 A vegan and gluten-free food truck that tastes amazing? Say what?! That's right! You can't beet the Hearty Beet, our October Business of the Month. Keep reading as we learn about what inspired owner Brittney Jones to start her own food truck in the heart of St. George, Utah.
UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background? Brittney: I am a food truck dreamer. I thought it sounded like a fun job and I was right. It's very fun and it's hard work, but the fun kind of hard work. I stumbled upon Plant-based cuisine 9 years ago at a cooking class. I have a passion for nutrition, raw food, whole food and plant-based food. I am in the "second" part of my life, my children are now college students and I am ready to focus on what I want to do. Any job I have had, desk job or otherwise, I would always cook and bake for people and I just wanted to talk about food and the food truck was always on my mind. UMLF: What inspired you to start the Hearty Beet? Brittney: It seemed less scary than opening a restaurant and it's something I could do alone if I need to. I am also part of a vegan community that knows there are not a lot of options for plant-based-whole food eaters in Southern Utah. I also wanted something for my kids to experience because they haven't had jobs and this type of hard work. I also want to be my own boss for sure. UMLF: How did you come up with the name? Brittney: I love beet juice and just eating plain whole cooked beets, they are a beautiful color and give you so much energy. They are also a heart-healthy food. And it explains my whole hearty foods; The Hearty Beet. The vegetable on my food truck also attracts customers because they know it will be healthy food. UMLF: You have such a tasty looking menu, what are some of your favorite items we need to try? Brittney: Everything on our menu is scratch-made, no processed sugar, gluten-free (except for pita), and vegan. Here are some of my faves:
Brittney: I am running into challenges all along. I'll have one day where I feel this is a crazy thing I'm doing and the next day I make one connection with someone that gets me a parking place or an event, and things lookup. Right now I think further ahead when I know things will get better and we'll have more events that I can participate in. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Brittney: The UMLF gave me a loan to start my business. They helped me get (Covid-19) loan relief. They have my back if I need help with social media and marketing. They have provided classes throughout the COVID shutdown. And they got me access to their Banking on Women program which I love. UMLF: Where can people find you? Brittney: I am literally roaming the St. George area right now. I am moving around until I find the right fit for me. I also have been at any event I can get in to. Follow me on social media to see where we are at! To eat the rainbow, visit:
 Eggnog, pumpkin, lemon, black licorice, cashew, raspberry, peanut butter, very hot cinnamon, mango habanero, and pineapple habanero. What do these have in common? These are just some of the flavors of caramel JulieAnn Caramels makes to tantalize your taste buds. Keep reading to learn more about owner Rowena Montoya and the story of how her delectable sweets came to be!
UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background? Rowena: I am a wife of 35 years, mother to 5 children, grandmother to 17 grandchildren, an aunt, neighbor, friend, and business owner of JulieAnn Caramels. I have always loved caramels, they’re one of my favorite treats! Anywhere I could buy a caramel to try, I would but I was always disappointed. The taste was never what I remember as a child. As an avid baker and chef, I know the difference that quality ingredients make on the final product. So, I would always look at the ingredients in the bags of caramels I would buy and discover that half the stuff in the caramels I could not pronounce, let alone know what they were. I knew there was a better way, so I went to work using the basics of uncompromising quality ingredients and creating a recipe that would bring back the flavor, texture, and experience I fell in love with when I was younger. UMLF: What inspired you to start JulieAnn Caramels? Rowena: I wanted to create a caramel with ingredients anyone can understand and know what they are. When my mother died at the age of 15, I spent a lot of time with Julie, who is in the culinary industry. Julie spent most of her life working with food. I loved being with her and her outlook on life. She gave me a love for fine foods, and creativity with food. I am a true believer that when life hands you lemons, you make lemon caramels with it! Just like everyone, I am accustomed to having downs in life. When I can't change what is going on around me, I know I can change the way I look at things. I learned this lesson after my mother passed away. Having faith, hope and believing that things will work out is what I have done. Little did I know the future would be bright when I went and lived with my aunt, NancyAnn Jones. She and her family changed my life. I will always be indebted to them. Whenever hard times arise, I simply remember where I came from and look forward to what I could create! UMLF: You obviously have high standards for your products, can you tell us about how you choose ingredients and your philosophy behind what you put out? Rowena: I love having the right ingredients. I want the best sugar, did you know there are different kinds of sugar? Each kind will bring with it varying levels of taste and textures, and I’ve learned over time which type makes the grade. My caramels have a clean, not sticky, finish. Next, it’s crucial to use the best butter. High in butter fat makes a big difference in how it all comes together, but that alone isn’t enough. I use a local dairy so the butter is not only more fresh, but I love supporting other local businesses. Once we have the basics covered, I like to keep it simple but then add a little twist to create something fun and new. If I am going to have a treat I want it to taste good and make it memorable! UMLF: What are some of your favorite or unique flavors we need to try? Rowena: We have over forty different flavors of Caramels. In fact, our Pineapple Habanero won an award in New York, it is a fun caramel! I love our Maple Bacon; it has Pancetta bacon in it. We love coconut and have several varieties, such as Coconut Lime, Coconut Dream, and simply Coconut Caramel. The fun thing about our take on coconut caramel is that we use coconut milk! We have tropical caramels like Tahitian Treat, which includes coconut, mango, and pineapple. I have so many favorites right now. I think my love is pineapple because it is so fresh! You could choose a different caramel every day, depending on your mood. Here at JulieAnn Caramels, your favorites can change with each season! UMLF: Where can customers find your products? Do you ship nationwide? Rowena: You can find us locally in Harmon's and Associated Foods stores Peterson, Lee’s Market. Plus, we have a small storefront at 9493 S. 560 W. in Sandy. However, we do ship all over the United States if you have loved ones who need a pick-me-up! UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Rowena: Business is hard and can even be lonely at times when all the final decisions fall to you as the owner. I don't think I have ever worked so hard physically. I have learned plenty of concepts through the road of hard knocks. I am not perfect, but I keep trying and move on. Right now, the hardest thing for me is ramping up our wholesale business. I have been working on machinery in-house and just got it up and running, so we're ready to go! Our new “Cut and Wrapper” machine is amazing, which helps us deliver faster than ever before. With COVID, our wholesale orders stopped because our wholesale partners had to close their doors. I feel like the girl who got ready for the prom, and then it got canceled. Now we're pivoting trying new ways to share our caramels with the world. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Rowena: In the last couple of years, I have had several large orders that I turned away simply because we could not afford the ingredients or machinery to fulfill them. The Utah Microloan made it possible for us to take one of those big orders. It was so liberating to know I could do it. Now I want more! We are more ready than ever before for big orders! It is our time to move forward for JulieAnn Caramels! Thanks Rowena! To stay in touch with your newest caramel obsession visit:
 Owner Becky Sorensen At Beauty Trendz Salon, clients arrive as guests, and leave as friends. Beauty Trendz was founded in 2016 by industry professional and beauty maven Becky Sorensen who wanted to create a beautiful salon atmosphere to tailor to her existing clientele. Beauty Trendz offers a full range of cutting edge salon services and products. Their extensive service menu features hair, nail and skin care; as well as massage and permanent cosmetics.
In keeping with their name, Becky and her team strive to stay current with the latest trends in the beauty industry by continually attending and hosting education classes throughout the year with our staff. Keep reading to learn about owner Becky Sorensen and how she started this amazing August Business of the Month. UMLF: Tell us about yourself and your background? Becky: I have been a part of the beauty industry since 2008, and knew before I even went to school that doing hair was going to be a passion of mine. I have worked in all kinds of positions within the beauty industry, including a receptionist position, and even running a beauty supply company for a couple of years. UMLF: What inspired you to start Beauty Trendz? Becky: The salon I was with before Beauty Trendz was a full service salon, and I loved that my clientele could get their nails done while their color processed, or get a massage before their hair appointment. That salon downsized without any notice after I'd been there for a little over two years. I knew I couldn't maintain my current clientele there, or grow for that matter with the changes that were made. I decided that I wanted to be an independent stylist at that point, but I also wanted my clientele to continue receiving the other services they loved in the same location, and so I saw an opportunity to create a space for other industry professionals who wanted to be independent as well. I knew if I was going to be the salon owner, I had to be able to work behind the chair with clients on my terms, so I structured the salon in a way that everyone who works for Beauty Trendz rents their own space, and is their own "owner", including me! UMLF: What are some of your favorite beauty trends and what are some you wish would never come back? :} Becky: I am living for all the 70's and 80's styles coming back into the mix honestly! I'm all about the shags and mullets and even love perms, but I also love classic and vintage trends a lot. I think the only trends I dislike are the fauxhawk and the "shadow box" highlight and color style from the earlier 2000's. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Becky: Beauty Trendz has been pretty fortunate to have mostly highs overall, but our low was *really* low! I originally had business partners when Beauty Trendz was founded, and they ended up leaving unexpectedly, and pretty early into the company's history. Long story short, they fabricated some false claims and pressed charges against me! The lawsuit just about took me completely out financially, but I ended up winning after 6 long months of negotiating! Even though we won, I truly did not think the business was going to survive because of the financial turmoil the lawsuit put me through, but then I found out about the Utah Microloan Fund and they honestly saved Beauty Trendz. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Becky: If it weren't for the Utah Microloan Fund, Beauty Trendz would not still be around! We were fortunate enough to be able to get funding from the UMLF after trying unsuccessfully for several months to apply for traditional funding. The business loan we received helped me to replenish inventory, pay our rent for a few months up front and advertise our way back into full swing! My favorite thing about the Utah Microloan fund though are all of the business classes they offer! I have learned so much, and have definitely become a better business owner all because the UMLF gave my business a chance. UMLF: You usually have some fun specials, what are your specials for August that we can get excited about? Becky: Currently we have:
To book your next glow up, visit:
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