Holy Water
"For us, coffee is an important daily practice, it is our holy water. Honestly, it is a religion to us." Erin Butler and Nick Price wanted a name that made people laugh but also made them curious. The name ‘Holy Water’ just kind of stuck. That irreverent charm runs through everything at Holy Water, the coffee shop co-founded by the two in June 2023. The name hints at something sacred, but also playful - exactly the kind of balance they set out to strike.
From the moment you step into the spacious, modern coffee shop it feels different. Clean lines, bright natural light with a coffee bar built in the center of the room. It is central to the space where everything happens. People can interact with the baristas and one another if they so choose. "We wish they would do it more," Nick shared. Erin then added, "We are not just a place to grab coffee, but a space to connect. We imagined people gathering around the bar, talking to each other and interacting with our staff." Sometimes people do. Sometimes they sit and work quietly. But the invitation is always there.
The idea for Holy Water came together when Erin Butler decided she wanted to create something of her own. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Erin grew up dancing and thought that would be her college major. But her path shifted toward social work, leading her to positions at Planned Parenthood and the Rape Recovery Center. “It was incredibly meaningful work,” she said, “but also emotionally difficult. I needed to find a different way to care for people and myself.”
A job at Lululemon opened the door to a world of fitness and wellness. Erin became a certified personal trainer and dove deep into nutrition. Today, she still trains clients, continuing that commitment to health and wholeness. It was a massage therapist who first gave her Nick’s number. “I heard he was the authority on coffee in Salt Lake,” she recalled. “So, I pitched the idea.” Nick’s response was immediate: “You can’t lose with this location, this building.”
The building, owned by Erin’s father, houses Wasatch Touring, an outdoor shop he founded. Growing up surrounded by bikes, skis, and runners gave Erin a deep appreciation for movement and the outdoors. That same spirit carries into Holy Water - in the care taken with ingredients, the desire to meet customers where they are, and the commitment to quality in every cup.
The shop draws a wide range of patrons: college students, residents from the apartment complex behind them, and loyal locals who value a thoughtfully made drink. Everything is done in-house. “We want the coffee to shine,” Erin said. “So, if we’re adding something to it, it has to complement the quality, not cover it up.” Their espresso program offers two distinct profiles: one chocolatey and nutty, the other wilder and fruit-forward. They serve classic drinks alongside rotating seasonal specialties, and their milk offerings include a house-made almond. Flavored options include bourbon brown sugar and cinnamon, vanilla bean, and simple syrup. Chai, matcha, and loose-leaf teas round out the menu.
Baked goods come from local favorites: Love and Light Bakery for vegan pastries and Lone Pine Bakery for croissants and other treats. The team also hosts occasional pop-ups with food trucks, including a burger truck and breakfast-focused vendors.
For Nick, coffee began as a side job and became a life. Born and raised in Draper, he was immersed in music from a young age. At eighteen, he joined a band and began touring, eventually signing a record deal, and moving to Los Angeles. “I still needed a job,” he said. “So, I walked into a coffee shop.” That shop was Handsome Coffee Roasters, and it changed his life. The owner took a chance on him in 2011, and Nick dove headfirst into the world of specialty coffee. He stayed on when Blue Bottle acquired the company, but the culture changed. “I had seen something cool done the right way, but it turned into something different. That was my aha moment.”
When the band fizzled out, Nick moved home and opened his first shop, Three Pines Coffee, in 2015. It was a partnership built on both capital and conviction. “Meg, my partner in life at the time, had the money, I had the coffee knowledge. It worked,” he said. (Three Pines will be the focus of a separate story.)
At Holy Water, Nick continues to push the boundaries of what coffee can be. “I don’t pretend to know everything,” he said. “Coffee is ever evolving, and I’m still learning every day.” In the end, however, "it all comes back to connection,” Erin said. “That’s what we’re really serving here.” She credits her father with first introducing her to the power of relationships and the way an environment can foster them. “I have extreme gratitude for the values he instilled in me - for trusting me and giving me this opportunity.”
