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City Cast Salt Lake

Keep It Local

Keep It Local 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,

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Shelby Hintze

It’s great to play tourist in your own city, but sometimes you want to go somewhere else entirely. If a plane ticket isn’t in the budget right now, food is a pretty good substitute. For less than the cost of gas to get to the airport, you can transport yourself to the islands with a visit to 

This mom and pop business (literally) started in 

, first in Hawaii and now in Utah. There, Jolene began making budda rolls to sell around the holidays. A budda roll, for the uninitiated, is a fluffy dinner roll packed with an almost irresponsible amount of butter. What started as a seasonal side hustle quickly grew into a devoted following, eventually leading to a brick-and-mortar location in Pleasant Grove and, most recently, a new outpost in Salt Lake City.

According to the Budda’s team, I wasn't the only one making the Utah County pilgrimage. In fact, the steady stream of Salt Lakers showing up for pastries and plate lunches helped convince the family that it was time to expand.

While the bakery case alone is worth the visit, don’t overlook the rest of the menu. Budda’s serves breakfast all day, including island favorites like Loco Moco, Spam musubi, and Portuguese sausage. On my visit, I ordered a breakfast sandwich and then exercised remarkable restraint by limiting myself to only ONE box full of pastries to take home. Everything was excellent. For lunch and dinner, you'll find burgers, teriyaki plates, bulgogi bento boxes, and other Hawaiian comfort-food staples that make it very difficult to decide on just one thing.

What makes Budda’s stand out, though, isn’t just the food. The Keli’iliki family has built community service into the business itself. At both locations, customers can prepay for a meal for someone who may be struggling. The receipt is posted on the wall, and anyone in need can simply take one to the counter and redeem it for a meal. It's a simple idea, but a powerful one.

When I asked about the program, the Budda’s team described it as a small way to give back to the communities that have supported them from a home kitchen to multiple locations. And honestly, that might be the sweetest thing on the menu.

Hawaiian Food to Try in Salt Lake

A Taste of Hawaii on a Staycation Budget

Keep It Local from City Cast Salt Lake

Recently on the City Cast Salt Lake podcast, the team shared their 

. While experiences are great, I also love a good trinket to remind me of a trip. So where should you shop for a Salt Lake souvenir, whether you're treating yourself or sending an out-of-towner home with a piece of Utah?

My favorite spot for the classic souvenir, but elevated. (Get it? 

 OK, moving on.) You'll find fine art and prints featuring Utah's natural beauty, locally made soaps and candles, and yes, the requisite magnet. The shop features work from more than 350 makers, most of them local, all of them small and independent. Wear your love for Salt Lake on your sleeve … or on your Stanley or your fridge.

Note: The 9th & 9th location is not wheelchair accessible, but the Fashion Place location in Murray is!

Another 9th & 9th favorite, Mochi Kids is packed with the funnest toys, clothes, games, and craft supplies to take back to the kids you're temporarily abandoning on your staycation. You may also end up with a sheet of stickers for yourself because vacation is about finding joy. And breaking news, 

You may recognize Mochi Kids from their screen-printed T-shirts at events like Craft Lake City. They've since grown into a full brick-and-mortar and online shop stocked with much more than tees, while continuing to support local printers and socially minded causes.

Think of it as the farmers market that never closes. With four locations across the valley, it's the easiest way to stock up on local favorites year-round: June Pie, Milk Honey yogurt, Cutler's Cookies (my personal champion in Utah's cookie wars, but that's a newsletter for another day), and dozens of other Utah-made treats.

If you want a souvenir you'll actually use, grab a bottle of Redmond Real Salt. It’s harvested from an 

 in Redmond, Utah, in Sevier County. Every pinch can transport you right back to your vacation.

Since 1997, Ken Sanders Rare Books has specialized in Utah history, Mormon studies, Western Americana, national parks, the Colorado River, and the literary West. Inside the old Leonardo Museum, browse three floors of new and used books, artwork, collectibles, and ephemera. Even if you leave empty-handed, it's worth wandering the stacks and imagining what treasures are hiding on the next shelf.

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A Taste of Hawaii on a Staycation Budget

Staycations Deserve Souvenirs, Too!