This year’s Brigham Young University vs. University of Utah rivalry game is on Nov. 7 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. If you’re planning a watch party at home, why not take the rivalry a step further by serving snacks from businesses founded by your team’s alumni? It’s a delicious way to show your school spirit, and if your team loses, at least the food will be good.
Food Businesses Founded by BYU Alumni
- Start the morning with pastries from The Kolache Place. The game kicks off at 10 a.m., which means breakfast is a must. Ross Hruska, a 2014 BYU finance graduate, founded Hruska’s Kolaches, now The Kolache Place, in Provo with his siblings Cory and Devin in 2014. They brought their Texas family’s love of Czech pastries to Utah, offering sweet and savory fillings wrapped in soft, pillowy dough. The raspberry and cream cheese kolache even earned a spot on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
- The only hot dog I’ll even consider eating: J. Dawgs. Jayson Edwards launched J. Dawgs in 2004 while attending BYU, turning a rundown shack near campus into a hot dog stand after pawning his favorite guitar to fund the business. What started as a student’s entrepreneurial gamble has grown into a Utah favorite with eight locations across the state, catering options, and another signature sauce to add to the Utah Sauce Hall of Fame.
- Cookies for celebrating or drowning your sorrows. Say what you will, but the BYU grads know their way around a baked good. Utah County fans can pre-order cookies, including my favorite sugar cookies topped with Italian buttercream, from The Mighty Baker. In Salt Lake County, RubySnap Cookies offers inventive flavors that go well beyond your standard chocolate chip. And don’t let the louder cookie competitors distract you: A little more time actually baking a cookie can be just as valuable as opening another storefront. (I told you I wanted to trash talk!)
Food Businesses Founded by U of U Alumni
- Start the morning with Kodiak Cakes. Kodiak Cakes traces its roots to 1982, when 8-year-old Joel Clark sold his mother’s homemade pancake mix from a red wagon. His brother and fellow Ute, Jon, founded the company in 1995, and Joel took over in 1997 while studying economics at the U. Today, Kodiak Cakes is known for its whole-grain pancake and waffle mixes, making it a fitting breakfast option for fans who want to fuel up before kickoff.
- Classic pizza and burgers from Hires Big H and Litzas Pizza. University of Utah graduate Don Hale opened Hires Big H in 1959, and has built a local following for its burgers, fries, and old-school drive-in atmosphere. He later founded Litzas Pizza after deciding Salt Lake City needed better pies. I’m happy to report that both remain personal favorites.
- Chips, salsa, guacamole, and queso from Cafe Rio. Cafe Rio founder Steve Stanley is a University of Utah graduate, though he is no longer involved with the company. I tried the revamped menu recently, and I have to say, it’s getting closer to its former glory. I couldn’t find a confirmed University of Utah or BYU connection for Costa Vida’s ownership, so you don’t have to let alma mater sway your opinion on which restaurant makes the better sweet pork salad.
