Right downtown, but somehow not, The Broadway Mile is an oasis for locally owned businesses. From Squatters Pub on its western edge to Earth Goods General Store on its eastern edge, this mile-ish stretch of Salt Lake City boasts a smorgasbord of local businesses.
So what's happening on The Broadway Mile this month? For all our locavores out there, a lot!
Tomorrow, December 6th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m, there's no better event in the city than Holidays on Broadway. There'll be food trucks including Chow Truck and Lewis Bros., and a fashion truck provided by Mineral + Matter. Once you've gotten your grub on, head over to any of the participating Broadway Mile stores to score some awesome local items!
We've written a lot this season about shifting your spending. When we shift our spending toward local business, we bolster our local economy, we build a sense of community, and we support our neighbors. So if you're heading over to Broadway tomorrow—or anytime this month—make sure you stop by and visit the businesses that officially signed up as Shift Your Spending partners.
• Squatters Pub
Flanking the western front, Squatters has been a Salt Lake City icon since 1989. Aside from brewing some of the city's most incredible beer—thank you!—Squatters has been a Local First pioneer since the very beginning. Without their generous support, events like Celebrate the Bounty would never be possible. So make sure you stop by and visit them as you "walk the mile."
• Especially For You – Your Downtown Florist
Pick up a bouquet of expertly arranged flowers while the Especially For You Broadway location is still open. At the beginning of the year they'll be moving to 221 West 400 South. That just means that we need to visit and pick up some expertly arranged flowers this month! But the silver lining to them moving is that they're going to be expanding. They'll keep the fresh flowers, but add to the mix vintage vases and other items. Think unique upscale flower boutique meets vintage flower and home décor!
• Q Clothing
If ever there were a boutique that embodied the local movement, it would be Q Clothing. The boutique's owner, Amy Leininger, is a locavore in every sense of the word. Much of Q's items, including all of its jewelry, come from local, Utah artists. In addition to tomorrow's Broadway Mile event, Q is hosting artist pop-ups, which will each feature specific Utah artists, many of whom also show at Craft Lake City. These will continue through December 22nd.
• Earth Goods General Store
Talk to Earth Goods's owner, Thom Benedict, for even a minute and you'll quickly realize how important the local first movement is to him. Thom is a person deeply passionate about what he describes as "as local as possible." His entire store is filled with items that are not only fair trade and sustainably sourced, but also travel as short a distance as possible. We talk a lot about the economic and community impacts of buying locally, but Earth Goods also reminds us of its environmental impacts. Locally sourced items travel shorter distances, typically use fewer resources and leave a smaller overall footprint. Earth Goods is a relative newcomer to The Broadway Mile, so make sure and pop in while walking the mile this season!
The Broadway Mile is a neighborhood like no other. It might be right downtown, but there's no doubt that it has a personality and flavor that's all its own.
