"Eat To Give"…it's a pretty magical concept. Get some, give some. Feel full, be cool. Even Stevens is handing Utahns a win-win hand, and you ought to put it straight in your mouths. The food is fab, and the business model selfless. The idea came one unassuming day when owner, Steve Down, was posted up in a national sandwich shop chain. While they ate, they chatted, and his pal quietly challenged him to think of a way to build on the business strategy…but to do it better. And then Steve did.
`With bread. And cheese. And condiments.
The primary focus of Even Stevens? Giving locally to those in need. While so many focus on help overseas [and rightly so], these good people saw the need for help on the home turf. Our salty backyard has got more than enough hungry people, and the Even Stevens gang is doing their damnedest to address the issue. With bread. And cheese. And condiments. Says Director of Community Engagement, Sara Day, "One in six Utahns are at risk of missing a meal everyday.” To date, they've sold over 18,000 sandwiches, which translates quite simply to 18,000 sandwiches donated to deserving non-profits like the YWCA, the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake, the Good Samaritan Program and the VOA Homeless Youth Outreach. Come to that, Even Stevens is game to promote local living on whatever level they can. Goods, musicians, art, etc. They're mindset seems akin to ours that way--why not support those creating in our own city?
Even Stevens is a brightly-colored breath of "Mmm, pastraaammi."
Each month, they commission local artists to create feature pieces for the shop, and when time came to sprinkle some personality, they hired Trent Call for a number of pieces, include the cityscape mural and mission statement. Thursday nights in the shop are even dedicated to local music. Design-wise, Even Stevens is a brightly-colored breath of "Mmm, pastraaammi." Awesomely recycled elements are all over the place: the tables are made from the old drop ceilings that were in the space prior, chandeliers are old bicycle wheels, old barn/fence wood was turned into ceilings and booths, and floppy discs have become a smart set of table numbers. The restaurant design even won a 2014 ASID Intermountain Chapter Design Excellence Award.
Eat to give.
When we put out the COLLECTIVE call to help out with our recent Brew + 'Q, Even Stevens raised a flag and showed up with everything needed to whip up a few hundred sloppy joes [both meat-laden and vegan] for our parking lot jubilee. And we're not gonna mince words here…that shit was goooood. If you missed the party, you'll have to head in and try them for yourself. A few of our faves in-house: the JP Grilled Cheese with the Tomato Bisque; Turkey Day; and the Do Gouda [good one, guys]. Eat to give.
Even Stevens | 200 South 414 East, SLC | 385.355.9105
