“Back to your roots, back to real food.” That simple idea has guided Wendy Phelps and her partner, Bill Peterson, since they opened Roots Cafe in 2011. Wendy brought a background in nutrition and years of front-of-house restaurant experience, while Bill, a trained culinary chef, knew the kitchen. Together, they set out to create a place where food was made from scratch and almost everyone could find something satisfying to eat.
Wendy was born and raised in Salt Lake, growing up in Riverton when farms were still plentiful and much of childhood was spent outdoors. She remembers jumping on neighbors’ horses and playing in the mountains. At home, she ate the homemade food her mother prepared, including freshly baked bread.
At the University of Utah, Wendy studied health promotion and education on a pre-med track. Medical school was not the path she chose, but her interest in nutrition remained. She had also worked in restaurants throughout college and beyond, managing and waiting tables. At the same time, Bill was spending his years working in kitchens.
While raising their family and considering what might come next, the partners decided to combine what they knew. “We just kind of put our heads together,” Wendy recalled. Their plan was modest - a small coffee shop and juice bar with a single-page menu of quiche, breakfast sandwiches, burritos, scones, and a few lunch offerings.
Millcreek had other ideas. The neighborhood embraced Roots almost immediately. Wendy remembers constantly restocking, prepping, and trying to keep pace as the cafe “burst at the seams.” Breakfast became so popular that they began serving it all day, and the original one-page menu gradually expanded.
Roots is known for its house-made sausage, buttermilk pancakes, and eggs Benedict with hollandaise prepared fresh each day. Dressings, gravies, and other components are also made from scratch, using extra-virgin olive oil and clarified butter rather than seed oils. The menu is designed to work for vegetarians, vegans, meat eaters, and people with a range of dietary needs, while rotating specials. These include inventive pancakes such as lemon-mint ricotta or fig and rosemary. This gives Wendy and Bill room to keep experimenting. “It’s not just low-calorie food,” Wendy explained. “It’s just real food.”
Roots has also grown as a family affair. Wendy’s daughter was four when the cafe opened and sometimes slept on blankets behind the counter during those earliest mornings. Currently, she works there. Wendy’s mother, who had spent her career at the University of Utah, came aboard after retiring and discovering she was not quite ready to sit still. An accomplished baker, she now makes the cafe’s lemon bars, granola bars, muffins, and other treats.
Just as important to Wendy and Bill as the food is the culture they have created for their employees. After years in the restaurant industry, they had seen kitchens where egos and tempers could create difficult working environments. At Roots, they wanted something different - a place where every position mattered and employees were treated with fairness and respect.
That same attitude extends to their customers. Wendy is happy to accommodate dietary requests whenever possible rather than making someone feel uncomfortable for asking. And despite the weekend lines and loyal following, there are no plans for a string of Roots Cafes. They are happy caring for the one they have built, spending time in the restaurant and knowing their regulars by name. “It’s a community thing that is really special to us.”
