Year: 2011
Jackalope Lounge
Roxan Morin and Sunyin Marci, owners of The Jackalope, are two of the most ever-present and semi-omnipotent bar owners/tenders in Salt Lake City. The whole “It’s better to be feared than loved” approach to service is thrown completely out the window. You can find them behind the bar on any given night serving your favorite firewater, killing you with kindness all the while. … read more
Este
When a kitchen fire tore through Este Pizzeria’s Sugarhouse location, founder Dave Heiblim had few options. In order to finance the rebirth and continuation of his New York-style establishment, he sold a franchise to then-manager Brook Lund, who had worked in pizza since he was 16 and at Este since 2005. Lund quickly set up shop downtown on 200 S. and since then, he’s been using his decade-plus of pizza experience and slinging huge slices of thin, topping-laden pie with gusto. … read more
Blindside
Mo Collet, owner of the Blindside in Sugarhouse, has built a reputable shop by giving back to the community of skateboarders and snowboarders that frequent the area. Blindside is a staple of the skateboard and snowboard scene and has been for quite some time, without any plans to stop anytime soon. I sat down with Mo and banged out some hard-hitting questions about SLUG and the 22nd birthday of the magazine. … read more
Brick and Mortar
Hondo is a young entrepreneur who set up shop in the heart of Salt Lake with a dream and a promise to the skaters here to stay true to a skateboard-only skateshop. Hailing from Massachusetts, Hondo came out to Utah to finish a degree in English at the University of Utah and soon found himself immersed in the local skate and snow culture. The only thing that was lacking in the scene was a downtown skateshop, and he took it upon himself to make that become a reality. … read more
Gaza
Jon Parkin, Tino Lucero, Mike Mason and Casey Hanson are four of the nicest guys you’ll meet in an anti-Jesus setting. Gaza is one of the most notorious bands to come out of Utah in years. While Gaza hoodies are keeping people all over the world warm, their albums are keeping parents all over the world scared. They are a band with a message, and they’ve stepped onto a platform in the Utah music scene which had been empty for years. … read more
Raunch Records
Raunch Records first opened its doors in 1984. Over the last decade, the yuppies have seemingly said, “Jump,” to which Sugarhouse has said, “How high?” So Brad Collins and company couldn’t have picked a better time to re-launch—or, re-Raunch. Look no further for punk/hardcore CDs, vinyl, apparel and skateboards. No Top 40, no Entertainment Weekly subscription offers at checkout, and no phonies—that’s Raunch, “a fucked up place to get some shit.” … read more
Blue Boutique
Blue Boutique is one of the oldest and best lingerie/adult novelty shops in Utah. Walking into any of their four locations is like stepping into a casino in Vegas minus the drunk smokers, and with some extra sexy thrown in the mix. Longtime buyer Dionn Nielsen has been working with the shop since 1989, as long as SLUG has been around, and she still loves her job.Despite a move that hurt the business, and the initial protests over their new location, Blue Boutique has continued to thrive. … read more
State Room
Darin Piccoli and Chris Mautz moved to Utah in the late ‘90s and both quickly fell into the roles of local concert promoters, booking for events like the Red Butte and Snowbird concert series as well as the Utah Arts Festival. Both were “avid concert-goers” when they moved to Utah and turned their growing expertise into a physical reality with The State Room’s grand opening on April 1, 2009. … read more
Velour
Years ago, traveling to Provo to see a touring band would have seemed unthinkable. When Corey Fox opened Velour, however, that all began to change. Fox began the all-ages venue almost five years ago with little more than a dream and some elbow grease. Fox’s hard work has paid huge dividends for Provo’s surprisingly diverse musical community by providing a cultural hub deep in the heart of Utah County. … read more
Nobrow Coffee and Tea
In 2006, after half a decade of working as a barista in corporate coffee shops, Joe Evans decided to open his own coffee shop, and Nobrow was born. Although Nobrow is a boutique shop—specializing in coffees made from top-tier roasters around the country like Intelligentsia and Counter Culture—the atmosphere is casual and their espresso delicious. Nobrow is more than a mere coffee shop, it’s also serves a gallery, a practice space for local bands and a meeting space for many groups. … read more