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City Cast Salt Lake

Keep It Local

Keep It Local by City Cast Salt Lake features spotlights on local businesses we love and personal, curated, and neighborly recommendations that will help you live your best Salt Lake life right now. So, if you’re ready to ditch the national chains, e-commerce giants, and big box stores,

sign up now for the new weekly newsletter from City Cast Salt Lake.

Sign up for Keep It Local from City Cast Salt Lake

Shelby Hintze

 began with a freezer full of food and a new mom trying to make life a little easier. In 2016, founder Allyse Jackson started preparing freezer meals before the birth of her first child. She made far more than her family could eat, so she shared the extras with friends, neighbors, and families who could use a home-cooked meal.

She then decided meal prepping was something she was good at and 

Jackson officially launched Beehive Meals in 2019, initially preparing and delivering freezer meals herself from a rented commercial kitchen. Demand grew during the pandemic as families looked for convenient ways to avoid grocery shopping and still eat at home. The growth hasn’t slowed.

Beehive Meals produced more than 1.2 million meals in 2025 alone, bringing its lifetime total to more than 4 million meals. What started as one Utah mom’s solution for getting dinner on the table has grown into a nationwide business, 

Today, Beehive Meals offers ready-to-cook freezer meals, including gluten-free options and higher-protein meals. The rotating menus offer a mix of comforting family favorites and globally inspired flavors that you can cook in your slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on your stove. Recent options have included bang bang chicken, BBQ pork, Swedish meatballs, sausage marinara and chicken tortilla soup. Many meals can be served over rice or pasta, tucked into tortillas, or turned into sandwiches, giving families flexibility with sides and presentation.

The newer Flat Top line takes a more hands-on approach, with meals such as Greek chicken, steak fajitas, jalapeño cheddar smash burgers, and taco hash. Ingredients arrive prepped and frozen, so there’s no chopping or measuring — just thaw and cook.

How Beehive Meals Turned Dinner Into a Big Business

The season of tomato sandwich lunches and popsicle dinners is winding down, and with it comes more responsibilities and fewer daylight hours. Whether you’re looking for single-serving, ready-to-eat meals or prepared dishes to feed the whole family, turning to a local meal service can take one more thing off your plate.

: NUR Kitchen is a family-run Salt Lake City meal delivery service focused on fresh, nutritious, chef-cooked meals made from scratch. You can choose from a lunch or dinner menu. Lunch options feature lighter fare, like salads, while dinner options are a little more hearty. You can also choose portion sizes based on your nutrition goals.

👨‍🍳 Menu Sample: roasted corn salad (lunch), coconut lime salmon (dinner)

: Meals from Avant arrive ready to heat and eat, with no subscription required, although it is an option to save a little money. Its reusable containers are collected, professionally washed and sanitized, reused up to 1,000 times, then recycled. The menu features ready-to-eat meals, as well as bulk proteins, like four servings of grilled chicken, and premade sides to help round out a meal for one or a family.

👨‍🍳 Menu Sample: bibimbap power bowl, Swedish meatballs, lasagna Bolognese

: Beehive Catering is banishing the sad desk lunch for our friends in Utah County. Its weekday box lunches offer a convenient option for workdays, while family meals feed about five and arrive chilled, ready to reheat for dinner. The lunch menu features a weekly sandwich and a daily entree or salad choice, and each entree is also available daily as a family meal. Consider this my official plea to deliver to Salt Lake County, too!

👨‍🍳 Menu Sample: beef gyudon, braised beef enchiladas, turkey bacon club

: Citrus Pear meals are designed to feed your whole crew. Meals come assembled and ready to cook in a slow cooker, pressure cooker, oven or on the stovetop, with small and medium family portions available. Generally, these meals are a protein you can serve however your family enjoys it — like enchilada chicken can be used in actual enchiladas, on a taco salad, or served over rice.

👨‍🍳 Menu Sample: garlic parmesan chicken, honey lime ginger pork, carne asada street tacos

: Blue Door Kitchen lives up to its motto, “We make the meals you'd cook — if you had the time.” Its rotating weekly menu offers customizable family-style portions for two to six people, ready to heat and serve. Choose pickup or delivery, with no subscription required and new menus each week. The meals are simple, crowd-pleasers.

👨‍🍳 Menu Sample: cheese and spinach manicotti, chicken pot pie and biscuits

The season of tomato sandwich lunches and popsicle dinners is winding down, and with it comes more responsibilities and fewer daylight hours. Whether you’re looking for single-serving, ready-to-eat meals or prepared dishes to feed the whole family, turning to a local meal service in Salt Lake can take one more thing off your plate.


Utah Meal Delivery Services For Busy People

Get Back on Schedule With Local Meal Services

It may be a slow burn but American’s love for small bookshops is intensifying, just like the tension in a one-bed-roadtrip-enemies-to-lovers plotline. The American Booksellers Association says more than 

600 bookstores opened across the country last year

, double the number of new shops from the year before, and membership in the association is the 

These shops provide not only great reading material but community through events, knowledgeable staff, and general third-space-ness. Here are some of our favorites — by trope, of course.

: The Legendarium is a fantasy and science fiction-focused bookstore, where every visit feels like stepping into another realm. Beyond shelves of epic fantasy, sci-fi, and horror, the shop hosts author events, book clubs, game nights, writing groups, and community gatherings that bring readers together. Grab a themed drink from the café, settle in with your next adventure, and discover why it's become a hub for Utah's fantasy-loving community.

: If you’re on a long journey south, take a side quest to Poppy’s Books in Spanish Fork. The store features genre-themed rooms, hidden miniature scenes, fairy gardens, and cozy reading nooks that could hold you captive all day if you aren’t careful. Unfortunately, it is not wheelchair-accessible. If you need wheelchair access and fairy gardens, you can come to my house.

: The longest-running comic shop in Utah, Dr. Volt’s Comics & Games has been a Salt Lake City staple for comic book fans, gamers, and pop culture enthusiasts for decades. Browse new and vintage comics, graphic novels, manga, collectibles, tabletop games, and trading cards, then stick around for regular events like Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Dungeons & Dragons, and board game nights.

: Under the Umbrella Bookstore & Café is Utah's first LGBTQ+ bookstore. It offers a thoughtfully curated selection of books, coffee, and gifts in a welcoming, inclusive space. Beyond the shelves, it hosts author events, book clubs, workshops, and community gatherings.

: An independent bookstore mainstay in Salt Lake for nearly 50 years, The King’s English has a story for everyone and an event for every type of reader, from book clubs, to author conversations, to storytime. This is the place you think of when you think of a quintessential, cozy, local bookstore.

: Hear me out on this one. Jo would have loved the expanse of different romance genres available today, and all of them are available at Lovebound. Queer romance, enemies to lovers, a strong, independent woman wooed by an equal partner … just don’t let Laurie near the friends-to-lovers section.

Utah's Best Independent Bookstores

Independent, Niche Bookstores on the Rise

 was founded by award-winning editor, publisher, and romance author Olivia Nightingale to amplify books by and about the African diaspora. One of Utah's first Black-owned bookstores and publishing companies, it has quickly become a destination for readers seeking diverse voices, fresh perspectives, and stories that aren't always easy to find on traditional bookstore shelves.

Although Crowne Books is currently operating through online sales and pop-up events while working toward opening a permanent Salt Lake City storefront, it has already become an active part of 

 since its founding just this year. The bookstore regularly participates in community markets, Juneteenth celebrations, banned book fairs, author events, and literacy initiatives, bringing books directly to readers across the state.

 to help establish Utah's first permanent Black-owned bookstore, with plans that include a future bookmobile and a brick-and-mortar location.

Its carefully curated selection spans romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, children's literature, memoirs, history, and nonfiction, with an emphasis on Black authors and independent publishers. Whether you're looking for a bestselling novel, an inspiring memoir, or a children's book featuring characters who reflect a wider range of experiences, Crowne Books offers something for every reader.

Utah's First Black-Owned Permanent Bookstore

From Pop-Ups to a Permanent Home: Crowne Books’ Big Literary Vision

In August, there are three kinds of people:

People who have finished back-to-school shopping weeks ago.

People with a corporate office job who just really love school supplies (🙋🏼‍♀️)

I love strolling the back-to-school sections at the big box stores as much as the next person. But sometimes you need something a little more unique, or a better deal. It can be hard to find your everyday school supplies beyond the national chains, but it’s not impossible. AND you can do it without spending a fortune.

: This is what outlets used to be. NPS resells overstock, unclaimed, or slightly damaged goods at a fraction of the cost at its four locations in Utah. While you’ll never know exactly what is in stock, you can count on deals on just about any category of merchandise you’re looking for. And through Aug. 15, they’ll have even deeper discounts on some of the most sought after back-to-school/end-of-summer items.

: If your goal this school year is to build your at-home library, Marissa’s has an incredible selection of new and used books, for kids and adults alike. Make sure to follow them on 

 and updates on their numerous “free kids books” days!

: This newly opened nonprofit brick-and-mortar helps your wallet and the earth by reselling donated craft supplies. While not your traditional school supply shop, you’ll find plenty of useful items for at-school or at-home use. Think … projects.

 Need I say more? No, but I’m going to. This is the place to buy the planner that will for sure change your life this year. Probably. Maybe. It will at least be really, really cute. You can stock up on your new favorite ballpoint pen, a pencil case to put them in, and all the old school stickers by-the-roll your heart desires. Will the kids love it? Yes. Will you love it? Definitely.

: In another newsletter, I will extol the virtues of the Harmony fabric and yarn selection. But for our purposes today, we’re sticking with the shoppy-shop area of the Provo store. Think of fun notebooks, stickers, pens, bags for all your trinkets, and funky socks, keychains, and jewelry to start the new school year off in style. Now multiply it by like four. You should have learned that in third grade. Good. Now you see the vision. Worth the drive.

: Thwart the dreaded late-night run to the store in desperate search of poster board and cardstock. The Artist’s Corner in Orem features one of the best selections of art supplies locally, so stock up on those special items now.

: This locally owned business is a back-to-school lifesaver, offering printing, binding, laminating, presentation materials, poster printing, and school project supplies. Whether you're printing a research paper or assembling a science fair display, they've got students covered.

Back-to-school Shopping in Salt Lake For Every Budget

Back-to-School Shopping For Every Budget

Are you trying to be on your phone and computer less? Looking to embrace the caress of a sturdy pen and cold-pressed paper? Tucked away in Holladay, 

 is a longtime family-owned shop that has quietly become one of Utah's best-kept secrets for stationery lovers and pen nerds.

While Parry's carries all the practical office essentials — paper, notebooks, binders, printer ink, and school supplies — the real draw is its impressive fountain pen department. Shoppers can browse brands like Pilot, Lamy, and Caran d'Ache alongside dozens of bottled inks from Diamine, Iroshizuku, and more.

Premium notebooks from Clairefontaine, Midori, and Kokuyo complete the experience, making it a destination for anyone who still appreciates putting pen to paper.

Owner Kent Parry has earned something of a 

cult following among Utah's stationery enthusiasts 

for his encyclopedic knowledge, patient customer service, and genuine passion for the craft of writing. Whether you're a longtime collector or raising up the next generation of fountain pen aficionados, Kent takes the time to walk customers through different pen styles, inks, papers, and maintenance without a hint of pretension. He's known for encouraging shoppers to test pens before making a decision and for sharing stories and recommendations that reflect decades of experience in the business.

Many customers return not just for the products, but for the conversations, expertise, and confidence that comes from buying from someone who truly loves helping people find the right pen.

One thing to know before visiting: Parry's keeps limited hours. The shop is open weekdays only, with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, and is closed on weekends. That schedule can make it a little harder to visit, but regulars will tell you it's worth planning around.

Where to Buy Specialty Pens and Office Supplies in Salt Lake

Parry’s Office Supplies is for Analog Lovers

 this year gave Salt Lake City its first community-owned grocery store and a year-round home for local food. More than a place to shop, the co-op is built on the idea that neighbors should have a say in where their food comes from and how their grocery store operates. We are so excited to have this resource participating in our 

The co-op's mission prioritizes affordable groceries, sustainable practices, partnerships with Utah farmers and food makers, and a stronger regional food system. On the shelves, you’ll find local produce, bulk foods, pantry staples and specialty products alongside everyday essentials, because sometimes you really do just need the Ben & Jerry’s.

I’m particularly excited by the bulk section, where you're allowed to bring your own containers, instead of keeping track of a million plastic bags that you’ll just put in another container anyway at home.

My beet seeds never really grew, so I’m grabbing some pickled beets from 

Any local lettuce because I really want a BLT with my garden tomatoes but I don’t want … 

 to bring the outdoors in while I stay in the A/C.

The defining characteristic of a food co-op is the fact that the store is member-owned. Anyone can shop there, but for a one-time $300 ownership share (or a $25 monthly payment plan), members gain a voice in 

, including voting for the board of directors and helping shape the store’s future.

Membership also comes with perks like quarterly 10% savings on one purchase, monthly specials, discounts on special orders and events, and potential patronage rebates if the co-op is profitable. Best of all, the investment helps strengthen Utah’s local food economy and support local farmers and producers.

Wasatch Food Co-op Brings A Community-Owned Grocery to Salt Lake

Wasatch Food Co-op Brings A Community-Owned Grocery to 900 South

This 801 Day, we’re taking to the streets. 900 South, to be specific. Businesses from Central Ninth all the way up to 9th and 9th are offering 

 and the new artwork that will be unveiled for the Whale! In addition, you can enter to win prizes by stopping at locations and getting a stamp on your 

Now, I am not a coffee drinker, but I LOVE a coffee shop. The smell, the people watching, the third space of it all. So, I’m starting my day at Loki Coffee for a Peach Please (peach mango syrup, orange juice, and sparkling water) and an avocado toast because I am a homeowner so I can treat myself and I need carbs to gear up for the day.

The husband-wife duo behind Loki Coffee have 

impressive resumes in the coffee shop world

. You can tell there is a lot of passion there, not just for the product but also the community around coffee and local businesses. Loki Coffee emphasizes ethically and sustainably sourced coffee, warm hospitality and meaningful partnerships with local businesses

801 Day Deal: Buy one, get one free voucher

It may be the world we live in, it may be the SSRI, but I have been having weird dreams recently. So I am very intrigued by the 801 Day offer at Blissed Out Heart: a free insight into a dream.

holistic wellness practice founded by Angie Castor

 that helps people reconnect with themselves through body-led healing. Through different mediums, like breathwork and FootZonology, the goal is to help you slow down, release emotional burdens, and listen to yourself.

Next, I’ll be ruminating over the insight into why I am still having dreams about failing a class in high school nearly 20 years later over a lobster roll. I don’t usually associate our landlocked state as a bastion for seafood, but Freshie’s has the awards to prove its bona fides.

The roll, featuring “shore to door in 24” fresh lobster with the perfect blend of butter, mayo, and herbs, was named the 

 at the 2017 Down East Lobster Roll Festival in Portland, Maine. Those folks know their lobstah. And if the unofficial mascot of SLC is going to be a whale statue, might as well lean into it.

801 Day Deal: ½ lobster roll + 8 oz. chowder and drink for $18.01

One of my favorite places to shop, Koo De Ker has been redefining Salt Lake style since 2001 with thoughtfully curated fashion that blends timeless design with everyday wearability. Founder and owner Kyong An Millar has impeccable taste, she’s famous for it (name that movie) and passes it on to her customers. She carries designer pieces alongside inexpensive, but still high-quality pieces for nearly every budget. The store also smells really, really good.

Koo De Ker proves independent boutiques can thrive by prioritizing personal service, quality and lasting style over fast fashion.

801 Day Deals in Salt Lake City

An 801 Day Itinerary Full of Deals

Salt Lake is full of modern pioneers. They built businesses from scratch, preserved cultural traditions, created jobs, and helped make the valley a more connected, vibrant place. Today, these businesses feel like they've always been here — but each one had to carve out its own path, changing Salt Lake along the way.

Workshop SLC has become one of Salt Lake City's premier creative spaces, making art accessible to everyone — from complete beginners to professional artists. The studio offers hands-on classes in 

 and more while fostering a welcoming community built around creativity. Through partnerships, artist residencies, and community outreach, Workshop SLC has become a cultural hub where people connect by creating together.

Scion Cider Bar didn't just open another bar — it introduced many Utahns to an entirely new drinking culture. As one of the nation's first bars dedicated exclusively to hard cider, Scion transformed cider from an occasional seasonal beverage into a 

. With an inventory of independent cider makers from around the world alongside local producers, Scion has expanded Salt Lake's beverage scene.

Note: 21+, outside food welcome, dog-friendly patio

Game Night Games helped transform tabletop gaming from a niche hobby into a thriving community. By hosting 

 for board games, role-playing games, and trading card games, the shop became a gathering place where friendships formed across generations.

Quarters Arcade Bar helped redefine nightlife in Salt Lake City by proving that bars could be 

playful, nostalgic, and deeply community-focused

. Blending classic arcade games, pinball, craft cocktails, and local beer, Quarters created a space where people gather and stay awhile. Its success helped spark a new wave of experiential entertainment across the valley, showing that memorable experiences, not just drinks, make neighborhood hangout spots extra special.

Note: The Downtown bar is located down a flight of stairs. 21+.

Salt Lake Businesses that Blazed a Trail

Modern-Day Pioneers

This is not the week for outdoor activities, with high heat in the Salt Lake Valley. So stay inside and catch some local theater. From professional to volunteer, there is no shortage of talent and entertainment just around the corner.

When it comes to the Utah theater scene, the Hale family has had an outsized influence. Ruth and Nathan started with a 99-person theater in Glendale, California in the 1940s, which has transformed into two theaters in Utah, with capacity for more than 1,500 theater-goers, combined.

 combines professional-quality sets, costumes, and performances with an intimate, in-the-round stage that places every audience member close to the action. The nonprofit theater presents a year-round season of musicals, family favorites, and classic plays, earning a reputation for spectacular production values and immersive storytelling.

 entertained audiences for 35 years as Hale Center Theater Orem. The company moved in 2025 to a state-of-the-art performing arts center on the doTERRA campus in Pleasant Grove. Each season features Broadway musicals, classic plays, comedies, youth productions, and educational programming.

Since opening in Murray 1989, the Desert Star Playhouse has become known for its original, family-friendly musical parodies that spoof everything from blockbuster movies and Broadway hits to television shows and pop culture. Desert Star puts a melodramatic twist on familiar stories, encouraging audiences to cheer the hero, boo the villain, and expect plenty of improvisation and Utah-specific jokes along the way.

The Draper Historic Theatre has been a cornerstone of the south Salt Lake Valley arts scene since 1938, when it opened as The Pearl, a neighborhood movie house. In its early days, audiences enjoyed vaudeville performances before feature films, and the theater quickly became a gathering place for the growing community.

Today, the nonprofit Draper Historic Theatre produces affordable, family-friendly musicals, comedies, and youth productions while offering opportunities for performers, technicians, and volunteers of all ages. 