“I’ve been here for fifty-two years. I started when I was twenty.” Thus began my delightful and inspiring conversation with Renee Backer, a strong, energetic seventy-two-year-old woman at the heart of Mrs. Backer’s Bakery. When I asked Renee if she had a few minutes to share the history of Mrs. Backer’s, she quickly replied, “There are articles that have been written about us since 1942. Our story has been told over and over, but I guess there is always something new to add.”

“Life has a way of turning out for the best, even when the path seems uncertain,” Alan Hebertson mused. His eyes then glanced around the Coffee Garden, the space he has nurtured for over three decades. From its humble beginnings across the street in 1993, the Coffee Garden has grown into a beloved community hub in the heart of Salt Lake City’s 9th and 9th district. The café is more than just a place to grab a cup of coffee - it is a gathering spot where lives intertwine, and stories are shared.

“After everything, I needed a way to rebuild, something that could give me a fresh start. That’s what Sheer Ambrosia is for me - it’s my way of reinventing myself,” Rita Magalde said with a quiet determination as she shared her incredible story with me.

Max Nelson grew up in a tiny town of 100 people in northern Minnesota, where hunting, fishing, and farming were part of daily life. “That’s where my love for food came from,” he recalls. “We were always eating really fresh food.” This early exposure to homegrown ingredients laid the foundation for his future culinary endeavors.