Sugar House Coffee: Stories Brewed Daily

For those who love supporting local business, Sugar House Coffee in Salt Lake City is a sight for sore eyes. Here, the bread, milk, desserts, alcoholic beverages, and even the kombucha are locally sourced. And the coffee? It’s roasted nearby, too.

Sugar House Coffee is one of over 230 member businesses in the Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce. In partnership with the chamber, Cyprus Credit Union is honored this year to present 12 member businesses with grants of $1,000 each as we recognize their contributions to the community. Sugar House Coffee was selected as one of the grant recipients.

Sugar House Coffee originally opened in 2002 just around the corner from its current location. The founder’s daughter, Emily Potts, is now the owner of the business. But taking over the coffee shop wasn’t part of her original plan.

“I just wanted to work for a year or two when I had my second baby. And then my dad got sick. He said that he felt weird, drove himself to the hospital, and had brain surgery 12 hours later. He never worked another day after that.”

Emily quickly found herself in charge of everything from making coffee to solving maintenance issues.

“One day, I was in the bathroom trying to fix the toilet. And my dad was a fix-it guy. He did everything himself. So, he would’ve been very disappointed if I called a plumber. I came out bawling, and was like, ‘I don’t know how to fix the toilet. I'll just go buy a new toilet and I'll change it. Dad won't be disappointed that way.’”

Noticing she was upset, a group of musicians at the coffee shop approached Emily to ask if everything was okay.

“I said, ‘No, my dad's dying and he'd be so disappointed if I had to call a plumber.’ So, they went home and got the tools to fix the toilet. And that was the day that I was like, ‘Okay, I can do this. The community will be there for me and carry me when I can't do it alone.’ That was the moment I knew that the community in Sugar House isn't like anywhere else.”

Nine months after his surgery, Emily’s father passed away. Now with years of experience under her belt as the owner, Emily has some words of wisdom for new business owners.

“Know that you're going to fail and just keep getting up. The community is willing to help you if you ask. And I'm willing to help anyone. I think that's how I survived. Be willing to acknowledge that you don't know everything. After 12 years, I still do not know everything about running a business. All I know is that I've got to show up every day. And my team is amazing. Empower your employees and make sure that everyone feels valued.”

She also can’t emphasize enough how essential community ties are, not only for her coffee shop but for other small businesses in the area.

“Sugar House as a community wants to support small. They want to support local. We saw that during COVID. Some days, we would only have five customers. But at the end of the day, they're the ones that made us survive and they showed up.”

But for Sugar House Coffee, it isn’t just about receiving support. It’s about giving support as well. Customers will find the business’ mission statement colorfully displayed on the wall inside: “Sugar House Coffee provides the community with a public gathering space where everyone is safe to share their story.”

And they back up their mission statement with plenty of action, including hosting Fashion Fluid Closet this past May. Fashion Fluid Closet is a pop-up boutique where community members can find free, gender-affirming clothing and accessories, many of them donated. For nonbinary and transgender individuals, the event is especially meaningful.

“Trying to buy a whole new wardrobe when you finally feel safe and confident to be yourself is expensive. And you're transitioning and are trying to find how you see yourself as beautiful. So, seeing these kids come in and be like, ‘I can take these for free?’ It was so cool. It was cool to have parents come with their kids. It was the most beautiful day I think I've had here at Sugar House Coffee.”

Though Emily has been intentional in her support of the queer community, it hasn’t come without some criticism. Still, this hasn’t deterred her.

“I am a straight, white American. But my activism and allyship does not stop at these doors. I'm going to be loud and proud for those people who are too scared to be loud and proud. And I will continue to email, and continue to speak up, and continue to fight, and continue to do whatever we need to do to progress in finding equality for everyone.”

Emily credits her mother for teaching her the importance of speaking up for others.

“My mom didn’t just tell us but showed us by example. If things aren't fair, you need to speak up and make sure things are fair. And my mom still does that. My mom's my biggest cheerleader.”

In Emily’s eyes, the stories that are shared in her coffee shop are what really matter. She especially hopes that the stories of marginalized groups and individuals can also be shared outside the walls of Sugar House Coffee. That, she says, is what sparks real change.

“That’s way more important than making a profit. I think when you hear real-life stories, it has more of an impact than people up there just screaming. Sharing your story is way more impactful, whether you've witnessed it or it's a personal story.”

21 years have passed since Sugar House Coffee first opened its doors. In that time, staff members have come and gone like in any other business. The shop has changed locations and new items have appeared on the menu. But Sugar House Coffee continues to be a home for stories.

“When you have people come in and tell you that they're going to have a baby; or they were just diagnosed with cancer, and we’re the first place they came to; or when an employee tells me that this was the only place they ever felt safe identifying as their true selves, that's powerful. My goal is to continue to provide that safe space.”

Sugar House Coffee is located at 2011 South 1100 East in Salt Lake City, Utah. Find them at sugarhousecoffee.com, on Instagram (@sugarhousecoffee), Yelp, Facebook and X (@sugarhousecoffe).