbucks. They're conquering Utah because they're different from Starbucks. They've created something that feels both nationally consistent and locally specific, corporate yet genuine, efficient yet personal. And that Golden Eagle? It's still the #1 drink in Salt Lake City, probably because it represents what Dutch Bros does best: taking something familiar (a latte), making it a little sweeter, a little richer, and delivering it with a smile from someone who genuinely seems excited that you're having it. Find your nearest Dutch Bros location across Utah from Logan to St. George, and discover why the lines are always worth the wait. Follow @DutchBros on Instagram for secret menu updates, seasonal drinks, and Sticker Drop announcements.

Walk into Blue Copper Coffee Room on a Saturday morning and you'll catch the scent of freshly roasted beans before you even reach the door—that bright, almost fruity aroma that tells you someone here actually gives a damn about what they're doing. The space is small, just a handful of tables squeezed between industrial metal chairs and one worn leather sofa in the corner, but it's packed. Always packed. And for good reason. As one San Francisco transplant put it after ordering a cortado: "Staff are friendly and the coffee is good. Visiting here from San Francisco and end up bringing the bean they roasted home." This isn't just another third-wave coffee shop trying to out-minimalist the competition. Blue Copper Coffee in Salt Lake City's Central Ninth District has been quietly revolutionizing Utah's specialty coffee scene since 2013, back when Patrick Andrews was roasting beans in a popcorn popper in his garage. Today, his light-roast coffee philosophy and five-day-a-week roasting schedule have made Blue Copper the beating heart of one of Salt Lake's most dynamic neighborhoods. From Popcorn Popper to Neighborhood Institution: Patrick Andrews' Light Roast Mission Patrick Andrews didn't set out to become Utah's light roast specialist. He started Blue Copper as a side hobby in 2011, experimenting with home roasting equipment that included, yes, an actual popcorn popper. But when he brought samples to the 2013 Craft Lake City festival, a barista from Nobrow Coffee Werks—one of Salt Lake's OG third-wave shops—tasted what he was doing and immediately wanted in. The partnership made sense. Nobrow had established itself in the Central Ninth District when the neighborhood was still more warehouse than wine bar, back when having a coffee shop on 900 South felt like a bet on a future that hadn't arrived yet. Andrews moved his roasting operation out of South Salt Lake and into the Matsuura Printing building right next door to Nobrow. By 2015, the two merged completely, with Blue Copper taking over the space and transforming it into what's now the Coffee Room. Andrews' approach to roasting sets Blue Copper apart from pretty much every other roaster in Utah. While most coffee companies play it safe with medium roasts that appeal to the masses, Blue Copper goes light—really light. Their philosophy? Lighter roasts preserve the delicate, inherent characteristics of each coffee origin. That means floral notes, high fruit flavors, and a brightness that can taste almost like citrus or berries depending on the bean. "Everything we roast is on the lighter side to highlight the delicate side of coffee—florals and high fruit flavors are most of what we seek in a cup," Andrews explained in an interview. The roasting happens five days a week using house-made software that Andrews developed to master and replicate each profile with obsessive precision. Every bean that goes into a Blue Copper bag is Specialty Grade according to the Specialty Coffee Association standards, sourced from traceable importers and, whenever possible, directly from farms. The Blue Copper Coffee Experience: Where Cortados Meet Community Step up to the counter at Blue Copper Coffee Room and you're immediately struck by how the baristas actually seem to know what they're doing. No pretentious sneering, no eye rolls when you ask for oat milk—just knowledgeable folks who love talking about coffee and genuinely want you to have a great cup. One regular put it perfectly: "One of my favorite stops for a latte. The staff are always friendly but they are also really skilled baristas. The coffee is great and there's no bitterness in their espresso blend." That lack of bitterness isn't an accident. Blue Copper's light roast approach means their espresso has a completely different character than what you'll find at corporate chains or even many specialty shops. Instead of that burnt, aggressive punch, you get complexity—layered flavors that reveal themselves as the shot cools. A visitor from California, clearly a coffee snob herself, noted that she ordered a cortado and "end up bringing the bean they roasted home" after one visit. The menu stays focused: lattes, cappuccinos, cortados, americanos, and a rotating selection of single-origin pour overs. No sixty-option flavor menu, no unicorn frappuccinos. Just really good coffee made really well. The house blend and seasonal offerings change regularly, with Andrews constantly experimenting with new beans and roast profiles. Customers rave about the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte—"it was so smooth and balanced," one reviewer gushed—and the espresso tonics when the weather warms up. But the drinks are only part of the story. Blue Copper's food game deserves serious attention, especially their cinnamon coffee cake, which has developed something of a cult following. One customer admitted they kept "glancing at it until I finally allowed him a singular bite" while sharing breakfast with his dad. The molasses cookies and ginger cookies get consistent shout-outs too, with one visitor calling them "off the chain." The space itself embraces the Central Ninth aesthetic—industrial without being cold, intimate without feeling cramped. There's a piano art piece on one wall, metal tables and chairs scattered throughout, and an outdoor patio that becomes prime real estate the moment temperatures allow. Yeah, parking can be a pain (this is downtown Salt Lake, after all), and you might have to wait for a seat on weekend mornings. But as multiple reviewers noted, it's worth it. Central Ninth District's Coffee Anchor: How Blue Copper Helped Build a Neighborhood Patrick Andrews didn't just want to roast good coffee—he wanted to be part of building something bigger. When he moved Blue Copper's roasting operations to Central Ninth in 2015, the neighborhood was at a crossroads. It had potential, sure. Good bones, historic bungalows, proximity to the 900 South TRAX station. But it needed anchors, places that would give people reasons to come, to stay, to invest. "Coffee shops provide a meeting point," Andrews told Building Salt Lake back then. He estimated that roughly 70 percent of Blue Copper's sales came from regular customers—neighborhood folks who'd made it their daily ritual, their workspace, their third place between home and office. Atlas Architects, the firm that co-owns Blue Copper and developed the Central Ninth Market building right across the street, saw the coffee shop as key to the entire neighborhood's transformation. The Market now houses restaurants like Laziz Kitchen, Meditrina, and Water Witch Bar, creating the kind of walkable food and drink scene that gives a neighborhood its identity. The development strategy worked. Today, Central Ninth has become one of Salt Lake City's most talked-about districts, drawing comparisons to the established 9th and 9th corridor but with better transit access and a grittier, more authentic vibe. New residential projects keep popping up, from luxury townhomes to affordable apartment complexes. And at the center of it all, Blue Copper Coffee Room keeps doing what it's done since the beginning—roasting excellent coffee and giving the neighborhood a place to gather. Blue Copper 2000: The Marmalade District's Edgy Younger Sibling In 2019, Blue Copper expanded beyond Central Ninth, opening a second location in the Marmalade District that couldn't be more different from the original Coffee Room. Blue Copper 2000 (named for the year it was almost opened) embraces an '80s arcade aesthetic—think Peach Pit meets Blade Runner, according to Atlas Architects' description of the space. The vibe at 2000 is decidedly more playful. White and black interiors, geometric decor, soft indie music, an edgy chandelier, and yes, actual arcade games scattered throughout. The space embraces inclusivity in a way that feels genuine rather than performative—multiple customers have praised it as a "queer-friendly shop" with a "laid back vibe" and welcoming atmosphere. "Blue Copper embraces individuality in a way I haven't seen in a coffee shop here before," one customer wrote. "It's their unique look and decor, edgy chandelier, the pride flag, the welcoming 'Hello!' as you walk in. And I love it—it feels like a safe space for individuals to come in as themselves and get a drink." The coffee program remains identical to the original location—same light-roast philosophy, same five-day roasting schedule, same expert baristas. Customers consistently rave about the vanilla lattes here, with one declaring it "the best coffee I have ever had. It was so smooth and balanced." The Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte has become a signature drink, along with their unsweetened matcha that lets you customize the sweetness level yourself. Blue Copper 2000 offers more seating than the Coffee Room and has become a favorite spot for Marmalade District residents looking for a neighborhood gathering place. The location at 401 N 300 W puts it within walking distance of Capitol Hill and makes it an easy stop for anyone heading downtown. Planning Your Visit to Blue Copper Coffee Blue Copper Coffee Room (Central Ninth District) 179 W 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 (385) 222-7046 Monday-Friday: 8am-3pm | Saturday-Sunday: 9am-4pm Blue Copper 2000 (Marmalade District) 401 N 300 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84103 (801) 225-2092 Monday-Friday: 7am-2pm | Saturday-Sunday: 8am-3pm What to order: Start with a cortado to really taste the espresso quality. If you're into lattes, the Brown Sugar Cinnamon is worth the hype. Don't skip the cinnamon coffee cake. For true coffee nerds, ask what single-origin they're currently featuring—Blue Copper rotates through new roasts monthly and the baristas love talking about the specific flavor profiles. Parking: Limited street parking at both locations. The Coffee Room benefits from the 900 South TRAX station being right there, so public transit is honestly your best bet. Blue Copper 2000 has easier street parking in Marmalade, but it fills up on weekends. Pro tip: Both locations get slammed on Saturday mornings. If you want to actually sit and work, weekday mornings are your friend. Also, if you fall in love with a particular roast, buy beans to go—everything on their website is available in-store, plus some exclusive retail-only offerings. Patrick Andrews started Blue Copper in his garage with a popcorn popper and a vision for what Utah coffee could become. More than a decade later, he's helped transform not just one but two Salt Lake City neighborhoods, proving that exceptional coffee and genuine community building aren't mutually exclusive. Blue Copper Coffee doesn't just serve light-roast specialty coffee—it's become the kind of place where San Francisco coffee snobs bring beans home as souvenirs, where locals plan their entire mornings around a cortado and cinnamon coffee cake, and where neighborhoods find their center. And yeah, they roast it fresh five days a week. Because in Patrick Andrews' world, you don't cut corners when it comes to coffee. Instagram: @bluecoppercoffee

Walk into Cozy Coffee Lounge on a Saturday afternoon and you might stumble into a live musical performance on the patio, the scent of traditional Turkish coffee brewing in hot sand drifting through two connected buildings that feel more like someone's extraordinarily well-curated living room than a typical café. This isn't your grab-and-go coffee stop. Owner Dzenef Beganovic has created something Salt Lake City's coffee scene didn't know it was missing—a genuine coffee lounge where the experience matters as much as what's in your cup. One regular put it perfectly: "Absolutely LOVE cozy coffee lounge the vibes here are amazing and so cozy!" From Berlin to South Salt Lake: The 12-Year Dream Behind Utah's Most Welcoming Coffee Lounge Dzenef Beganovic (pronounced Jenef) doesn't fit the typical coffee shop owner profile, and that's exactly the point. Born in Berlin to Bosnian parents who brought him to Salt Lake City when he was just three years old, he's been dreaming about opening his own café since he was twelve. That's fifteen years of imagining exactly what kind of space he wanted to create—not just another specialty coffee shop, but a genuine gathering place that celebrates diversity and culture in a city that's rapidly evolving its food and beverage landscape. When Cozy Coffee Lounge opened its doors in October 2023 at 2580 S. Main Street in South Salt Lake, Beganovic wasn't trying to compete with the third-wave coffee roasters or the instagrammable latte art spots proliferating across the valley. His vision was different: create an independent coffee shop that feels like an extension of your own home, where the focus is on connection and community as much as it is on expertly crafted beverages. "Our main focus is to showcase a lot of diversity and different culture," Beganovic explained—and that philosophy is evident from the moment you walk through the door. The café itself is an architectural oddity in the best possible way, with a spacious patio connecting two separate buildings, each housing its own cozy lounge area. You order in the north building, but where you settle in after depends entirely on your mood. The thoughtful separation between social spaces and work-friendly zones has made Cozy Coffee Lounge a go-to spot for everyone from remote workers to first-date couples to groups of friends catching up over weekend coffee rituals. Turkish Coffee on Hot Sand and European Pastries You Won't Find Anywhere Else The drink menu at this coffee lounge in Salt Lake City reads like a passport. Traditional Turkish coffee brewed with authentic Balkan beans on hot sand sits alongside matcha lattes and meticulously dialed-in espresso drinks. Beganovic takes the traditional brewing method seriously—watching him prepare coffee in hot sand is part performance art, part ancient tradition, the kind of thing that makes you slow down and actually pay attention to what you're drinking rather than treating it like fuel. But it's the Dirty Horchata that's become something of a cult favorite. Customers describe it as having a "churro-like essence" that somehow works perfectly in coffee form. The tiramisu latte also makes regular appearances on customer-recommended lists, the kind of drink that converts skeptics into regulars. The food program is equally unexpected. The ruska capa—which translates to "Russian hat" in Bosnian/Croatian—is a pastry you'd be hard-pressed to find on any other Salt Lake City café menu. Two layers of hazelnut-flavored cake separated by coconut cream, coated in European chocolate with white icing squiggles and coconut flakes on the sides. It's rich, chocolatey, moist without being too sweet, and according to Beganovic, what Americans call a single serving would be considered four servings in Europe. The cultural perspective matters here. Then there's the burek, a traditional beef and onion pastry that brings authentic Balkan flavors to South Salt Lake. The avocado toast gets consistent praise too—one reviewer raved that it's "delicious!!! I ordered a cappuccino and the toast. It has chili flakes and honey with cheese on top - chef's kiss!" The local bakers Beganovic partners with provide fresh pastries that complement his European offerings, creating a menu that's diverse without being scattered. More Than Just a Coffee Shop: South Salt Lake's Community Living Room What separates a coffee shop from a coffee lounge is intention. Cozy Coffee Lounge has become a genuine community space in South Salt Lake, hosting weekly "coffee parties" every Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. featuring different artists and musical performances on the patio. There are belly dancer performances, free yoga sessions, open mic nights, and game nights. Beganovic's invitation is simple: "come and vibe, connect with people, and make friends." The seasonal igloo experience takes the lounge concept even further. During colder months, you can book time in a festive patio igloo complete with tableside s'mores, specialty coffee drinks or hot chocolate, and propane fire pits to keep you warm. It's the kind of thoughtful, experience-driven offering that makes this more than just a place to caffeinate—it's a destination. For remote workers and students looking for a laptop-friendly coffee shop in Salt Lake City, the layout delivers. Fast, reliable Wi-Fi, hanging chairs, carefully curated seating arrangements, and that crucial separation between the social lounge and working lounge mean you can find your preferred environment whether you need to knock out a project or catch up with friends. Regular visitors note the thoughtful separation of the social lounge and the working lounge, making it easy to find your preferred space whether you're on a casual outing with friends or buried in a project. The wheelchair-accessible space with sidewalk entry and ample room for movement makes it genuinely welcoming, not just theoretically inclusive. Vegetarian options like the praised avocado toast and fruit boards ensure dietary preferences don't limit menu choices. This is the kind of attention to detail that comes from actually caring about creating a space for everyone, not just performing inclusivity. Planning Your Visit to Cozy Coffee Lounge Cozy Coffee Lounge is located at 2580 S. Main Street in South Salt Lake, with a second drive-through location called Cozy Coffee 2 Go at 435 S. 400 West near Pioneer Park for when you're in a rush but still want quality. Hours at the Main Location: Monday-Thursday: 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM Friday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM Saturday: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sunday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Kitchen Hours: Wednesday-Friday: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM What to order: Start with the Turkish coffee on hot sand if you want the full experience. The Dirty Horchata for something unexpected and delicious, or the tiramisu latte if you're into dessert-inspired drinks. For food, don't skip the ruska capa or burek—these European pastries are the real deal and not available elsewhere in the valley. The avocado toast is also a solid choice for brunch. Weekends get busy, especially during the Saturday afternoon coffee parties, so plan accordingly if you want a quieter work session. Follow them on Instagram @cozycoffeeslc for updates on events, special menu items, and igloo experience availability. This is the kind of independent coffee shop Salt Lake City needs more of—places that understand coffee culture isn't just about the beans or the brewing method, but about creating spaces where people actually want to spend time. Beganovic's fifteen-year dream has manifested as something far more valuable than another café competing on specialty roasts alone. He's built a coffee lounge that honors his Bosnian heritage while embracing the diversity of South Salt Lake, creating a genuinely cozy atmosphere that makes "lounge" more than just a name. One visitor from Portland summed it up: "Visiting from Portland, OR and this coffee house reminds me of the cozy, laid back coffee joints that used to be more prevalent in my hometown." In a city where coffee culture is still evolving beyond chain shops, that's exactly the kind of space worth celebrating.

The first thing you notice when you walk into Azúcar isn't the airy, cream-colored interior or the Instagram-worthy wall murals. It's the smell—cinnamon and piloncillo bubbling in a steel pot, vanilla cold foam being whipped to perfection, fresh pan dulce arriving from the local bakery. It's the sound of reggaeton floating through the air while espresso shots pull with precision. And if you're lucky enough to visit on a Saturday afternoon, it's Frida Guerrero herself, sleeves stained from countless espresso pulls, stirring that traditional café de olla like her life depends on getting it exactly right. "Yeah, this is absolutely my favorite coffee shop in Utah," one customer wrote after visiting Azúcar's West Valley location. "Azúcar has everything, from quality coffee and tea drinks, to a bomb brunch menu, to enough seating with ample plugs for working and studying, to just... vibes." For Guerrero and her co-owner Andres Sanchez, those vibes aren't an accident. They're the result of a deliberate mission to create something West Valley City—and Utah—had been missing: an authentic Latin coffee shop that feels like coming home. From Immigration Lawyer Dreams to Café de Olla Reality Frida Guerrero never planned to be a coffee shop owner. The Westminster College graduate had her sights set on becoming an immigration or human rights lawyer. But growing up in a family where food was everything—where late nights were spent prepping ingredients for her mother Cristina Olvera's tamal business, where weekend mornings meant distributing salsa-filled tamales across Salt Lake County—she couldn't escape the pull of hospitality. "Not only are we breaking generational cycles, in terms of betting on ourselves, on our creativity," Guerrero explained. "By entering this new space, we're breaking through." That breakthrough came in 2022 after trips to coffeehouses in Mexico City and Dubai opened her eyes to what coffee culture could be. Not the sterile, corporate chains that dominate Utah's landscape, but gathering places where coffee is treated like a religion—something you drink in the morning, share with loved ones in the afternoon, and close your day with over conversation. For Guerrero, then 24 years old, the decision to open Azúcar in West Valley City felt risky. Utah's majority LDS population doesn't traditionally embrace coffee culture. But West Valley's large Spanish-speaking community told a different story. "Drinking coffee is an integral part of Latino culture," she told Axios. The question wasn't whether Utah needed a Latin coffee shop—it was whether she had the courage to create it. Andres Sanchez, her partner in both business and life, shared that courage. He left his corporate nine-to-five job for a chance to build something meaningful. "I wanted to see something that represented me more," Sanchez said. "Taking the risk, I had the goal in the back of my head that I was going to make an impact." That impact started in a West Valley City strip mall, right next door to La Casa del Tamal—the family's now-celebrated Mexican restaurant that Guerrero's mother Cristina built from an $11 sales day into one of Utah's best Mexican eateries. Where Tradition Meets Innovation: The Azúcar Coffee Experience Walk into either Azúcar location—the original West Valley spot at 2843 S 5600 W or the newer downtown Salt Lake City café at 346 W 600 S in the Post District—and you'll find a menu that honors Mexican coffee traditions while embracing creative experimentation. The star of the show? Café de olla, a traditional Mexican coffee spiced with cinnamon and piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar that tastes like brown sugar with more soul). Guerrero stirs it in a steel pot using coffee shipped directly from Mexico, then serves it warm in the traditional style or cold over ice with a vanilla cold foam top that's become an Azúcar signature. "It's hard not to ingrain our culture into things," Guerrero said while stirring that iconic pot. But café de olla is just the beginning. The Gansito latte—Guerrero's first creation for Azúcar—plays off the strawberry and cream notes of the beloved Mexican snack cake. One customer on DoorDash raved: "The Crème Brûlée Latte is to die for," while another noted that "the Chilaquiles Verdes I just devoured were so good and this Blueberry Matcha is perfection." The horchata latte has become a customer favorite, blending the rice-based Mexican drink's cinnamon sweetness with quality espresso from Salt Lake City's Logos Coffee Company. The Mexican mocha adds chocolate and spice in ways that make Starbucks' version taste like a pale imitation. And for those who want something truly Instagram-worthy, there's the Ganzito iced latte topped with an actual snack cake. "Azúcar is probably one of my fav coffee shops in West Valley City," one Yelp reviewer wrote. "Last time I came here, I had the Ganzito iced latte with a snack cake on top; and an avocado toast—both were so good." What makes these drinks special isn't just the flavors—it's the intention behind them. "Most of these drinks are made based off of what I like in my small world," Guerrero explained with a laugh. The Azúcar cappuccino? That's Guerrero's consistent order: vanilla soy. The tiramisu latte? Her mother's favorite dessert. Everything might not be traditionally Mexican, but it's filtered through Guerrero's Mexican-American experience. "It's a chicano twist," one of the baristas said, and that's exactly right. More Than Coffee: The Food That Makes You Stay While Azúcar's specialty drinks bring people in, it's the food that makes them regulars. The chilaquiles verdes—crispy tortilla chips simmered in tangy salsa verde, topped with eggs, queso fresco, and sour cream—have a 97% approval rating on DoorDash for good reason. They're the kind of breakfast that makes you understand why Mexicans don't just grab coffee and run. The avocado toast gets elevated with a drizzle of agave that one customer said "sealed the deal." Pan dulce arrives daily from a local Mexican bakery—conchas, cuernitos, and other sweet breads that pair perfectly with any coffee drink. And if you're feeling adventurous, the alfajores (South American cookies filled with dulce de leche) sit next to guava tarts behind the counter, a nod to the broader Latin American influence Guerrero wanted to incorporate. "Hands down the best coffee shop! However I had no idea they made breakfast too!" a surprised customer wrote. "There has not been one coffee or tea hot or iced that I have tried here and not liked." For Yasmine Ruiz, a 27-year-old West Valley native and Azúcar regular, the food represents something deeper. "Our culture is being represented. It's not 100% authentic. But it's combining the two things that we like—American breakfast and coffee—and combining that with Mexican food." That fusion is intentional. Guerrero and Sanchez aren't trying to recreate Mexico City or Dubai. They're creating something uniquely Utah, uniquely Mexican-American, uniquely theirs. A Third Place for West Valley's Latino Community In the sociology of urban spaces, there's a concept called the "third place"—somewhere that's neither home nor work, but a community gathering spot that fills a crucial social need. For decades, West Valley City lacked these spaces. The suburb west of Salt Lake was filled with chain restaurants and strip malls, but few locally-owned cafés where people could linger. Azúcar changed that. "The Azúcar girls," as Guerrero calls her all-women barista team, have watched the café become exactly that third space. Barista Jade Mulato, born and raised in West Valley, has seen first dates (and subsequent breakups), study sessions, and birthday celebrations all unfold over horchata lattes and chilaquiles. "It's brought something to West Valley that you never really saw," Mulato said. "Something local. That's what was missing—a sense of community." The impact goes beyond just providing good coffee. For Maria Andrea Mora, a Colombian barista at Azúcar, a recent interaction with Sanchez cemented her sense of belonging. He jokingly told her in Spanish: "Sonaste muy mexicana"—you sounded really Mexican. "At that moment, I felt really happy," Mora said. That welcoming spirit extends to everyone who walks through the door, whether they're part of the Latino community or discovering Mexican coffee culture for the first time. Kayla Duran, visiting Azúcar for the first time with her friend, felt transported back to growing up with Mexican culture in Magna. "You feel like you're home. It takes you back in a good way—in a delicious way." The café's location matters too. Sandwiched between coffee chains and fast food joints on West Valley's commercial corridor, Azúcar stands as proof that West Valley deserves better than corporate mediocrity. When they expanded to downtown Salt Lake City's Post District in late 2024—sharing a space with the family's restaurant La Casa del Tamal—they brought that same energy to Utah's urban core. Breaking Generational Cycles, One Espresso Shot at a Time Spend a Saturday at Azúcar and you'll see Guerrero and Sanchez working side by side. She's pulling shot after shot of espresso, hands stained from the work. He's at the register, making small talk with customers, creating the kind of connection that turns first-time visitors into regulars. They represent a national trend: Latinos are opening new businesses at a higher rate than any other ethnic group, according to the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative. But for Guerrero, it's personal. "It feels empowering to be a Latina business owner," she said, reflecting on her time at Westminster College where she felt out of place among mostly white, male classmates. Now she's building something that would make her mother proud—and that serves as inspiration for other young Latinas with entrepreneurial dreams. For Sanchez, whose childhood memories include watching his grandmother make handmade tortillas for catering events, food has always been about survival and love. "Food kept a roof over our heads," he said simply. Now it's providing that same stability for their own business and team. Their journey mirrors that of Guerrero's mother, Cristina Olvera, who built La Casa del Tamal from a side hustle selling tamales to her family into a restaurant that earned Best of State awards. Mother and daughter now work in neighboring establishments, both serving their community through food that matters. "We always want to invite people in and make them feel comfortable," Sanchez explained about their philosophy. For young Gen-Z Latinos who've made Azúcar their headquarters, that invitation feels like validation. "They're the ones who pioneered," Guerrero said of her regular customers. "It's like a seed. If they feel pride in us, they see themselves within that and want to be part of that culture that was created." Planning Your Visit to Azúcar Coffee Shop West Valley City Location: 2843 S 5600 W, Unit 120 West Valley City, UT 84120 Hours: Monday-Saturday 7:00am-8:00pm, Closed Sunday Instagram: @azucarcafe.ut Downtown Salt Lake City Location: 346 W 600 S, Unit 1 Salt Lake City, UT 84101 (Inside the Post District, shared space with La Casa del Tamal) What to Order: First-timers should start with the café de olla—try it both hot and iced to understand why it's Azúcar's signature. The horchata latte and Mexican mocha are also safe bets. For food, the chilaquiles verdes are the most popular menu item for a reason, though the avocado toast with agave is perfect for a lighter option. Don't skip the pan dulce—grab a concha or cuernito to dip in your coffee. Insider Tips: Arrive early on weekends to beat the rush. The café offers plenty of seating with outlets, making it ideal for remote work or studying. If you're ordering for a group, check out their seasonal drinks and specialty matcha options. Parking is available in the strip mall lot at the West Valley location, and street parking near the Post District downtown. In a state where coffee culture is still finding its footing, Azúcar represents something revolutionary: proof that Utah has room for diverse food traditions, that West Valley City deserves world-class cafés, and that a 24-year-old Latina with a dream can create a gathering place that feels like home to thousands. Frida Guerrero and Andres Sanchez didn't just open a Latin coffee shop in Salt Lake City. They created a third place where Mexican-American identity gets celebrated, where café de olla bubbles in traditional pots, and where every espresso shot pulled is a small act of cultural resistance against homogenized chain mediocrity. As one customer put it perfectly: "Service is always kind and helpful. Their espresso is QUALITY and the taste permeates just so through every sweetened latte. Perfectly balanced." That balance—between tradition and innovation, between Mexican authenticity and Utah reality, between business ambition and community service—is what makes Azúcar more than just Utah's best Latin coffee shop. It makes it essential.

There's a moment, somewhere between the first sip of Vietnamese iced coffee and the honeyed crunch of a fresh croffle, when you realize you've stumbled onto something special in Holladay. At YANA Coffee & Tea, tucked inside the Block Party 2700 food hall on 2700 East, owner Cong has created a café that feels less like a transaction and more like visiting a friend who happens to make world-class coffee. "Great food and service great scenery and overall great experience," one customer wrote after trying the Nutella crepe and strawberry lemonade. That sentiment—great everything—captures what makes this Vietnamese coffee shop in Holladay different from your typical chain café. From Vietnam to Utah: How Cong Built Holladay's Most Welcoming Café Walk into YANA Coffee on any given morning, and you'll likely find Cong behind the counter, personally engaging with customers and taking feedback about the menu. This isn't just customer service theater—it's genuine hospitality rooted in Vietnamese coffee culture, where cafés serve as community gathering spaces, not just caffeine dispensaries. The café's name, YANA, reflects this philosophy of connection and authenticity. While Cong keeps the focus on creating exceptional food and drink rather than self-promotion, the space speaks for itself: cozy seating areas with a small library shelf, large windows framing Wasatch Mountain views, and an atmosphere that encourages lingering over your coffee rather than rushing out the door. YANA occupies a unique position in Utah's evolving food scene. While Salt Lake City has seen a surge of Vietnamese restaurants downtown—Little Saigon, Oh Mai—Holladay had been largely underserved for authentic Vietnamese coffee until YANA opened its doors. The café combines the slow-drip tradition of ca phe sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee) with trendy Korean-inspired menu items like croffles, creating something fresh in Holladay's coffee landscape. Located within Block Party 2700, the food hall that replaced the beloved Granato's Gourmet Market in 2022, YANA benefits from ample parking and a central Holladay location. But unlike some food hall concepts that feel transient, Cong has cultivated a genuine neighborhood café vibe—the kind of place where regulars know they'll be welcomed by name. Vietnamese Coffee Done Right: The Magic of Ca Phe Sua Da Let's talk about why Vietnamese coffee hits different. At YANA Coffee, the signature Vietnamese iced coffee isn't just cold brew with a splash of milk—it's a carefully crafted beverage that honors centuries of Vietnamese coffee tradition. Traditional Vietnamese coffee uses a phin filter, a small metal drip apparatus that sits atop your cup and slowly drips concentrated coffee through coarse grounds. The result? A coffee that's syrupy, intense, and deeply flavorful—closer to espresso than what Americans typically consider "drip coffee." This brewing method arrived in Vietnam via French colonization in the 1800s but evolved into something distinctly Vietnamese when combined with sweetened condensed milk. Why condensed milk instead of fresh cream? In Vietnam's tropical climate, fresh dairy spoiled quickly. Canned condensed milk provided the perfect solution: shelf-stable, intensely sweet, and rich enough to balance the strong robusta beans grown in Vietnam's central highlands. The combination creates that signature contrast—bold coffee bitterness meeting caramel sweetness. At YANA, customers consistently praise the Vietnamese iced coffee as a standout. The café's version "captures both espresso richness and smooth French press style," according to one review. The coffee comes characterized by "rich flavor and creamy texture," with options to customize it with almond milk and vanilla for those who prefer a lighter take. One regular noted the quality stands out in Holladay's competitive coffee scene: "Customers praise the quality of their drinks, particularly the Vietnamese iced coffee and Vanilla Latte." In a neighborhood where chains dominate and most independent shops focus on Western-style espresso drinks, YANA's authentic Vietnamese coffee fills a genuine gap. The café also serves hot versions—ca phe sua nong—perfect for those chilly Utah mornings when you want the same bold flavor without ice. And for purists, black Vietnamese coffee (ca phe den) delivers that robusta punch without any sweetness to temper it. Croffles in Utah: The Korean-Inspired Dessert Taking Holladay by Storm Now, about those croffles. If you haven't heard of croffles yet, you're about to discover Utah's most Instagrammable dessert trend. The croffle—a portmanteau of "croissant" and "waffle"—originated in South Korea and has been sweeping across Asia and making inroads in major U.S. cities. YANA Coffee is one of only a handful of places in the entire Salt Lake City area serving this trendy treat. So what exactly is a croffle? Imagine taking buttery, laminated croissant dough and pressing it in a waffle iron. The result is a dessert with croissant's flaky, layered texture on the inside and waffle's caramelized, crispy honeycomb exterior. It's basically what would happen if a croissant and a Belgian waffle had a baby in the best possible way. YANA serves croffles both sweet and savory. The sweet versions come topped with fresh fruit, chocolate, or other indulgent additions. They're substantial enough to share (though you might not want to) and pair perfectly with Vietnamese coffee for a complete café experience. The crispy-yet-tender texture has won over customers who've never even heard the word "croffle" before walking through YANA's door. Finding croffles in Utah requires a bit of hunting. Besides YANA in Holladay, only a few downtown Salt Lake City spots like Croffle House SLC and Crazy Croffles serve the Korean-inspired treat. For residents in Holladay, Murray, Cottonwood Heights, and Millcreek, YANA represents the most convenient—and some would argue, best—croffle option in the eastern Salt Lake valley. The YANA Experience: Fresh Crepes, Boba & Breakfast Done Right While Vietnamese coffee and croffles anchor the menu, YANA's full offerings reveal a café serious about quality across the board. The fresh-made crepes deserve particular attention—thin, delicate, and available in both sweet and savory preparations. The Ham Egg Crepe stands out as a customer favorite, "incredibly good" according to reviews and "paired with flavorful cilantro sauce." Unlike the heavy, stuffed American-style crepes you might get at IHOP, YANA's version feels European in its restraint—letting fresh ingredients shine rather than drowning everything in cheese sauce. The Morning Glory and Garden crepes provide vegetable-forward options, while sweet versions satisfy dessert cravings. Avocado toast appears on the menu with "decorative microgreens" and chili flakes for added zest. In a state where avocado toast isn't exactly common café fare, YANA's version delivers both aesthetic appeal and flavor. One reviewer noted it as "freshly prepared with colorful toppings." The café's boba drinks and milk tea offerings address another gap in Holladay's food scene. While downtown Salt Lake City and Sugar House have multiple bubble tea options—Space Tea, Xing Fu Tang, Sunny Honey—Holladay residents previously had to drive significant distances for quality boba. YANA's milk tea selection provides both classic and innovative flavors, from traditional Thai tea to more adventurous combinations. Pastries include kouign amann (that ultra-buttery, caramelized Breton pastry that's all the rage), peach danishes, and other sweet treats that pair perfectly with afternoon coffee. These aren't just thawed-out grocery store pastries—reviews consistently mention the freshness and quality of YANA's baked goods. The Kimcheese Crepe represents one of the menu's most creative items, combining Korean kimchi with cheese in a distinctly fusion approach. It's the kind of dish that makes sense in a café blending Vietnamese coffee traditions with Korean dessert trends and French crepe techniques. A Coffee Shop That Feels Like Home in Holladay Beyond the food and drink, YANA Coffee succeeds because of atmosphere. The peaceful seating area encourages laptop work or catching up with friends. The cozy library shelf suggests this is a place for lingering, not rushing. Large windows frame views of the Wasatch Mountains, reminding you why you live in Utah in the first place. "This commitment to customer service creates a sense of community, making visitors feel like part of the family," one review summarized. In an era when many cafés optimize for Instagram aesthetics over genuine hospitality, YANA takes the opposite approach—beauty emerges from authenticity rather than artificial design. The Block Party 2700 location provides practical advantages. Ample parking (a genuine luxury in dense urban areas) means you're not circling the block looking for a spot. The food hall setup allows for flexibility—maybe you want YANA's coffee but your friend wants tacos from Santo Tacos next door. Everyone can sit together while enjoying different options. For Holladay residents, YANA represents the neighborhood third place—that essential space between home and work where community happens. Cong's approach of welcoming feedback and engaging personally with customers creates regulars rather than just transactions. People return not just for the Vietnamese coffee and croffles, but because they genuinely enjoy the space and the people running it. The Bigger Picture: Vietnamese Coffee Culture Meets Utah's Food Scene Understanding YANA's significance requires appreciating Vietnamese coffee's cultural importance. In Vietnam, cafés aren't just caffeine stops—they're social institutions. People spend hours nursing a single ca phe sua da, meeting friends, conducting business, or simply watching the world pass by. The slow-drip phin filter method enforces this leisurely pace. You can't rush Vietnamese coffee; it drips at its own tempo. This contrasts sharply with American coffee culture's grab-and-go efficiency. Starbucks built an empire on speed and consistency. While that approach serves a purpose, something essential gets lost—the ritual, the patience, the mindfulness of waiting for your coffee to properly brew. YANA brings that Vietnamese café philosophy to Holladay. Yes, you can order to-go. But the space invites you to slow down, to actually taste your coffee rather than mainlining it while checking emails. The mountain views, the cozy seating, the owner's personal touch—everything conspires to make lingering feel natural rather than indulgent. The café's fusion approach also reflects broader trends in Utah's dining scene. The state's food culture has evolved dramatically over the past decade, moving beyond the stereotypical meat-and-potatoes paradigm to embrace diverse international cuisines. Vietnamese restaurants, Korean barbecue, authentic Mexican, artisan coffee roasters—Salt Lake City and its suburbs increasingly punch above their weight class gastronomically. YANA participates in this evolution while serving a genuinely underserved market. Holladay's coffee options have traditionally skewed toward chains or the excellent but different offerings of places like 3 Cups (with its in-house roasting) and Bjorn's Brew (with its drive-through convenience). YANA provides something distinct—cultural authenticity combined with trendy innovation. Planning Your Visit to YANA Coffee & Tea Address: 4044 S 2700 E, Holladay, UT 84124 (Inside Block Party 2700 food hall) Hours: Monday-Friday: 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Saturday: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sunday: Closed Phone: (801) 688-5816 What to Order: For first-timers, start with the Vietnamese iced coffee—it's the signature drink and represents the café's heart. Pair it with a croffle (sweet or savory, depending on your mood) to experience YANA's unique fusion approach. The Ham Egg Crepe makes an excellent savory breakfast option, while the Nutella crepe satisfies sweet cravings. Both come highly recommended by regulars. If you're a boba enthusiast, YANA's milk tea selection won't disappoint. The café offers both classic bubble tea flavors and more adventurous seasonal options. For those mornings when you want something substantial, the avocado toast delivers both visual appeal and flavor. The kouign amann pastries make perfect afternoon treats with an afternoon coffee. Best Times to Visit: Weekday mornings offer a peaceful atmosphere perfect for laptop work or quiet breakfast. The café serves as an excellent remote work spot for Holladay professionals. Weekend mid-mornings can get busier as families and brunch crowds discover the space, but that energy adds to the community vibe. The evening hours (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM weekdays, until 7:00 PM Saturdays) provide a different experience—more of a coffee-and-dessert destination after dinner elsewhere in the food hall. Parking & Accessibility: Block Party 2700 offers ample free parking in its lot, eliminating the parking stress common at many popular cafés. The food hall provides easy accessibility for strollers and wheelchairs. Connect on Social Media: Follow YANA Coffee on Instagram for menu updates, seasonal specials, and those perfect croffle photos that will make your friends jealous. Why YANA Coffee Matters to Utah's Food Scene In a state increasingly dominated by chain restaurants and corporate coffee shops, independent cafés like YANA Coffee represent something essential—personal connection, cultural authenticity, and genuine hospitality. Cong's commitment to engaging with customers and evolving the menu based on feedback creates a living, breathing café rather than a static business model. The Vietnamese coffee brings a centuries-old tradition to Holladay, introducing locals to ca phe sua da's slow-drip ritual and rich flavors. The croffles provide that perfect blend of trendy and delicious, giving Utah food lovers a taste of Korean café culture without flying to Seoul. But ultimately, YANA succeeds because it feels genuine. The mountain views aren't manufactured. The owner's hospitality isn't scripted. The coffee isn't trying to be something it's not. In an age of Instagram-optimized café concepts, YANA takes the opposite approach—create something real, something rooted in tradition, something that serves the community rather than just extracting from it. For Holladay residents, that means having a neighborhood café worth returning to again and again. For Vietnamese coffee enthusiasts, it means not driving to downtown Salt Lake City for an authentic ca phe sua da. For adventurous eaters, it means discovering croffles without extensive research. "YANA Coffee & Tea is not just a place to grab a quick coffee; it is a destination for friends and families to gather," one customer wrote. That might be the most accurate summary—YANA has transformed from simply a café into a genuine community space, one Vietnamese iced coffee and Korean croffle at a time. Discover authentic Vietnamese coffee and Korean croffles at YANA Coffee & Tea in Holladay. Located at 4044 S 2700 E inside Block Party 2700. Open Monday-Saturday with breakfast, lunch, and evening service.

There's something about a red coffee truck parked on historic Main Street in Lehi that makes you slow down. Maybe it's the name—Sinners & Saints—that catches your attention first, or maybe it's the line of morning regulars that starts forming before 7 a.m. But when you pull up to 184 W Main Street and order your first Americano, you'll notice something unusual: complete silence where a food truck generator should be roaring. That's because Marianne and Lauren McRaney built Utah's most sustainable coffee operation, one that runs entirely on battery power and serves as a morning ritual for everyone from Silicon Slopes tech workers to families exploring downtown Lehi's historic charm. One customer puts it perfectly: "So happy to have discovered this place! It's a gem in an area that doesn't have many coffee options." The Ten-Year Dream That Became Lehi's Favorite Coffee Truck Almost a decade ago, Marianne McRaney had an idea to start her own coffee business. At the time, she was a mother to three children and worked several jobs, which prevented her from opening the beverage business, but she kept the dream alive. From Pleasant Grove, Marianne held onto that vision through years of juggling responsibilities, keeping notes about recipes and mentally mapping out what her coffee business could become. Then September 2020 arrived—arguably the worst possible time to launch a food service business in modern history. COVID-19 had shuttered restaurants across Utah, and the food truck industry faced unprecedented uncertainty. But Marianne and her daughter Lauren decided it was now or never. Despite the obstacles and complications created by COVID-19, the red truck with the catchy name still made its debut. The McRaney women didn't just throw open the windows and hope for the best. "It took a while searching, crafting, YouTubing, and experimenting to perfect these drinks and make them what they are today," Lauren explained. For years before launch, they'd recruited family and friends as taste testers, perfecting everything from espresso ratios to the exact sweetness level of their signature drinks. They studied YouTube tutorials on latte art, researched coffee roasting techniques, and experimented with Utah's unique "dirty soda" culture to create a menu that could serve both devoted coffee drinkers and the state's large non-coffee-drinking population. What emerged was Sinners & Saints Coffee and Beverage Co., a mother-daughter operation that turned a historic downtown Lehi parking spot into one of Utah County's most beloved morning destinations. The Battery-Powered Difference: Silent Coffee Service on Main Street Here's where Sinners & Saints gets interesting from a sustainability standpoint. While most food trucks rumble to life with diesel generators that drown out conversation and pump exhaust into the air, the McRaneys' operation runs on a Joule Case battery system—making it one of Utah's first completely silent, zero-emission coffee trucks. When asked about their experience with the battery system, they shared: "Performance has been fantastic. We can roll up and be ready to serve in minutes. We are able to run our a/c the whole time with no issues. We love being silent. Our only regret is we didn't do it sooner." The technology isn't just environmentally progressive—it fundamentally changes the coffee truck experience. Without generator noise, customers can actually have conversations while waiting for their drinks. The air around the truck smells like fresh coffee and baked goods from the neighboring Lehi Bakery, not diesel fumes. And for a food truck operating in historic downtown Lehi, where mountain views and small-town charm are part of the appeal, the silent operation feels right. The system supports eight hours of continuous operation, enough to serve the morning rush of tech workers heading to Silicon Slopes offices, the mid-morning crowd of local business owners taking meetings, and the afternoon pickup of students and families. It's a significant investment—roughly double the cost of a traditional generator—but the McRaneys emphasize it was completely worth it for both operational efficiency and their commitment to sustainable business practices. Specialty Coffee & Dirty Sodas: A Menu for Everyone in Utah County The genius of Sinners & Saints' menu is that it doesn't force you to choose a side. In a state where roughly 60% of the population belongs to the LDS church and traditionally abstains from coffee, the McRaneys built an inclusive beverage program that genuinely serves everyone. Their philosophy? "Sip local"—whether that means coffee, tea, specialty sodas, or hot chocolate. The most popular drink on the menu is the Dirty Chai, a Chai Latte hot or iced with a double espresso shot. It's become something of a signature—the perfect bridge between spiced tea traditions and espresso culture, and it works equally well on crisp October mornings and sweltering July afternoons. For black coffee purists, customers rave about the Americano. One reviewer noted: "I enjoyed my black Americano with the crisp air and a view of the rocky mountains. The coffee roast was smooth and the service prompt." Another customer who specifically sought out an alternative to corporate chains said, "I got the Americano with one sugar, that's how I like it, practically just black...The coffee was perfect!" The Devil in a Black Dress has earned its own dedicated following among espresso devotees. This bold drink delivers concentrated coffee flavor without unnecessary frills—exactly what serious coffee drinkers want from a food truck that understands quality over gimmicks. But the real innovation shows up in the specialty latte lineup. The tiramisu latte brings Italian dessert flavors into morning coffee form. Customers specifically request "a cold brew with the tiramisu flavoring," noting they "really enjoyed" the combination. The White Chocolate Raspberry Latte balances fruit and sweetness without becoming cloying, while seasonal offerings like the Pumpkin Spice Latte arrive with just enough sweetness that one customer praised it as "perfectly sweet but not overly sweet." For matcha lovers, the iced matcha latte has become a quiet favorite, delivering the earthy green tea flavor that Utah's health-conscious crowd craves. And here's where the menu gets truly inclusive: the McRaneys offer oat milk, coconut syrup, and natural sweeteners as standard options. One customer raved about "an iced latte with oat milk and the coconut syrup" that reminded them of "coffee I tried in Hawaii"—high praise for a Utah County food truck. The custom soda program taps directly into Utah's unique beverage culture. Mixed sodas and lemonades give non-coffee drinkers equally interesting options, while hot chocolate provides year-round comfort. It's the kind of menu that lets a couple order completely different drinks and both feel like they got something special. Silicon Slopes Meets Historic Main Street: Lehi's Coffee Community Hub Location matters in the food truck business, and the McRaneys found the perfect spot. Sinners & Saints operates at 184 W Main Street in downtown Lehi, directly next to the historic Lehi Bakery—meaning you can grab coffee and fresh donuts without moving your car. The setting offers something increasingly rare in rapidly developing Utah County: genuine small-town atmosphere with mountain views. Customers consistently praise the friendly and knowledgeable staff who receive kudos for their quick service and engaging personalities. One regular customer captures the appeal: "I absolutely love this coffee truck. Every barista is so kind and they all make amazing coffee and drinks. I feel so blessed to live close to such a delightful place." The truck serves a fascinating cross-section of Lehi's evolving identity. There's the old Lehi—families who've lived here for generations, businesses on Main Street that remember when the town had just a few thousand residents. And there's the new Lehi—Silicon Slopes tech workers, transplants drawn by the explosive growth that's made this the eighth fastest-growing city in America, young professionals who need quality coffee before heading to Adobe or other tech campuses. The McRaneys describe it beautifully: "Because we love coffee and the socializing that goes along with it! Getting to be part of first dates, a morning ritual, old couples, new friends, family, business meetings, etc. We get to share in those moments and it's great." That community-building function shows up in the details. They maintain a loyalty program for regulars. One local worker notes: "Coffee and service is spectacular. I work 1/4 block away and love walking over and grabbing a coffee"—the kind of daily ritual that defines successful neighborhood businesses. The food truck format actually enhances accessibility. Street parking sits directly in front, with additional parking in a lot behind the truck. Online ordering through their website enables contactless pickup for those in a genuine rush. And the open-air setup feels perfect for Utah weather—nobody minds ordering coffee outdoors when you're surrounded by mountain views and fresh air. Planning Your Visit to Sinners & Saints Coffee Lehi Location & Parking: Find the bright red truck at 184 W Main Street in historic downtown Lehi (84043), next to Lehi Bakery. Street parking is available directly in front, with additional parking in the rear lot. The downtown location puts you within walking distance of the John Hutchings Museum of Natural History and other Main Street businesses. Hours: Monday-Saturday 6:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Sunday 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Arrive early for the best selection and shortest wait times—the morning rush hits between 7:00-9:00 a.m. What to Order: First-timers should try the Dirty Chai (hot or iced) to understand why it's the signature drink. Black coffee devotees won't be disappointed with the Americano or Devil in a Black Dress. For something sweeter, the tiramisu latte or White Chocolate Raspberry Latte deliver specialty coffee shop quality. Don't sleep on the iced matcha latte or the custom sodas if you're not in a coffee mood. Price Range: Expect to pay $4-7 for most drinks—competitive with chain coffee shops but supporting a local, family-owned business. Customers note prices are average for the quality received. Insider Knowledge: Pair your coffee with "square donuts" from Lehi Bakery next door—multiple customers recommend completing breakfast this way. The truck also offers catering for company events, parties, and special occasions if you want to bring the Sinners & Saints experience to your own gathering. Connect: Follow @sinnerssaintscoffee on Instagram and Facebook for seasonal specialty drink announcements and daily updates. Why Sinners & Saints Matters to Utah's Coffee Scene In a state where coffee culture has historically taken a backseat to other beverage traditions, Sinners & Saints represents something important: proof that specialty coffee can thrive when it embraces rather than fights against local culture. The McRaneys didn't try to import a Seattle-style coffee shop aesthetic to Lehi. Instead, they built something that feels authentically Utah—family-owned, community-focused, environmentally conscious, and genuinely welcoming to everyone regardless of what they order. The battery-powered operation sets a standard for sustainable food truck operations that other mobile businesses across Utah are watching closely. The mother-daughter ownership story resonates in a state that values both entrepreneurship and family connections. And the inclusive menu philosophy—"sip local" whether that means coffee, tea, or specialty sodas—acknowledges the reality of Utah's diverse beverage preferences without judgment. As one satisfied customer summarizes: "Sinners & Saints Coffee and Beverage Co. is a hidden gem worth discovering. Its trucks may seem unassuming, but the high-quality offerings turn a simple coffee stop into a cherished experience." For Lehi residents, it's become part of the morning routine. For Silicon Slopes workers, it's the local alternative to corporate chains. For visitors exploring historic downtown, it's the perfect stop that combines mountain views, quality beverages, and genuine Utah hospitality. And for Marianne and Lauren McRaney, it's the ten-year dream that finally became real—serving their community one perfectly crafted drink at a time from a bright red truck on Main Street. Find Sinners & Saints Coffee at 184 W Main Street, Lehi, UT 84043 | Monday-Saturday 6:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Sunday 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Follow @sinnerssaintscoffee

The first time you watch Turkish coffee being brewed in hot sand, you understand why people have been doing it this way for centuries. At Kahve Cafe in downtown Salt Lake City, the small copper pot moves through 350-degree sand like it's performing a ritual—which, in a way, it is. The foam rises gradually, creating a crema that owner Elif Ekin describes as the difference between thin coffee and something with real depth. "You're cooking it from all sides," she explains, guiding the pot through the sand with the kind of precision that comes from muscle memory. "A richness develops when you can control the heat and move it around so that it gradually lifts and rises." This isn't the kind of place where you grab coffee and run. One customer put it perfectly: "Likely the coolest cafe in SLC with a uniquely and thoughtfully designed multi-level interior." And they're right—Kahve Cafe isn't just serving Turkish coffee in Salt Lake City. It's offering something Utah's food scene has been missing: a space where slowing down is the whole point. From Rhode Island to a 115-Year-Old Victorian: Elif Ekin's Journey to Opening Utah's First Turkish Sand Coffee House Elif Ekin's story starts in Adana, a small city in southeastern Turkey, though she's spent most of her life between worlds. Her parents left Turkey in the mid-70s when her father—a university professor—watched a military tank roll onto campus. Within six months of leaving, many of his colleagues were imprisoned. The family settled in Rhode Island and stayed for good, but Elif visited Turkey every three years, keeping her heritage alive in the way immigrant kids do: through food, language, and the rituals that make you feel like you belong to two places at once. She remembers her father roasting coffee beans in a big cast iron skillet on the stovetop, the smell filling their Rhode Island home every morning. "He had a huge coffee grinder. It's almost the size of a baseball bat," she recalls. That sensory memory—of coffee as something you make with your hands, not something that comes from a drive-thru—planted the seed for what would eventually become Kahve Cafe. As an adult, Elif would invite friends over for Turkish coffee and baklava, and people would stay for hours. There's a Turkish proverb she loves: "One cup of coffee creates a 40-year friendship." That's the philosophy behind everything at Kahve. When the pandemic decimated her wholesale baklava business in 2021, the 49-year-old life coach decided it was time to stop thinking outside the box and actually build one. She found a Victorian home at 57 S 600 East in downtown Salt Lake City—built in 1905, full of creaky stairs and cozy nooks—and created something that feels less like a coffee shop and more like walking into the home of that favorite aunt who always makes you feel welcome. It hasn't all been smooth. In her first two years, Elif lost $42,000 to an embezzling manager. "I'm too stubborn to quit," she says, and that stubbornness is probably what's made Kahve Cafe one of the most distinctive spots in Utah's capital. The cafe has won Best Coffee SLC 2024 and Best Turkish Coffee in 2023 and 2024—awards that recognize not just the quality of the brew, but the entire experience Elif has built. The Turkish Coffee Fortune Telling Experience: Sand-Brewed Coffee and Tasseography in Downtown Salt Lake City Here's what you need to know about Turkish coffee at Kahve Cafe: it's not espresso, it's not drip, and it's definitely not a latte. The grounds are finer than espresso—powder-fine—and they stay in the cup when you drink it. This produces what one customer called "a small but mighty" serving with a particularly high-octane brew. The coffee is cooked in a small copper pot called a cezve, swirled through hot sand until it creates that crucial foam on top. "When you cook the coffee in the hot sand, it creates a more even flavor," Elif explains. "You're actually creating a richer cup of Turkish coffee. You get a real depth of flavor that you don't get from just cooking on the stovetop." The electric sand coffee maker she imported from Turkey replicates the traditional method of brewing over hot coals or ash—the way coffee has been made in Turkey for centuries. Once your coffee is ready, you can customize it with flavored sugars and spices before it comes off the heat—cardamom sugar is particularly popular, adding a spicy nip to the sweetness. As one customer raved: "Highly recommend a single shot of Turkish coffee with cardamom sugar & cinnamon powder! Don't forget to dip your walnut & rose baklava too!" And then there's the fortune reading. After you finish your coffee, you flip the cup upside down and let the grounds settle. Elif—or her friend Ishelle, a Turkish transplant who reads fortunes on weekends—will look at the patterns left in the cup and tell you what they see. This practice, called tasseography, has been part of Turkish coffee culture for generations. "It's not about predicting the future," Ishelle explains. "In this busy life, it's about sitting there and reflecting on choices and possibilities." One visitor described their coffee fortune telling experience in Salt Lake City as leaving them "feeling hopeful, inspired, and connected to a new kind of energy." That's the thing about tasseography—it's less about what's written in the grounds and more about creating a moment to pause and think about where you're headed. Beyond Turkish Coffee: Moon Milks, Baklava Custard, and Bohemian Baklava at Kahve Cafe If Turkish coffee isn't your thing—or if you want a caffeine-free option—Kahve Cafe introduced something else to Salt Lake City that you won't find anywhere else: Moon Milk. Elif makes over 30 varieties of these warm, herbal tonics that are equal parts Ayurvedic wellness drink and Instagram-worthy art project. Moon Milk is made with alternative milks (coconut, oat, soy, or almond) heated slowly in a Turkish coffee pot over the traditional sand warmer. Natural spices, plant extracts, flowers, or tea are added, then sweetened with honey, agave, or maple syrup. The bright colors come from freeze-dried plant extracts: butterfly flower creates a stunning bright blue, sweet potato flower makes a beautiful purple, matcha produces green, and turmeric creates a bright orange while adding a peppery kick. The drinks are topped with edible glitter, dried flowers, fresh spices, freeze-dried fruit, or a Turkish meringue called beze that sits on top of the foam. Customer reviews consistently praise the Moon Milks. "The Turkish yogurt was to die for and the baklava was scrumptious," one visitor wrote. "Blue moon milk, Mexican hot chocolate, cider, and Turkish single are amazing drink choices." Another raved about "the blueberry lavender moon milk" and called their experience "incredible." One of Elif's favorites is the Cardamom and Rose Honey Moon Milk, made by simmering fresh ground cardamom with rose petals and honey, then adding cinnamon and whipping it until foam appears. It's topped with pink rose petals, a dash of cardamom, and a pink heart meringue. The Mexican Chocolate Moon Milk uses Abuela chocolate mixed with cardamom, cinnamon, and almond milk, finished with hot red pepper flakes. And then there's the baklava. Elif thinks of baklava as a creative palette, infusing traditional Turkish recipes with flavors from candy, dried fruit, and even beer. "We always have six to seven bite-sized pieces of different flavors in the case at a time," she says. The menu features classics like pistachio and walnut alongside creative options like Reese's Dark (made with unsalted roasted peanuts and dark chocolate) and pistachio with lemon curd. But the real showstopper is the baklava custard. One customer whose husband reported: "He loved their baklava custard!" Another called it one of their "standout favorites"—the goat cheese and fig baked baklava custard with drizzled honey on top. Elif makes the baklava cheesecake by putting last week's baklava through a food processor to create the crust, then baking ultra-creamy, slightly tangy cheesecake on top. The finished product is "dressed up" with rose jam, crushed pistachios, and rose petals. The savory options are equally impressive. The börek—Turkish savory pastries filled with feta and parsley—consistently get mentioned in reviews. "I recommend the Caramel Moon Milk with the parsley and feta meal. It was divine!!!" one customer wrote. The Ezo Gelin soup (Turkish red lentil soup) and baked eggplant also make regular appearances in customer praise. The Wise Dragonfly: A Creative Collective Inside a Victorian Coffee House in Salt Lake City Kahve Cafe is just one piece of what Elif calls The Wise Dragonfly. The 115-year-old Victorian mansion houses a collective of creative types and healing arts specialists across three floors. Artist Lyra Zoe Smith, who works at the cafe and rents studio space upstairs, describes it as "a magical place" that offers room to rid yourself of stress from the outside world. "The city has become really sterile in its building of new places and new businesses," Smith says. "Everything's kind of cold and hard when you go into a place to sit and enjoy, and it's really nice to be able to come into a place that's comfortable and cozy." Meander up the wooden steps to the second floor and you'll find doors that open to artist studios, a Thai massage specialist, a crystal healer, and a jewelry store. Startups can rent meeting space by the hour or through monthly memberships. The whole building operates as a low-cost incubator for creative businesses—which makes sense for a woman who describes the house as having its own energy, one that asks people to "level up." "The house kicks people out if they don't fit," Elif laughs, talking about how tenants and workers often self-select when they're no longer a match for the space. It's a weird thing to say about a building, but anyone who's spent time at Kahve Cafe knows exactly what she means. There's something about the place that demands you slow down and actually be present. The walls are covered with photographs—family, friends, a visual memory lane that includes Turkish Kütahya ceramic plates and brass candle holders with stories attached. Vintage Turkish rugs, oversized cushions, and antique furniture fill the nooks and crannies. As one customer noted: "I could literally spend the entire day exploring this place and wouldn't get bored. The Turkish dishes and atmosphere really make it feel like you stepped outside of Salt Lake." There's also The Giving Table—a free community pantry where donations from patrons and neighbors help fill a fridge with nourishing, homemade meals and fresh ingredients. It's a reminder, Elif says, that "we all deserve warmth, dignity, and a seat at the table." Salt Lake City Council member Victoria Petro-Eschler says Elif has an internal calling to nurture those around her and possesses a gift for welcoming people to her culture. "She's evidence that [by] valuing other people and staying true to your calling, it is possible to build a life that way." Why Kahve Cafe Matters to Salt Lake City's Food Scene In a city increasingly dominated by sterile modern coffee chains and industrial-chic cafes, Kahve Cafe stands out by going in the complete opposite direction. It's cozy where others are minimalist. It's slow where others are fast. It's about the ritual of coffee-making—the swirling pot in hot sand, the fortune reading in the grounds—where others are about efficiency and throughput. "This is not an industrialized coffee shop made for the masses," one customer wrote, and they meant it as the highest compliment. Another visitor who drove up from southern Utah to try it ended up going back the next morning. "The owner even had my daughter help pick veggies from the garden. Seriously, this place will always be our go-to spot." The awards validate what customers have been saying since Kahve opened in 2021: this is something special. Best Coffee SLC 2024. Best Turkish Coffee 2023 and 2024. But the real measure of Kahve's impact is in the way people talk about it—less like a coffee shop and more like a sanctuary. "When you come here, you're home," Elif says, and based on the reviews, that's exactly how it feels. Planning Your Visit to Kahve Cafe Kahve Cafe is located at 57 S 600 East in Salt Lake City's Historic South Temple neighborhood, housed in a Victorian mansion that's been standing since 1905. The cafe is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday from 10 AM to 3 PM. They're closed Mondays. Parking is available behind the cafe and the building next to it, plus street parking in front. There's also a front porch with seating for a handful of people when the weather's nice. What to order: If you're new to Turkish coffee, go for a single shot with cardamom sugar and cinnamon powder. The grounds stay in the cup, so expect it to be "sludgy at the end" (as one customer noted), but that's part of the experience. If caffeine isn't your thing, try one of the Moon Milks—the Cardamom Rose or Blue Moon Milk are customer favorites. For food, the baklava custard consistently gets rave reviews, as does the goat cheese and fig version. The börek (savory pastries) are perfect if you want something more substantial. And if you visit on a weekend, see if Ishelle is there to read your coffee fortune. Fair warning: this is a small cafe with limited kitchen space, and they're popular enough that lines can form on weekends. Items sometimes run out. Service takes longer than Starbucks because they're actually crafting each drink by hand in hot sand. But as one customer noted, "That's ok. It went fast," and more importantly, "it was so worth it." The cafe is good for studying if you need outlets and cozy corners to work for a few hours. There are three floors with multiple seating areas, from velvet chairs perfect for journaling to small tables tucked into quiet nooks. One customer's advice: "Explore all three floors and various secret nooks each time you go back!" You can also find Kahve Cafe on Instagram and their website at kahvecafeslc.com for catering options and special events like Turkish breakfasts and coffee fortune reading sessions. Kahve Cafe is what happens when someone with deep cultural roots and a stubborn refusal to quit decides to create the space they wish existed. It's Turkish coffee brewed the way it's been done for centuries. It's coffee fortune telling in a Victorian mansion in downtown Salt Lake City. It's moon milks and baklava custard and börek and a community pantry and artist studios all under one roof. Most importantly, it's a reminder that sometimes the best experiences are the ones where you're forced to slow down, sit with a tiny cup of incredibly strong coffee, and actually be present for a minute. That Turkish proverb Elif loves—"One cup of coffee creates a 40-year friendship"—isn't just painted on the wall. It's the entire business model.

Walk into Gourmandise's historic brick building on 300 East in downtown Salt Lake City around 9 PM on a Saturday night, and you'll witness something rare in Utah's bakery scene: a packed European café where locals linger over kouign amann and triple chocolate mousse long after most bakeries have closed. The air smells like imported butter and caramelized sugar, and the glass cases still gleam with dozens of hand-laminated croissants and fruit tarts that somehow look even better under evening light. One regular customer captured it perfectly: "Gourmandise is hands down one of Utah's best kept foodie secrets. Their food is consistently beyond expectations, the pastries are divine." This isn't just another bakery trying to replicate European pastries in the American West. For over 30 years, Gourmandise has been Utah's most award-winning bakery—a designation they've earned repeatedly through Best of State honors as Best Bakery, Best Gourmet Bistro, and Best Café. And if you ask Vernon and Hally Hanssen, the immigrant couple who bought this modest operation in 2006, they'll tell you they're still discovering what Gourmandise can become. From Immigrant Dreams to Utah's Premier European Bakery The Gourmandise story actually starts twice. An immigrant family opened the original bakery in 1991, determined to bring authentic European desserts to their adopted Utah home. For fifteen years, they built a loyal following around scratch-made pastries and time-tested recipes in that downtown Salt Lake City location. Then in 2006, Vernon and Hally Hanssen—themselves carrying a family bakery heritage and entrepreneurial spirit from their own immigrant backgrounds—saw something extraordinary in this modest café and its time-tested recipes. "Since we bought the historic brick building in downtown Salt Lake City and the Gourmandise brand with its time-tested recipes, we've been driven by what we didn't know and what we wanted to find out," the Hanssens explain on their website. What they discovered was that Gourmandise had woven itself into countless personal stories across generations and backgrounds. The bakery wasn't just selling desserts—it was creating the backdrop for business lunches, post-symphony indulgences, anniversary celebrations, and quiet Tuesday morning coffee rituals. Under the Hanssens' stewardship over the past 18 years, Gourmandise has evolved from a single downtown location into a Utah institution spanning four locations: the original downtown Salt Lake café, a Draper location with drive-thru service, an American Fork outpost, and even a presence at Salt Lake City International Airport. By 2018, they'd expanded so significantly that Clinton Fowler, their director of operations, told the Salt Lake Tribune: "We outgrew our kitchen. We have someone baking 24 hours a day." That 24-hour commitment? It's because Gourmandise crafts over 140 dessert items from scratch daily—not weekly batches that sit around, but fresh pastries baked throughout the day and night. The Kouign Amann That Conquered Utah: Hand-Laminated Excellence Here's where Gourmandise separates itself from every other bakery in Utah's Wasatch Front: their perfected kouign amann. This Breton-style pastry—pronounced roughly "queen ah-mahn"—requires such precise lamination technique and temperature control that most American bakeries don't even attempt it. Gourmandise doesn't just make it; they've mastered it to the point where customers plan entire trips around it. "The Kouign-amann is the best I've ever had," raves one Draper location regular on Tripadvisor. Another customer can barely contain their enthusiasm: "Their Kouign Amann is so good but my favorite pastry here is the almond croissant! I can't articulate how good it is other than it's freakin amazing to me I love it!" Chef Seis Kamimura, who's worked in Wolfgang Puck's kitchen and competed on Chopped, stopped at Gourmandise's airport location specifically for the kouign amann and raspberry croissant before a flight. His verdict? "The pastry is really their specialty and makes this culinary destination worth visiting." The secret is in Gourmandise's commitment to French lamination techniques using imported butter. Each croissant and kouign amann gets hand-laminated—meaning real pastry chefs fold and turn the dough multiple times to create those impossibly thin, buttery layers. It's the same traditional European method that takes days, not hours, and requires climate-controlled conditions. When you pull apart a Gourmandise kouign amann, those caramelized sugar-crusted layers literally shatter in your hands before melting on your tongue. Beyond the kouign amann, the almond croissants have developed their own cult following. "Almond type cream filling inside with almond slivers on top with a sugar glaze," one customer describes, before adding, "I haven't wanted to try something new from what I usually get." That's the mark of a pastry done right—when regulars can't bring themselves to stray from their favorite. More Than Pastries: A Full European Café Experience from Breakfast Through Late Night Walk into most Utah bakeries at 8 PM and you'll find locked doors. Walk into Gourmandise downtown and you'll find full table service, wine by the glass, and an extensive dinner menu alongside those 140 dessert options. This is where the Hanssens' vision really diverges from typical bakery thinking. Gourmandise serves breakfast starting at 8 AM, runs Sunday brunch until 3 PM, and stays open serving dinner until 10 PM on weeknights and 11 PM on weekends. A DoorDash reviewer captures the everyday appeal: "I always go for the eggs benedict or my fave is the brioche French toast!!!! looks too sweet, but it's absolute FIRE!!!!" The breakfast hash bowl—scrambled eggs, roasted vegetable hash, everything avocado, tomato tarragon sauce, and pickled red onions—has become a morning staple for downtown workers. And that crème brûlée oatmeal? It's exactly what it sounds like: gluten-free oats with flax seeds, chia, coconut milk, topped with crispy caramelized sugar, fresh whipped cream, strawberries, bananas, toasted almonds, and berry coulis. It's basically dessert disguised as healthy breakfast. For lunch, the tri-tip steak sandwich has such a devoted following that multiple reviewers specifically name it. "The Tri-Tip Steak Sandwich 3PD & Avocado Toast 3PD are so good, if it's your first time eating here I highly recommend getting it," one regular advises. Another adds: "Gourmandise is the most consistent place I've eaten. We love the Tri-Tip Steak Sandwich 3PD, the Crisped Pulled Pork Sandwich 3PD, the Rigatoni Bolognese, and basically ANY desert here." The dinner menu ventures into proper European bistro territory with salmon en croute, rigatoni Bolognese with scratch Italian sausage and beef, and those Brussels sprouts that have their own fan club: "Crisped Brussels sprouts with creamy red pepper feta aioli drizzle and herbed cream cheese dollops, topped with truffle salt." Chef Kamimura called them "some of the best I've ever had." The Dessert Cases That Stop People Mid-Stride But let's be honest—people come to Gourmandise for the desserts. Those glass cases lining the downtown location aren't just displays; they're edible art galleries featuring 140+ options made fresh daily. The tiramisu has a near-religious following. One customer reviewing the DoorDash delivery experience exclaimed: "Tiramisu is incredible, wow, I haven't had tiramisu like that in years! Thank you!" Multiple families mention it as their go-to: "My family has been coming here for years! We love the tiramisu, strawberry mille feuille, chantilly, and more." The chocolate mousse deserves its own paragraph. "I had the chocolate mousse," one reviewer notes simply, because sometimes perfection needs no elaboration. Another was more specific: "The chocolate mousse slice was perfect." The triple chocolate mousse cake appears on multiple "must-try" lists. French classics like strawberry mille feuille (the Napoleon-style puff pastry with layers of cream and fresh fruit), éclairs filled with vanilla pastry cream and topped with chocolate ganache, and classic crème brûlée all get executed with proper French technique. "As someone who has seen authentic French pastries in France, these looked as real as they come!" one well-traveled customer observed. Seasonal specialties rotate through—fall brings pumpkin bread pudding made with kouign amann (yes, you read that right), holiday season features Mardi Gras king cake, and there's always something new appearing in those cases. Award-Winning Catering: From Weddings to Corporate Boardrooms Vernon Hanssen's recent appearance in local news discussing rising egg costs revealed something interesting: Gourmandise uses enough eggs that a 50% price increase significantly impacts their bottom line. That's because beyond the four retail locations, they run an award-winning catering operation that serves everyone from intimate weddings to large corporate events. Their catering department has developed particular expertise in wedding cakes—not the fondant-covered towers that taste like cardboard, but actual European-style cakes that taste as good as they photograph. And with four locations plus a dedicated catering facility, they can handle multiple large events simultaneously. "It's an honor and a privilege to be invited to help feed your loved ones and have a space at your table," Vernon and Hally Hanssen note on their seasonal menu. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when they had to lay off over 130 employees, the Hanssens focused their remaining resources on takeout and catering while supporting vulnerable foodservice workers through fundraising efforts—a move that demonstrated their commitment to both staff and community. Four Locations Serving Utah's European Pastry Cravings Downtown Salt Lake City (250 S 300 East): The original location in that historic brick building. Open Monday-Thursday 8 AM to 10 PM, Friday-Saturday 8 AM to 11 PM, Sunday brunch 9 AM to 3 PM. Full table service, romantic European café atmosphere, wine service, outdoor seating when weather permits. Free customer parking in the evening. This is the location for date nights, post-theater desserts, and leisurely weekend brunches. Draper (725 E 12300 South): Opened in 2018 with drive-thru service and identical menu to downtown. Perfect for southern Salt Lake County residents who'd been making the drive north. Same scratch-made pastries, same full café menu, with the modern convenience of drive-thru for those morning croissant runs. American Fork (215 E State Street): Expanding Gourmandise's reach into Utah County with another drive-thru location serving breakfast through dinner. SLC Airport (Terminal B, Concourse B): Because even travelers deserve real pastries instead of sad airport pretzels. Multiple reviewers specifically mention stopping here before flights: "Forget those sad airport pretzels! We snagged seats at the bar, had amazing mimosas with Cammie as our bartender, and indulged in delicious pastries." Planning Your Visit to Utah's Best Bakery If you're heading to the downtown location, arrive early on weekends—that Sunday brunch gets packed. Weekday evenings are surprisingly calm, making them ideal for a quiet date night or solo dessert indulgence after work. The downtown location offers the full Gourmandise experience: romantic lighting, European café ambiance, wine service, and that late-night availability that's rare among Utah bakeries. First-timers should absolutely try the kouign amann—it's Gourmandise's signature for good reason. Pair it with an almond croissant and maybe something from the chocolate mousse family. If you're there for a meal, the breakfast hash bowl, brioche French toast, and tri-tip sandwich dominate the "must-order" recommendations from regulars. The Draper and American Fork locations offer identical food quality with the added convenience of drive-thru service—perfect for grabbing a dozen croissants for a weekend family breakfast or picking up a last-minute birthday cake. Don't sleep on the late hours. While most Utah bakeries close by 6 PM, Gourmandise downtown serves until 10-11 PM. It's become the go-to spot for after-symphony desserts, post-concert stops, and those moments when you just need excellent European pastries and a glass of wine at 9:30 on a Thursday. Why Gourmandise Matters to Utah's Food Scene In a state where food culture sometimes struggles against perceptions of homogeneity, Gourmandise represents something essential: the genuine article. The Hanssens haven't created some Americanized approximation of European pastries—they've preserved and elevated time-tested recipes and traditional techniques while building a sustainable business that employs over 100 people and serves thousands weekly. "Gourmandise is part of many people's story and has been bringing generations of folks from all walks of life and backgrounds together for many years and reasons," the Hanssens observe. That's evident in the customer reviews that span business lunches, family celebrations, quiet solo coffee moments, and romantic date nights. The fact that they're baking 24 hours a day across multiple locations, maintaining quality that earns repeated Best of State awards, and still finding ways to innovate with seasonal specialties—all while keeping those historic recipes intact—that's the definition of a Utah food institution done right. As one satisfied customer put it simply: "Best bakery in Utah—hands down." Gourmandise Downtown: 250 S 300 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 | (801) 328-3330 Draper: 725 E 12300 South, Draper, UT American Fork: 215 E State Street, American Fork, UT SLC Airport: Terminal B, Concourse B Instagram: @gourmandisethebakery Website: gourmandise.com

The scent of fresh-baked sourdough and perfectly pulled espresso fills the air at 8745 South 700 East in Sandy, where The Honeysuckle Coffee Co. has been quietly rewriting the specialty coffee narrative in Utah's south valley since 2017. Here, in a cozy corner of suburban Salt Lake County that once felt like a specialty coffee desert, Tim and Jenn Biffert are doing something that feels increasingly rare in the modern coffee world—they're making absolutely everything from scratch, bringing genuine Southern hospitality to every interaction, and building the kind of neighborhood space where you actually want to linger for hours."I'm so glad my husband found the Honeysuckle Coffee Co yesterday on our trip to SLC! We loved it so much we went back today," writes one visitor who discovered the café and immediately became a regular during their Utah trip. "The staff was so friendly and seemed to handle the lunch rush like a boss. Calm, efficient, quality and attentive to details." This isn't your typical coffee shop origin story, and Tim and Jenn wouldn't want it to be. From Charlotte to Sandy: The Southern Coffee Shop That Almost Wasn'tThe Honeysuckle Coffee Co. was established in the suburbs of Salt Lake City in the fall of 2017 by Tim and Jenn, Utah transplants from Charlotte, North Carolina. But before they opened their doors in Sandy, they had to answer a question that kept them up at night: Was it crazy to open a specialty coffee shop in a part of the valley where nobody else seemed to think one could succeed?"My wife and I were of the mindset of, 'Is it crazy to open a coffee shop in Sandy? Is there a reason people haven't opened a shop down here?'" Tim Biffert told Daily Coffee News. "We figured, surely we're not the only ones that live on the south side of the valley that want good coffee." They were right. What started as a leap of faith in Sandy has become a staple of the local coffee community, eventually expanding to a second location in Salt Lake City's growing Ballpark neighborhood—proof that quality and genuine hospitality can thrive anywhere.The honeysuckle flower itself tells you everything you need to know about their philosophy. Back east, this comforting little vine grows wild practically everywhere, and Tim and Jenn have fond memories of picking the flowers and eating the warm honey center as kids. That sense memory—of sweetness, of simplicity, of Southern comfort—infuses every detail of what they've built in Utah.Their inspiration comes from childhood memories of homemade treats and the honeysuckle flower, a little blossom that grew wild in their hometown. Their goal is simple: to create neighborhood spaces that feel like home, where hospitality shines, and where guests leave with both a happy heart and a full belly. The Specialty Coffee Sandy Utah Experience: Where Everything Is Actually Made From ScratchWalk into Honeysuckle on any given morning and you'll understand why house-made pastries in Salt Lake City have become synonymous with this Sandy café. Everything at The Honeysuckle Coffee Company, from the baked goods to the jams, granola, and even the syrup in our drinks, is made in house from scratch with only hormone free, fresh, in-season and mostly organic and local ingredients. And they mean everything. The sourdough bread for your avocado toast? Baked on site. The honeysuckle syrup in your latte? Made in their kitchen. The weekend biscuits that bring people flooding in on Saturday mornings? Mixed, rolled, and baked by hand, carrying forward a Southern tradition that Tim and Jenn refuse to compromise on."They have nailed the art of making perfect latte. Coffee has rich flavor, good consistency. Their house made honeysuckle syrup is a must," notes one customer whose review captures the careful attention to craft that defines every drink here.The coffee itself comes from a thoughtful partnership with La Barba Coffee, the Salt Lake City roaster known for sourcing specialty-grade beans and supporting farmers through fair trade and rainforest alliance-certified relationships. "I really did like what they were doing with coffee," Tim Biffert explained. "They're transparent about their sourcing. They want to make sure everybody knows where their coffee comes from." But Honeysuckle doesn't stop at simply serving great beans. Their baristas are trained in multiple brewing methods—pour-over, French press, Aeropress, Chemex—each technique chosen to bring out the distinctive characteristics of different origins and roasts. It's hand crafted lattes made with perfectly pulled espresso shots from fresh artisan roasted beans and velvety smooth steamed milk, to bring out the delicate, sweet flavors in your drink. It's individually made, single origin pour-overs. It's a full bodied French press, a delicate Aero-press or a smooth Chemex made just for you. "Such good coffee! The shot they poured was perfect (and not burned like others I've had lately) and i was so happy. The salted chocolate chip cookie (vegan) and avocado toast were delicious," writes one enthusiastic customer who appreciated both the technical skill and the thoughtful menu options.The food menu reads like a love letter to from-scratch cooking and Southern comfort. Their sourdough bagels have earned cult status among regulars, and for good reason—one customer's husband declared they were "the best he's ever had"  after trying both the blueberry and everything varieties. The lavender cheesecake is a consistent standout, seasonal sandwiches rotate based on what's fresh, and the yogurt bowls topped with house-made berry compote feel both indulgent and wholesome.And then there are those weekend biscuits. A direct import from Tim and Jenn's North Carolina roots, these aren't just baked goods—they're a ritual, a reason to gather, a taste of Southern hospitality that's become a Sandy tradition all its own. Southern Hospitality Meets Utah's South Valley Coffee CultureWhat sets Honeysuckle apart in Utah's competitive specialty coffee scene isn't just what they serve, but how they serve it. One Florida visitor named Layton shared: "I was visiting Utah last week, and Honeysuckle was recommended to me for good coffee. Layton was behind the counter and when I told him it was my first time in, he explained all about their coffees (where they're from), and baked goods (ingredients used)." But here's where it gets remarkable. "On my third visit, Layton remembered that I was visiting from Florida, and inquired if my family was safe from Hurricane Milton. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, the staff was delightful (and thoughtful), and the coffee is some of the best I've ever had." That's not customer service—that's genuine care. And it's the kind of Southern hospitality that Tim and Jenn have woven into the fabric of their business.The space itself encourages connection. Each Honeysuckle shop is designed for comfort—cozy seating for groups or individuals, WiFi, biscuits on the weekends, and even a small book stack for kids. It's the kind of coffee shop where laptop workers stay all day, where friends catch up over lattes, where families feel genuinely welcome with their children."The brand excels in crafting delicious beverages, with standout items such as the iced brown sugar latte and whiskey caramel dark chocolate latte, which are noted for their exceptional flavors and careful preparation," according to multiple customer reviews that consistently praise both the quality and the presentation.And for those with dietary restrictions, Honeysuckle has become a trusted destination. "Love their coffee. Really good gf avocado toast. They also have some other gf baked goods that I haven't tried yet. Super cute place! They use parchment paper in a toaster oven instead of the regular toaster and change gloves to touch the gf bread," notes one gluten-free customer who appreciated the careful attention to cross-contamination prevention. Planning Your Visit to The Honeysuckle Coffee Co.The original Sandy location sits at 8745 South 700 East, Suite #2, in a neighborhood that's become a destination for south valley coffee lovers who no longer need to trek downtown for exceptional craft coffee. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 7 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday from 8 AM to 4 PM.If you're in Salt Lake City proper, their Ballpark neighborhood location at 1588 South Main Street offers the same scratch-made quality with mountain views from the patio—a perfect spot for a weekend morning when you want to settle in with a book and a perfectly pulled espresso.For your first visit, start with their signature honeysuckle latte to understand what makes this place special. The house-made syrup has a delicate floral sweetness that's worlds apart from the artificial flavors dominating chain coffee shops. Pair it with the sourdough avocado toast if you're hungry for something savory, or grab whatever seasonal pastry catches your eye—remember, everything is baked fresh on site.If you're visiting on a weekend, absolutely try the biscuits. They're a Southern tradition that Tim and Jenn have successfully transplanted to Utah, and they're worth building your Saturday morning around.The iced brown sugar latte has become a customer favorite, particularly during warmer months. And for those who prefer tea, Honeysuckle partners with Rishi Tea for a quality selection that gets the same careful attention as their coffee program."Cute place with good drink selections and snacks.. good presentation on drinks I love that I can get a tea pot and re steep here," notes one regular who appreciates the loose leaf tea service—another detail that shows Honeysuckle's commitment to doing things properly.Parking is convenient at both locations, and both spaces offer that rare combination of being busy enough to feel alive but designed thoughtfully enough that you can still find a comfortable spot to work or relax.Seven years after Tim and Jenn Biffert asked themselves whether it was crazy to open a specialty coffee shop in Sandy, the answer is beautifully clear. The Sandy shop has become a staple in the local coffee community, known for quality coffee and scratch-made seasonal baked goods. In a coffee landscape increasingly dominated by chains and convenience, The Honeysuckle Coffee Co. stands as proof that people still crave authentic hospitality, genuinely handcrafted food and drink, and spaces that feel like they were designed for humans rather than Instagram. They've brought Southern comfort to Utah's south valley, one perfectly pulled espresso and one house-made biscuit at a time."The quality of the food and coffee is better than other places, with unique and tasty selections made from scratch. The staff is nice, and the experience is always delightful," sums up one customer—and honestly, what more could you want from your neighborhood coffee shop?

There's something about walking into Coffee Noir on 200 South that feels like stumbling into a secret the neighborhood's been keeping. Maybe it's the way morning light filters through the trees onto the spacious outdoor patio, or how regulars from the nearby senior center sit at the same tables as University of Utah students cramming for finals, everyone united by the smell of freshly roasted coffee that owner Ben Lanoha insists on brewing to perfection. "My favorite little coffee shop away from the busy city, but close enough to be convenient," one customer describes it—and that just about sums up why this East Central neighborhood gem has quietly become one of the best coffee shops in Salt Lake City. The Filmmaker Who Fell in Love with Coffee (and Film Noir)Ben Lanoha's love of film noir isn't just reflected in the name Coffee Noir—it's woven into the very identity of this small, clean, well-lighted place he created in the heart of Salt Lake's East Central neighborhood. But before Lanoha was crafting the perfect espresso pull, he was working as an independent filmmaker, directing award-winning films. The transition from cinema to coffee might seem unusual, but there's a narrative thread connecting both passions: storytelling, attention to detail, and an obsession with craft.After training at the American Barista & Coffee School in Portland, Lanoha followed his taste buds and his convictions all the way to a small roaster in Topeka, Kansas that would change Salt Lake City's coffee scene. He selected PT's Coffee Roasting Co. as his supplier—winners of Roast Magazine's 2009 Roaster of the Year award—introducing one of the nation's most respected specialty coffee roasters to Utah's coffee culture. It was a decision driven by principle as much as palate: PT's sources artisan, organic and sustainably produced beans grown under a shade canopy, preserving habitat for all manner of creatures, and engages in Direct Trade—a system that exceeds the Fair Trade price by a minimum of 25 percent.This isn't just coffee with a good backstory. PT's has earned over 50 ratings of 94 points and above from Coffee Review, including the No. 1 spot on their Top 30 Coffees of 2022, and has been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, and other national publications. When you order a cup at Coffee Noir, you're drinking beans from one of America's most acclaimed roasters, sourced through relationships that prioritize both quality and ethics.What Makes Coffee Noir the Best Coffee Shop Near University of UtahTucked at 1035 East 200 South in the East Central neighborhood, Coffee Noir occupies a sweet spot—literally and figuratively—between downtown Salt Lake City and the University of Utah campus. "Located walking distance from the University of Utah and downtown Salt Lake City," as one reviewer notes, it's become the go-to study spot for students who want exceptional coffee without the chaos of campus cafes or the pretension of downtown's trendier spots."I've been in a couple times before but finally decided to try doing some studying and homework here," one student writes, echoing what's become a pattern: people come once for the coffee and keep coming back for the atmosphere. The cafe features great free high-speed Wi-Fi, making it perfect for relaxing inside or out while working away from home. But here's what really sets this neighborhood coffee shop apart—it draws not only students and neighbors but has become a favorite of regulars from a nearby senior center. Where else in Salt Lake City can you find three generations sharing the same coffee shop peacefully on a Saturday morning?The outdoor seating situation deserves its own paragraph. "Little shop tucked away in the university district with ample amount of outdoor seating perfect for the spring and summer seasons," one visitor describes it, and they're not exaggerating. The café's pet-friendly policy has made it a popular gathering spot for dog owners and their furry companions, transforming the patio into an unofficial neighborhood gathering place where you're as likely to make friends with someone's golden retriever as you are to overhear interesting conversations about quantum physics or local politics.The Coffee and Menu: From Dirty Chai to Breakfast BurritosLet's talk about what you're actually going to drink and eat here, because that's what keeps people coming back week after week."They've the best dirty chai in the city!!" declares one customer who's been there over 10 times, and the enthusiasm is warranted. "The staff was very kind - dirty chai and tomato mozzarella croissant were delicious!" another reviewer confirms. The dirty chai—espresso mixed with chai tea—is prepared with house-made techniques that make it stand out from the usual coffee shop offerings.But the specialty drinks go beyond the expected. "It was so awesome! The guy working there was so rad and their lavender Italian soda is to die for!" writes one enthusiastic customer. When you're feeling indulgent, opt for the house-made coffee-flavored whipped cream when topping your drink—it's one of those insider details that separates a good coffee shop from a great one.For the espresso purists, the lattes are consistently praised. "The latte is my litmus test of any coffee shop. Lattes here are phenomenal and the atmosphere is hard to beat," writes one discerning customer. And if you're ordering a white mocha, multiple reviewers agree: "They have a good white mocha" that hits the spot.Now, about the food. "They have a breakfast burrito that's yummy, but simple…but where pastries are awesome!" one local writes, capturing the straightforward appeal of Coffee Noir's food menu. "I recommend the sausage, egg and cheese croissant, and lemon poppyseed scones," suggests another regular. The breakfast burritos are simple, satisfying, and perfect for grabbing with your morning coffee before heading to campus or starting a day on the slopes.The treats from Lonepine Bakery are a delicious addition to the menu, bringing in some of Utah's best artisan baked goods to complement the house-made offerings. From flaky croissants to fresh scones, the pastry case offers the kind of quality you'd expect from a neighborhood spot that takes its coffee this seriously.One charming detail that regulars love: the coffee stirrers are pieces of pasta, which is better for the environment. It's the kind of thoughtful touch that shows Lanoha's commitment to sustainability matches his commitment to quality. East Central's Community Coffee HubWhat makes Coffee Noir essential to Salt Lake City's coffee scene isn't just what's in the cup—it's the role it plays in the East Central neighborhood. "I work in the care facility next to them, and whenever I need a pick-me-up, I always buy myself a little treat from them. I look forward to chatting with the staff, and I love the atmosphere the owner has created," shares one neighbor, capturing how this coffee shop functions as more than just a caffeine dispensary."I always find myself wandering to the back of their shop and checking out all the creative posters they let the community post," the same reviewer continues, highlighting how Coffee Noir serves as an informal community bulletin board and gathering space. This is exactly the kind of neighborhood institution that Salt Lake City needs more of—places that bring people together across generational and social lines."This is now a regular weekly spot for a group of friends who get together and talk shop," one customer explains, and you'll see variations of this scene playing out throughout the week: study groups, business meetings, first dates, and those perfect solo mornings where you just need a good book and better coffee.The staff deserves special mention. From the moment you step inside, the welcoming atmosphere and attentive baristas ensure a pleasant experience for all. "The service is always so friendly and efficient," notes a regular, while another describes the experience as feeling "like family". In an era when many coffee shops prioritize speed over connection, Coffee Noir manages to deliver both.Location also matters. Situated on the 200 South corridor between downtown and the University of Utah, Coffee Noir serves as a natural pit stop for anyone heading up to the Cottonwood Canyons for skiing or hiking. It's become an unofficial pre-adventure coffee spot where you can grab a quality breakfast burrito and exceptional coffee before hitting the mountains.Planning Your Visit to Coffee NoirAddress: 1035 E 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84102 (East Central neighborhood)Hours: Monday-Friday: 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM Saturday-Sunday: 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM What to Order: The dirty chai (customer-verified best in the city) Sausage, egg and cheese croissant Lemon poppyseed scones Any latte with house-made coffee-flavored whipped cream Lavender Italian soda Simple breakfast burrito with your morning coffee Good to Know: Saturday mornings can get busy, so be prepared to wait outside, but the great outdoor seating makes it worthwhile Pet-friendly outdoor patio—bring your dog Free high-speed Wi-Fi for remote work or studying Plenty of street parking available Perfect pre-ski stop before heading up the canyons Reasonable prices and punch card rewards for returning customers Instagram: @coffeenoir Why Coffee Noir Matters to Utah's Coffee SceneIn a city rapidly filling with third-wave coffee shops and national chains, Coffee Noir represents something increasingly rare: a neighborhood coffee shop that prioritizes community connection and coffee quality in equal measure. Lanoha deserves extra credit for not only enhancing the neighborhood but introducing a terrific new coffee supplier to Salt Lake City when he brought PT's Coffee to Utah over a decade ago.The film noir-inspired name hints at Lanoha's artistic background, but there's nothing noir about the atmosphere—it's warm, welcoming, and full of natural light. It's the kind of place that makes you slow down, whether you're a University of Utah student between classes, a senior center regular meeting friends, or a remote worker seeking a change of scenery."Coffee Noir is the cozy kind of spot where you can get a cup of coffee and finish off that paper or project that needs to get done. The owners and baristas are very friendly and the coffee's always so good," sums up one satisfied customer. In the end, maybe that's all we really need from our neighborhood coffee shops: excellent coffee, genuine hospitality, and a space that feels like it was made for everyone.Next time you're near the University of Utah or driving through East Central on 200 South, do yourself a favor and stop in. Order the dirty chai, grab a croissant, and settle into the patio with a book. You'll understand immediately why locals consider Coffee Noir one of Salt Lake City's best-kept coffee secrets—and why it deserves to be shouted from the rooftops instead.

You'd walk right past it if you didn't know where to look. There's no flashy storefront, no sidewalk sandwich board screaming for attention. Just a modest sign outside the Axis Building on 200 South that says "Cupla Bakery & Café" with an arrow pointing down. Down the stairs. Into a basement. And that's exactly where some of the best coffee in downtown Salt Lake City happens. The moment you descend those stairs into Cupla Coffee, natural light floods in from street-level windows above. There's a bookshelf wall curated with care, a bench made of artificial grass, and the kind of concrete-meets-hardwood industrial warmth that makes you want to stay awhile. "This place is so good I went back the day after! I like its chill atmosphere it's perfect for reading a book or getting work done. And the staff is friendly," wrote Samantha Lemon in a five-star review. It's the kind of space that convention-goers stumble upon after bad hotel coffee sends them searching the streets near the Salt Palace Convention Center. And when they find it, they're genuinely surprised—both that it exists and that it's this good. The Twin Sisters Who Left Park City to Build Their Own Roastery Identical twins Abigail Purdie and Bethany Heath didn't exactly take the traditional path to owning a downtown Salt Lake City coffee shop. Raised Mormon in Southern California, they weren't even supposed to drink coffee according to their childhood faith. But once they tried it, they fell hard for the ritual, the craft, the community that forms around a good cup. After seven years working for a Park City roaster, the sisters found themselves barely seeing each other despite working in the same industry. Their only time to catch up? Those exhausted phone calls driving home after long shifts. Anyone who's worked in coffee knows the pace—the early mornings, the constant motion, the strange intimacy of making someone's morning routine perfect when you're running on fumes yourself. One day changed everything. Beth was working at a coffee shop when one of her regular customers came in and told a story that made the twins realize: if they wanted to spend time together while doing what they loved, they needed to build something of their own. In 2017, they made the tough call to leave Park City—where they'd spent a decade becoming fixtures in the coffee scene—and headed downtown to try their hand at ownership. They chose the name Cupla, the Irish Gaelic word for "twin," a nod to their heritage and the fact that they were born under the sign of Gemini. The universe seemed to be telling them something about duality, partnership, doing this thing together. What Makes Cupla Coffee Different: High-Altitude Roasting and Signature Drinks Here's something most people don't think about: Utah's elevation fundamentally changes how coffee tastes. Because the mountain air is thinner and drier, Cupla can roast their beans using less heat, which means less chance of scorching. The altitude allows them to properly develop the bean flavors using less heat, resulting in a consistently perfect brewed cup of high-elevation coffee. Beth handles the roasting at their Cottonwood Heights location, working in small batches with organic, fair-trade, shade-grown beans sourced from plantations around the coffee belt—Brazil, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Madagascar. The sisters rotate their offerings seasonally, which means you're not drinking coffee that's been sitting around. You're drinking something roasted fresh, probably within the last few days. Their signature drinks have developed cult followings. The Scottie features butterscotch syrup and is topped with a white pepper sprinkle. Yeah, you read that right—white pepper on your latte. One customer asked the barista for her number one recommendation, "and she tipped me off to The Scottie. 'It's cracked,' she said, and true enough it was, assisted by the cracked pepper on top. Who knew?!?" Then there's the Mount Caramel and the Snickerdoodle Latte, which has customers coming back specifically for that cinnamon-sugar nostalgia. "We ordered a Vanilla Latte, Root Beer Latte, and Snickerdoodle Latte. All three drinks were terrific. Even though they were flavored, they weren't over-sweet and the coffee beans shined thru," one TripAdvisor reviewer noted after discovering the downtown location before a conference at the Salt Palace. For the keto and paleo folks, there's The Cupla Bullet—grass-fed butter, MCT oil, cocoa powder, and heavy cream whipped into your coffee like liquid energy. And if you're not into coffee at all, their lavender lemonade and turmeric chai have their own devoted fans. The Brunch Menu That Keeps People Coming Back The bacon egg and cheese croissant with avocado. If you take nothing else from this article, remember that dish. "The bacon egg and cheese croissant with avocado was 11/10 Lavender dirty Chai 11/10 this is the first place in Utah that has had the best drinks The scone was perfect 11/10," gushed one customer who clearly wasn't holding back their enthusiasm. The sisters bake all their own pastries, catering specifically to alternative diets—gluten-free, vegan, keto, paleo, low-sugar. "Love Cupla Coffee! The twins know what they're doing. They roast their own coffee and they do it well! It's also the only place I know in salt lake area that has keto treats (cookies, cheesecake, cupcakes!)," noted a regular who'd been searching for options that fit their dietary needs. The brunch menu features breakfast burritos (get yours "Cupla style" with cheddar cheese fried onto the outside), frittatas, bagels with lox, avocado toast, and seasonal bakery items. Everything pairs perfectly with whatever you're drinking, whether it's a simple drip coffee or one of their more adventurous specialty lattes. From Downtown to the Slopes: Cupla's Three Utah Locations After proving the concept worked in that quirky basement space downtown, Abigail and Bethany expanded strategically. In 2020, they opened in Cottonwood Heights at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon—perfect positioning for skiers and snowboarders heading up to Brighton, Solitude, Alta, or Snowbird. "LOVE Cupla Coffee! The owner went out of her way to make us the best coffee & food! Super comfortable, cute atmosphere," wrote Emma D. about the Cottonwood location. Then in October 2021, they came full circle, opening their Park City location in Kimball Junction. "Park City is where we found our love for, and ultimately nurtured and grew our passion for coffee," Bethany told a local outlet. After managing Park City Coffee Roasters for years, returning to open their own shop there felt like coming home. Each location has its own personality but maintains that same welcoming energy. All three are dog-friendly with patios where you'll find furry friends lounging while their humans sip lattes. All three offer free WiFi for remote workers and students. And all three maintain that "home away from home" vibe that Abby and Madi—their superstar barista at the downtown location—somehow create naturally. Why Cupla Coffee Matters to Utah's Third-Wave Coffee Scene In a state historically known more for abstaining from coffee than celebrating it, the specialty coffee movement in Salt Lake City represents something bigger than caffeine. It's about carving out space for a different kind of Utah identity—one that embraces craft, quality, and the slow pleasure of a well-made drink. The coffee scene in Salt Lake has been evolving for many years, quietly surpassing everyone's expectations. Cupla sits right at the heart of that evolution as a locally-owned coffee roaster that refuses to compromise on sourcing, refuses to mass-produce, and refuses to treat customers like transactions. The sisters participate in Pride Month events and Twin Day celebrations. They've built their business on sustainability principles—small-batch roasting reduces waste, and they exclusively source from ethical, fair-trade plantations. They've created a space where the Mormon kid curious about trying coffee for the first time feels just as welcome as the third-wave coffee snob analyzing tasting notes. Planning Your Visit to Cupla Coffee Downtown SLC Downtown Salt Lake City Location: 77 W 200 S (basement of the Axis Building) Open Monday-Sunday, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM The downtown location is a short walk from the Salt Palace Convention Center, Temple Square, City Creek Center, and the Delta Center. It's easily accessible by TRAX public transportation, and there's plenty of street parking nearby. What to Order: First-timers should try The Scottie or the Snickerdoodle Latte to experience their signature style. If you want to taste the quality of their roasting, get a simple drip coffee or flat white. For food, that bacon egg and cheese croissant with avocado is non-negotiable. And if you have dietary restrictions, don't hesitate to ask—they've likely got options you won't find elsewhere in downtown SLC. Best Times to Visit: Weekday mornings tend to be busy with the convention and business crowd. If you want a quieter experience for working or reading, aim for mid-afternoon. Weekend mornings attract a more relaxed brunch crowd. Other Locations: Cottonwood Heights: 3418 Bengal Blvd (perfect pre-ski stop) Park City: 1476 Newpark Blvd, Kimball Junction (minutes from ski resorts) Follow them on Instagram @cuplacoffeehouse to see their daily specials and seasonal menu additions. The Bottom Line In a city filled with corporate coffee chains and tourists seeking familiar comfort, Cupla Coffee proves that the best experiences often require going down a flight of stairs into a basement you almost missed. Abigail and Bethany Purdie-Heath built something rare: a downtown Salt Lake City coffee shop that feels like it actually belongs to the neighborhood, where the coffee is roasted with the kind of care that only comes from people who fell in love with the craft and decided to make it their whole lives. Whether you're grabbing a quick americano before a conference at the Salt Palace, settling in for a remote work session with a Cupla Bullet, or discovering your new favorite breakfast burrito, you're participating in something the twins created specifically so they could hang out together while serving great coffee. And honestly? That's the kind of origin story that makes everything taste better.

Walk into 801 Coffee Roasters on a weekday morning, and you'll notice something different about the espresso shots being pulled behind the bar. The flow is slower, thicker, almost syrupy. That's because owner Alex Harrison isn't serving your standard espresso—he's pulling ristretto shots, a concentrated brewing technique that transforms the entire coffee experience. "We were pleasantly surprised to find a nice assortment of locally made and brought in breakfast items and delicious roasted in house coffee," one visitor noted after stumbling upon this Capitol Hill gem. And when they tried those New Zealand meat pies? They were so good they had to order a second one. From 21st Birthday Dinner to Downtown Salt Lake City Coffee Roastery At his 21st birthday dinner, Alex Harrison's mother made a suggestion that would change everything: start his own coffee company. It wasn't a wild idea—Alex had spent years working in local coffee shops, expanding his knowledge and honing his craft since he was 19. By the following weekend, he'd bought a truck, met with a health department representative, and trademarked his business name and logo. 801 Coffee Roasters was born. The name wasn't arbitrary. In Utah, the 801 area code carries weight—it's a badge of local pride, a way of saying "this is ours." Alex leaned into that identity hard, even creating an annual celebration on August 1st (8/01) that's become a tradition for the shop. But beyond the clever branding, there was a deeper mission driving the young entrepreneur. The roasting business was created in the hopes of spreading coffee knowledge around the globe, with the aim to both teach and learn from businesses and individuals in the community. What started as a mobile coffee truck covering every inch of the Salt Lake Valley—from downtown to Draper—evolved strategically. Alex realized he needed a larger audience to promote his specialty coffee and brand. So he expanded: farmers markets, local events like Shred Fest SLC, charity fundraisers. By early 2018, the roasting side grew when they began supplying local restaurants and coffee shops, which really improved marketing and consistency. By 2020, the demand had grown enough to launch an e-commerce site, sharing their beans with customers across the country. Then came the brick-and-mortar location at 550 N 300 W, right in the heart of Salt Lake City's Capitol Hill neighborhood—a historic area known more for government buildings than third wave coffee culture. Which is exactly why it works. The Ristretto Experience: Specialty Coffee Salt Lake City with Serious Technique Here's what most people don't know about ristretto coffee: it's not just a smaller espresso. At 801, they pull what's known as a "Ristretto Shot," which means the grind is finer than your average espresso shot. In turn, the shot pulls at a much slower rate and with a thicker consistency, which increases the flavor potency. Think of it like this—while a standard espresso shot uses a 1:2 ratio of coffee to water (say, 18 grams of coffee producing about 36 grams of espresso), a ristretto restricts that water to create roughly a 1:1 ratio. The result? You're getting a more concentrated extraction that emphasizes the sweeter, less bitter compounds in the coffee. The finer grind compensates for the shorter extraction time, ensuring that enough desirable flavors make it into your cup in those precious 15 seconds. When you order a latte at 801 Coffee Roasters, you're not just getting caffeinated—you're experiencing a different flavor profile entirely. The ristretto base creates drinks that taste naturally sweeter, with a fuller body and less of that harsh bitterness you sometimes get from over-extracted espresso. And if you're wondering whether you can actually taste the difference? You absolutely can. Latte art is their way of showing customers that they care about coffee in every aspect—how it tastes, how it smells, sourcing direct-trade beans, roasting locally, brewing properly, and presentation. Walk up to the counter on any given day and you'll see intricate rosetta patterns and hearts being poured into flat whites and cappuccinos. It's not showing off—it's attention to detail, proof that every variable from bean to cup has been considered. The menu keeps things focused but interesting. Yes, you'll find your standard espresso drinks—lattes, cappuccinos, cortados—but there's also cold brew when the Utah summer heat kicks in. And then there are those New Zealand meat pies and quiche that keep showing up in customer reviews. They're not trying to be a full restaurant; they're creating a complete experience where good food complements exceptional coffee. One customer summed it up perfectly when describing their visit: "Everything was just how you want a relaxing, comfortable coffee shop to be." Coffee Culture Progression in Utah's Capitol Hill Salt Lake City's specialty coffee scene has grown considerably over the past decade, with roasters like Publik, Jack Mormon, and Millcreek Coffee establishing themselves across the valley. But Capitol Hill—the neighborhood wedged between downtown and the University of Utah, home to the state capitol building—has remained somewhat underserved when it comes to craft coffee roasters. That's where 801 Coffee Roasters finds its niche. They're not competing directly with the 9th & 9th corridor or the downtown Main Street scene. Instead, they're bringing third wave coffee culture to a neighborhood that's a mix of historic homes, young professionals, and state workers looking for something better than the office breakroom pot. The Marmalade District location (named for the fruit trees that once filled the area) puts them within walking distance of local apartments and condos, close enough to I-15 for commuters to make a quick stop, and just far enough from Temple Square to feel like a local secret. The team wanted to serve their quality coffee to a larger audience while maintaining connections with the community. And the community has responded. Staff members are welcoming and fun to chat with, sharing the story of how the business came to be and what their hopes are moving forward. That's the kind of thing you don't get at chains—the sense that the person pulling your shot actually cares about the progression of coffee culture in their city, that they're invested in creating something that lasts. It's worth noting that this growth comes at an interesting time for Utah's coffee scene. In a state historically known more for its teetotaling culture than its café society, the explosion of specialty coffee represents a shift. Young Utahns, both LDS and non-LDS, are embracing coffee culture as a gathering space, a way to build community around craft and conversation. 801 Coffee Roasters embodies that evolution—celebrating local pride (hence the area code) while participating in a global coffee movement. Planning Your Visit to 801 Coffee Roasters Address & Neighborhood: 550 N 300 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84103 You'll find them in the Capitol Hill/Marmalade District, just north of downtown. The location is easily accessible from I-15, with street parking available along 300 West. You're about a 10-minute walk from the Utah State Capitol if you're exploring the area, and less than a mile from Temple Square. What to Order: The Ristretto-Based Drinks: Start with a cappuccino or flat white to really taste the difference the ristretto technique makes. The natural sweetness and concentrated flavor shine through in milk-based drinks. Fresh Roasted Beans: They roast in-house and sell bags to take home. Current offerings include beans from Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ethiopia—all direct-trade. New Zealand Meat Pies: Multiple customers have mentioned these specifically, with at least one saying they ordered a second because the first was so good. Quiche: A solid savory option if you're stopping in for breakfast or lunch. Insider Tips: One regular customer noted they're "glad you guys come to ARUP every Sunday," suggesting the mobile truck still makes appearances at various locations around the valley. Check their Instagram @801coffeeroasters for current hours and any special events. The space itself is designed for both quick stops and lingering visits—whether you're grabbing a coffee on your way to work or settling in with your laptop for a few hours. And if you show up on August 1st (801 Day), expect special drinks and a celebration of that local Utah pride. Connect: Instagram: @801coffeeroasters Phone: (385) 295-4560 Email: alexharrison@801coffeeroasters.com Website: 801coffeeroasters.com (for online bean orders) The Bottom Line In a city where specialty coffee roasters are multiplying faster than you can say "single origin," 801 Coffee Roasters stands out not by being the loudest or the trendiest, but by focusing on craft, community, and a brewing technique most shops don't bother with. The ristretto shots aren't a gimmick—they're a statement about doing things differently, about prioritizing flavor intensity and sweetness over volume. One observer noted that what sets 801 Coffee Roasters apart from other coffee shops is the quality of their beans—importing them directly from the farm to ensure a higher quality and more essential flavor profile. That commitment to sourcing, combined with the in-house roasting and technical precision of their brewing method, creates an experience that feels both approachable and elevated. Whether you're a Capitol Hill resident looking for your new daily stop, a coffee geek interested in tasting the difference between ristretto and standard espresso, or just someone who appreciates when a local business gets the details right—801 Coffee Roasters delivers. In a neighborhood dominated by government buildings and historic architecture, Alex Harrison has built something that feels genuinely alive: a space where coffee culture, local pride, and community progression come together, one concentrated shot at a time. Stop in, order a ristretto-based latte, grab one of those famous New Zealand pies, and taste what happens when someone takes their 21st birthday dinner conversation seriously enough to build something real.

There's a corner in downtown St. George where the smell of fresh-roasted coffee hits you before you even walk through the door. At FS Coffee Co on W Tabernacle Street, something extraordinary is happening—the kind of thing you don't expect to find in a town better known as a gateway to Zion than a specialty coffee destination. Here, beans roasted by an actual U.S. Coffee Roasting Champion are being pulled into espresso shots and poured over ice, and the locals who've discovered it aren't keeping it quiet. "This is the coffee oasis of this town," one regular wrote in a recent review. "If you're finding the medium roast coffee, this is the one and only otherwise you'll find super-dark roast here in St. George!!!" That's not hyperbole. It's what happens when a 2023 national champion decides to make Southern Utah home. The Champion Who Chose St. George Andrew Coe didn't set out to become a coffee roaster. The mathematician-turned-engineer fell into specialty coffee almost by accident while living in Seattle, working a cafe job for the health insurance while finishing his graduate degree. But once he tasted coffee he actually liked—not the burnt, bitter stuff he'd been choking down for caffeine—something clicked. By 2016, he'd co-founded Elevator Coffee in Portland and was winning roasting competitions with a home popcorn popper against seasoned professionals. Then came the big one: the 2023 U.S. Coffee Roasting Championship in Portland. Competitors roasted identical beans from the Democratic Republic of Congo, judged on flavor balance, aroma, sweetness, and aftertaste through blind tastings. Coe earned a perfect score on green coffee assessment—the ability to identify defects in unroasted beans—and took first place. That win qualified him to represent the United States at the World Coffee Roasting Championship in Taipei, Taiwan, where he placed third against 20 of the world's best roasters. And then he relocated to St. George. When FS Coffee Co opened in 2024 as the sister restaurant to the beloved Bon Rue Bakery (formerly Farmstead), Coe brought his championship-level expertise to their in-house roasting operation. It's not just marketing—when you order coffee at FS Coffee Co, you're drinking beans roasted by someone who literally competed on the world stage and won. The Best Coffee in Downtown St. George (According to People Who Actually Drink It) Walk into FS Coffee Co on any morning and you'll find Utah Tech students camping out with laptops, families grabbing breakfast before hiking, and coffee nerds who drove across town specifically for the medium roast. The patio—prime real estate in a city with 300+ days of sunshine—fills up fast, especially during St. George's endless summer weather. The nitro cold brew has a cult following. "The nitro cold brew was delicious. Roasted in house," one customer raved. "The in house roasters have been mentored and taught by a world champion coffee roaster. It's a great spot and the patio is ideal." But here's what people keep coming back for: the iced coconut macadamia latte. Rich, balanced, with that trademark smoothness that comes from beans roasted by someone who understands the science behind every degree of heat. The iced chai latte with oat milk is another standout—customers describe the smell and taste as "amazing," the kind of thing that makes you want to come back when fall hits. For breakfast, the sesame seed bun sandwich is "killer," according to multiple reviews, with one person noting "some kind of amazing maple taste" that elevates it beyond standard coffee shop fare. The veggie egg Danish and roundabout breakfast croissant both get high marks, but that's no surprise when your pastries come from Bon Rue Bakery—the European-style operation founded by chefs who trained under Thomas Keller at French Laundry and Bouchon. And if you're the type who drinks black coffee because you actually want to taste the beans? "I drink only black coffee, but it had no acid taste," one reviewer noted with obvious relief. That's the medium roast difference—balanced, smooth, none of the burnt bitterness that dominates so much of St. George's coffee scene. The Bon Rue Connection: When Pastry Meets Coffee Excellence FS Coffee Co isn't just another coffee shop that happens to serve pastries. It's the deliberate pairing of two passions: "Passion Through Coffee" meeting "Passion Through Pastry," the tagline of sister business Bon Rue Bakery. Bon Rue (formerly Farmstead) was founded in 2021 by Chris Connors, Li Hsun Sun, and the late Chris Herrin, who trained at Bouchon and French Laundry under legendary chef Thomas Keller. The bakery quickly became a Southern Utah institution, expanding to three locations across Washington County. Their head pastry chef Marie Yonge studied under Alain Ducasse, Gordon Ramsay, Michael Mina, and Giada De Laurentiis. Head baker Benjamin Garcia worked under Wolfgang Puck and spent 14 years at Bouchon Bistro with Thomas Keller. When the same team opened FS Coffee Co in 2024, they brought that same commitment to craft—European-quality pastries paired with championship-caliber coffee, all roasted fresh on-site. It's the kind of combination that shouldn't exist in a city of 95,000 people, but here we are. Downtown St. George's Coffee Culture Gets an Upgrade Location matters, and FS Coffee Co landed in the perfect spot. At 14 W Tabernacle Street in downtown's Historic District, it's a mile from Utah Tech University (close enough to become a student study haven), walking distance from the St. George Temple, and right on the route tourists take heading to Springdale and Zion National Park. The atmosphere reads like someone imported a slice of Portland or Seattle and adapted it for Southern Utah. "The interior is super cozy and the outdoor patio space allows for pets as well," one customer wrote. "It's family friendly. A chill spot to catch up on work/business/meet up. Nice crowd of friendly staff & customers too—lots of aloha here (Hawaii vibes)." That "aloha spirit" isn't accidental. Multiple reviews mention the genuinely friendly staff, people who seem to actually care whether you're having a good morning. "Love, love, LOVE FS Coffee Co! Everyone there is so sweet and you can tell they really care for their customers," reads one five-star review. Another: "I'm always greeted with a smile and a friendly person taking my order. I'm a big fan of the flavored lattes." It's the kind of place where you can post up with your laptop for hours and no one minds, or grab a breakfast sandwich and nitro cold brew to fuel a day hiking Snow Canyon. The seasonal drinks rotate—pumpkin spice matcha in fall, specialty holiday drinks in winter—but the core menu stays strong year-round. Coffee Before Zion: The Pre-Adventure Stop St. George sits at the intersection of outdoor adventure and urban convenience, and FS Coffee Co has positioned itself perfectly for both crowds. Open daily from 7 AM to 3 PM, it's become the go-to morning stop for people heading to Zion National Park, Snow Canyon State Park, or any of the hundreds of miles of red rock trails surrounding the city. Fresh-roasted coffee, breakfast sandwiches made with Bon Rue quality ingredients, and grab-and-go options that actually taste good—it's everything you want before spending six hours hiking Angel's Landing. And because Coe roasts in small batches focused on quality over volume, you can even take beans home, the same award-winning coffee that tourists and locals drink every morning. The medium roast focus is intentional and rare in St. George. "This is the one and only otherwise you'll find super-dark roast here in St. George," one relieved customer noted. That balanced approach—strength and smoothness, body and acidity, aroma and flavor in harmony—comes directly from Coe's competition training, where judges score coffees on exactly those elements. Planning Your Visit to FS Coffee Co Address: 14 W Tabernacle St, St. George, UT 84770Hours: Daily, 7:00 AM - 3:00 PMInstagram: @fscoffeeco What to Order: Nitro Cold Brew (customer favorite) Iced Coconut Macadamia Latte (signature drink) Breakfast Sesame Seed Bun Sandwich (get there early) Iced Chai Latte with Oat Milk Medium Roast Black Coffee (for purists) Any pastry from Bon Rue Bakery Parking: Street parking on W Tabernacle or in nearby free lots within a block or two. It's downtown, so plan accordingly during busy hours. Best Time to Visit: Early morning (7-9 AM) for the full breakfast experience and first pick of Bon Rue pastries. Afternoons are quieter if you're looking for a study spot or meeting space. Pro Tip: The patio is pet-friendly and perfect for St. George's year-round sunshine. Grab your coffee and enjoy one of the 300+ sunny days the city gets annually. Why FS Coffee Co Matters to Utah's Coffee Scene Championship-level coffee roasting isn't supposed to happen in towns like St. George. Neither are European bakeries run by chefs who trained at French Laundry. But Chris Connors, Li Hsun Sun, and Andrew Coe didn't get the memo, and Southern Utah is better for it. FS Coffee Co represents something bigger than good coffee and pastries—it's proof that small cities can support world-class food culture when people who genuinely care about craft decide to plant roots. It's the U.S. Coffee Roasting Champion choosing St. George over Portland or Seattle. It's Thomas Keller-trained pastry chefs building a bakery empire in Washington County. It's locals and tourists lining up at 7 AM because they know the difference between coffee and great coffee. "Love this place! Not as many people know about it as it gets confused with FS bakery," one regular wrote, "but the coffee is delicious, fairly priced, and I'm always greeted with a smile." That's the whole story right there. World-class coffee, roasted by a national champion, served by people who care, in a town that's rapidly becoming more than just a Zion basecamp. If you're in St. George and you haven't been to FS Coffee Co yet, you're missing the best cup of coffee in Southern Utah. And Andrew Coe has the trophy to prove it.

Walk into Bonnie & Clydes on a Wednesday morning and you'll find Greg Castro behind the counter, probably chatting with a regular about their usual order. The vintage interior with cozy music playing in the background makes you feel like you're transported to the 1920s, but the story of how this downtown Salt Lake City sandwich shop came to be is thoroughly modern—and distinctly American in that restless, entrepreneurial way. Castro grew up between New York and Connecticut, and spent a decade in New York City proving his restaurant chops as an investor in multiple delicatessens in New Jersey. But it wasn't ego that drove him to open Bonnie & Clydes. It was a simple observation during a Park City summer: "One of the things I noticed was that you couldn't get a sandwich anywhere. I just wanted to go for a hike and get a chicken Caesar wrap somewhere and I couldn't." That's the thing about Castro—he's a fixer, a builder. His life as a serial entrepreneur began at a young age with a lucrative lemonade stand, and he's never lost the desire to launch new ventures. So when the pandemic hit and he made Park City his home base, he did what any self-respecting New Yorker would do: he brought the deli to the mountains. The "Food Thieves" Philosophy: Stealing the Best Ideas from Big Cities Here's where the Bonnie & Clyde theme becomes more than just aesthetic. Castro explains: "We've done research, taken inspiration from the best dishes from the best restaurants, and incorporated them into our menu." Not exactly a sensational crime spree, but this downtown Salt Lake City breakfast spot proudly wears its "East Coast food thieves" badge. The menu is inspired by flavors found in big cities like Chicago, New York and Boston, recreated with quality ingredients and attention to detail that would make any New York deli proud. The Park City location took off—because really, who can resist a Turkey Pesto and side of cajun fries? But Castro quickly learned that mountain resort towns have their challenges. When he found competition from resorts and the seasonal swings to be too much, he decided to turn his eyes to the valley. The timing was perfect. A newly-built space at 611 South Main Street was ready for its first tenants, and Castro saw an opportunity to bring his concept to downtown professionals and the residents of the nearby 6th and Main luxury apartments. The Best Breakfast Sandwiches in Salt Lake City (According to People Who Came Back Every Day) The menu at this downtown Salt Lake City coffee and sandwich shop reads like a greatest hits album of American cafe culture, and customers have strong opinions about what to order. One visitor loved the vibe so much they came back a second time the next day, trying both the Becky breakfast sandwich and the breakfast burrito—both earned rave reviews. "Our first bite of the wrap was accompanied with a chorus of wows," wrote another customer who ended up eating breakfast at Bonnie & Clydes every single day during their Salt Lake City visit. That breakfast wrap—with scrambled eggs, chorizo, pepper jack, breakfast potatoes, and baby spinach wrapped in a flour tortilla—has become the most ordered item on the menu. But it's the lunch sandwiches where Castro's "food thief" philosophy really shines. The house favorite Turkey Pesto features house-roasted turkey (not deli-sliced mystery meat), white cheddar, sliced avocado, pesto, and oven-roasted tomatoes on toasted ciabatta. The sandwich is a generous portion and meets a nice balance of flavorful and light. Then there's The Clyde—the sandwich that shares a name with the cafe itself. A breaded chicken cutlet with balsamic, arugula, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, and balsamic reduction on a semolina hoagie. One regular notes the balsamic can be a little overpowering, but "love the chicken cutlet, and great bread. Everything is presented so nicely." The Club House Massacre—house-roasted shaved turkey, candied bacon, butter lettuce, tomato, red onion, Swiss cheese, and juniper aioli on toasted sourdough—brings a sophisticated twist to the classic club. And the Caesar wrap? Simple romaine lettuce, chicken breast, croutons and a delectable caesar dressing that one reviewer called "decidedly my favorite". One customer who moved from Chicago declared: "Fantastic food. Best sandwiches I've eaten since leaving Chicago and coming to Salt Lake. Good portions too. Worth every penny. I'll be back." Specialty Coffee Downtown Salt Lake That Actually Competes with the Coasts Castro didn't just focus on the food. One regular who brews their own pour over at home tried both the medium and dark roast drip coffee and found both delivered on quality and taste. The matcha latte program deserves special mention—served with "the cutest foam art" according to multiple reviews. The cafe latte has earned an 88% approval rating from customers, which in the notoriously picky coffee world of 2024, means Castro sourced good beans and trained his staff well. French Pastries That Made Someone Order a Second Cronut the Next Day Here's where Bonnie & Clydes gets unexpectedly sophisticated for a sandwich shop. The baked goods counter offers freshly-baked items like Pain Au Chocolat, ham & cheese croissants and Kouign-Amanns—those buttery, caramelized Breton pastries that most Americans have never heard of but will immediately become obsessed with. The cronuts—available in maple and chocolate varieties—have developed their own following. "Everyone needs to try one of their cronuts too… I had the chocolate and maple- you cannot go wrong!" wrote one enthusiastic customer. Another simply declared: "Cronut was top notch." These aren't afterthoughts. Castro understands that a great cafe needs great pastries, and he's delivering French bakery quality in downtown Salt Lake City. The Hidden Speakeasy Behind the Bookcase (Because Why Not?) Now we get to the delightfully theatrical element that sets this downtown Salt Lake City restaurant apart from every other sandwich shop in Utah. Next to the cafe's entrance, a brightly-colored bookcase installation features a curated collection of vintage books and trinkets sourced from local thrift treasures like Capital City Antique Mall and Utah Book & Magazine. The bookcase—designed by Castro's girlfriend Madeline—is an art piece in itself. But here's the thing: it's also a hidden door. Behind it lies Hide & Seek, a speakeasy that opens when the cafe closes for the day. The sultry space comes complete with a full bar and posh decor, and will serve an entirely new menu of rotating shared plates like ceviche and tartare. It's 21+ only, obviously, and the kind of place where you'll want to make reservations for after-work cocktail hours or private parties. The speakeasy element isn't just gimmick—it's a logical extension of the 1930s Bonnie & Clyde theme, executed with the same attention to detail that Castro brings to his sandwiches. Why Downtown Salt Lake City Needed This Place The sizable cafe sports floor-to-ceiling windows, a cute walk-up counter, and plenty of tables for city-slicking professionals and nearby residents to post up with their laptops. Multiple customers mention it's perfect for focused study while others are there with friends, with both casual and formal seating options available. This matters in downtown Salt Lake City's evolving food scene. The neighborhood around 6th and Main has been transforming, with new luxury apartments bringing residents who want quality breakfast spots within walking distance. Business professionals need reliable lunch options that don't sacrifice quality for speed. Remote workers need laptop-friendly cafes where the coffee is good enough to justify the second visit. Castro's vision was to combine the style of a New York delicatessen with elements from various restaurants he's eaten at around the world, with an overall emphasis on quality ingredients. And he's delivered on that promise. This isn't commissary food or a corporate concept testing well in focus groups. "Most places that are run by or owned by a chef can be very ego-driven about the food. We're not ego-driven—if something's not selling, we'll take it off the menu and replace it with something that does," Castro explains. Planning Your Visit to Bonnie & Clydes Location: 611 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 (Downtown, in the Peoples Freeway neighborhood) Hours: Monday-Saturday: 8am-8pm Sunday: 8am-6pm What to Order: First-timers: The Wrap (breakfast) or Turkey Pesto (lunch) For the adventurous: The Clyde sandwich with Cajun fries Sweet tooth: Maple cronut and a matcha latte Classic comfort: Club House Massacre with Parmesan fries Build-your-own option: Custom chop salad Insider Knowledge: Hour parking is available in front of the venue and additional guest parking in the nearby apartment building Come early on weekends—the breakfast crowd knows what's up Try both the Cajun and Parmesan fries (they're thick cut and seasoned perfectly) Ask about the speakeasy if you're planning a private event Connect: Follow @bonniexclydes on Instagram for updates on the Hide & Seek speakeasy opening and seasonal menu specials Why This Place Matters to Utah's Food Scene In a state where chain restaurants still dominate and authenticity can be hard to find, Bonnie & Clydes represents something important: an independent operator who cares deeply about quality, brought East Coast standards to downtown Salt Lake City, and didn't dumb anything down for a perceived "Utah palate." Castro isn't trying to be the next big franchise. He's building a neighborhood gathering place where the coffee is legitimately good, the sandwiches use house-roasted turkey instead of processed deli meat, and the French pastries would hold their own in Manhattan. The 1930s aesthetic isn't Instagram bait—it's a cohesive theme executed with vintage books sourced from local thrift stores and a genuine speakeasy that respects the era's clandestine spirit. "Rylee was super sweet when handing me my coffee and wiping tables and picking up stuff - she has the second most beautiful smile in the world and was so kind," wrote one customer. That's the real tell. You can steal the best food concepts from New York, Chicago, and Boston, but you can't fake genuine hospitality. Stop by Bonnie & Clydes in downtown Salt Lake City. Order the breakfast wrap that made visitors come back every day of their trip. Try a cronut that's actually worthy of the hype. And keep an eye out for when that bookcase swings open to reveal Hide & Seek—because the best secrets in Salt Lake City's food scene are the ones hidden in plain sight.