“Now I’m able to take a deep breath, and when I look back, I just think, ‘What in the hell? How did I get here?’ It was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but I made it.” For Lori Sartain, owner of Crow Nail Studio in East Sugar House, life did not begin with expectations of comfort, stability, or ease. Dreams of owning a business, buying a home, traveling, or building something beautiful were not part of her childhood. Survival was.

“We are very proud of our heritage and very proud of our food and very proud of our culture.” Lucy Cardenas, owner of Red Iguana, says those words thoughtfully, not as a rehearsed sentiment, but as the clearest explanation of what has driven her family for generations. Long before Red Iguana became one of Salt Lake City’s most beloved restaurants, before the pink walls, the legendary moles, the lines out the door, and the national attention, there was simply a Mexican family trying to build a life through food.