“You kind of need to maintain some of the old, dingy, fun stuff that was here - the charm that was in Sugar House forever.” For Jimmy and Jordanna Brown, bringing Fiddler’s back to life and opening Sugar House Pizza beside it was never simply about owning a bar or a pizza place. It was about honoring a corner of Sugar House that had meant something to generations of people, including Jimmy’s own family. It was about creating a gathering place where longtime regulars, new neighbors, sports fans, families, clubs, and friends could all find their way in. And perhaps most of all, it was about building something together.

“I did this because I love it. I love my community. This is my passion. It’s my life.” Chad Hopkins, owner of Hopkins Brewing Company, was born and raised in Sugar House, long before it became one of Salt Lake City’s busiest and most rapidly changing neighborhoods. The Sugar House of his childhood was defined by local shop owners, modest storefronts, and the freedom that came with growing up in a close-knit neighborhood.

“Being a safe space and being able to speak out about what is important means creating a place where someone can come in and be themselves for an hour, especially when the outside world does not always allow them that same freedom. That is a special place.” For Emily Potts, those words are not branding, nor a carefully crafted mission statement. They are the heart of a life that has become deeply intertwined with her Sugar House Coffee, the people surrounding it, and those who walk through its doors each day looking for coffee, conversation, belonging, or simply a place where they can exhale.

“I think the coolest thing that will happen to me in my entire life is being able to own a business with my mom - successfully.” For Calvin Asch, Central Book Exchange is not simply the place where he works, nor is it even just the bookstore he now co-owns. It is the place that met him at a turning point, the place that helped him rebuild, and the place where his love of books returned in a way he never expected.

“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.

“Space shapes how we live, whether we realize it or not.” That understanding has quietly guided everything Mark Morris built long before Work Hive existed. It began in St. George, surrounded by red rock and open desert, in a town that was far quieter than it is today. As one of seven children, with a twin brother by his side, Mark grew up in a household that was anything but still. Summers meant piling into the car - nine people in all - and driving across the country, his parents determined that their children would see the world beyond their own backyard. For Mark, there was a constant sense of movement, of curiosity, and of paying attention.

“Every day we are creating a beautiful space while always trying to do our very best for our customers and our employees." That spirit runs through Cactus & Tropicals, the beloved Salt Lake business owned by Karin and Scott Pynes and guided day to day by Kath Harbin, the general manager who has helped shape the company for decades. Step through the doors and it is easy to get lost in the beauty: lush foliage, blooming plants, and thoughtfully layered displays that make the greenhouse feel more like an escape than a store. But behind that sense of calm is a much longer story, one that stretches from the mountains outside Munich, Germany, to the streets of St. Louis, to a bold young woman named Lorraine Miller whose dream first took root here in 1975.

“I worked with my dad at his deli when I was twelve years old. I would ride my bike downtown and go spend hours there on Saturdays. Little did I know I would own a deli, myself, someday.” Sharon Wuolukka, owner of The Old Dutch Store, grew up in Salt Lake City, the youngest of four children in a Dutch household where food, work, and family were intertwined.

“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.

“My purpose, my mission statement is to create the landscape in which we celebrate this big, beautiful existence,” said Morgan Simkins, owner of Native Flower Company. Inside, that purpose is visible everywhere. Both the Liberty Wells shop and their Sugar House location are bright and beautiful, filled with color and movement, with a small, well curated collection of gift items tucked between lush plants and artful floral arrangements. 

“I always knew I wanted to create something of my own, but I did not know if I could take the leap. Then life pushed me, and suddenly it was now or never.” Parfé Diem - two words that carry a meaning far beyond dessert - is about seizing the moment the way Parker Barbee finally did after decades of hustling, grinding, imagining, and doubting. And it is also about the person who stood beside him as he leapt: Marcus Martin - the steady, grounded, practical partner, the one who gave up a secure career so Parker could pursue his dream.

“We have kind of done things together for forever.” Jasmine and Angelique Gordon laugh when they say it, but the line could easily be the tagline for their lives. From growing up in Ogden, Utah with a single mother and two older brothers, to years in the restaurant and bar world, to running a women’s clothing boutique and a bar at the same time, the sisters behind A La Mode in Sugar House have been side by side through all of it.

“We’re all in the Soup Kitchen together. My kids, my family, my customers, we feed one another, not just with food but with heart. This isn’t just soup. It’s love, handmade every day.” Roberta “Robi” Sasse has kept the heart of the fifty-two-year-old Soup Kitchen beating through faith, handmade soup, and community, and now she is determined to make it her own.

“I like to be behind the scenes and let the shop be our voice.” Meeting Scott Lyttle, one understands immediately that Tea Zaanti is an extension of who he is: calm, thoughtful, and quietly joyful. Scott's story begins far from Salt Lake City, in a Canadian household where food and conversation were the heartbeat of family life. He was born in Kingston, Ontario, while his father was earning a PhD, and grew up in Philadelphia after a series of moves that eventually settled the family there.

“I’m not a chef; I’m a pilot who just happens to love good food.” Pierre Vandamme laughs as he reflects on the winding path that brought him from Belgium to Salt Lake City - and to opening Bruges Belgian Bistro.