“I have always loved working with my hands. I have always loved creating.” For Jean-Michel Arrigona, owner of nātür showroom, that simple truth has followed him across countries, languages, careers, materials, and ultimately into a Salt Lake City shop unlike any other - a place filled with butterflies, beetles, fossils, minerals, skulls, skeletons, and objects from the natural world that seem to stop people in their tracks.

“Local is real. It is real people. It is your community and your neighbors.” For Jennifer Williamson, those words are the foundation beneath The Neighborhood Hive, the Sugar House market she created with her husband, Derek Williamson, and their friends and business partners, Tiffany Rainwater and Jed Matthews. Together, the four of them have built something that is part shop, part coffee bar, part event space, part business incubator, and part neighborhood living room - a place where more than sixty small businesses can find a home under one roof.

"This is something I crave inside - to provide that place for women.” Hip & Humble has become exactly that. A place people step into without much thought and then stay longer than they expected. They move from cards to clothing to small gifts, picking things up along the way, often finding something for someone else and something for themselves without planning to. Outside, it is not unusual to hear the kind of passing comment that says everything: “This is the best shop for the ladies.” Inside, however, the picture is a little broader. Men come in every day, often on a mission, looking for something thoughtful, something that feels personal. Owner, Sheridan Mordue, sees it all. “Men are our best customers,” she said with a laugh. “They just say, tell me what to buy.”

“The man who helped me some fifty years ago got me my first book. I am now passing it forward.” Cindy Dumas, owner of the magnificent Marissa’s Books & Gifts, named for her first granddaughter, was born in San Francisco and moved to Utah prior to beginning junior high. By the time she arrived, school already felt hard. She remembers herself as a struggling student, trying to figure out what she had missed and why she could not catch up. Then, at age eleven, a teacher took an interest in her, and everything shifted.

“I was kind of just a shell of myself, if I am being honest.” When Roxy Carlson opened Easy Does It in the spring of 2024, the shop carried a message shaped by years of building businesses, pushing through exhaustion, and learning, slowly and deliberately, how to care for herself. Located in a former dry cleaner, the space is both literal and symbolic - a place to pause, to breathe, and to soften the edges of modern life.

“If I were to describe the store simply, we’re here to bring some joy to people,” says Trace Sweeten, co-owner of Backyard Birds along with business partner Rob Blackhurst. Trace’s simple reflection captures the heart of Backyard Birds, a small shop in Sugar House that has grown into a beloved haven for bird lovers, gardeners, and anyone in search of something charming and unexpected.

“When people walk through the doors of Sir Walter Candy Co., we want them to feel like they matter - like they are part of something warm, nostalgic, and joyful.” Alfonso Porras grew up in Mexico City, where a family connection unexpectedly changed the course of his life.

“People have wondered how we could work together for forty years. But since we kind of do different things - even though they overlap - I have mIne and he has his. Some days are easier than others, but we have found a way to make it work.” Kelly and Majid Omana have built a life together in every sense - married since 1983, partners in Evergreen Framing Co. & Gallery since 1985, and still going strong.

“Jewelry is so much more than an adornment; it’s about sentimentality, connection, and the stories it carries,” shared Stacey Foster, owner of Mineral and Matter.

“If I did it right, it should feel like home.” This simple yet profound statement from Mary Lindsey captures the essence of Everything Utah, the expansive yet charming boutique she owns in Salt Lake City. Mary’s journey to opening this business is as rich and varied as the products she offers, each carefully selected to represent the many facets of Utah.

“It was my mom that inspired me to go ahead with this idea. I will be forever grateful.” When you walk into The Children’s Hour, you step into a world carefully curated by the heart and soul of Diane Etherington, a woman whose warmth and passion for children’s books has touched the lives of countless individuals for over four decades. My first encounter with Diane was nothing short of enchanting.