By Heather Lawrence | [email protected]

It’s no secret 2020 has been rough on businesses. Sandy City and South Valley Chamber of Commerce want Sandy to thrive in challenging times. They’ve introduced the Shop Sandy Challenge, and made it fun with a social media element and drawings for prizes. 

“We started the challenge in August. To participate, you shop anywhere in Sandy and take a picture of yourself there. Post the picture on social media and tag Sandy City and South Valley Chamber, and you’re entered into a drawing for prizes from Sandy stores,” said Greg Summerhays, outgoing president of the South Valley Chamber. 

The first winner was Megan Collins, who won a pop-up tent donated by Costco in Sandy. People get double entries by buying a highlighted item of the week. In honor of National Cheese Pizza Day on Sept. 5, the Shop Sandy double entry item was pizza. 

The Sandy Journal asked some Sandy businesses what makes their pizza great, and what local support means to them. 

“Our pizza is awesome because it’s made with fresh ingredients. We serve it more than any other item. It takes a few more minutes because it’s made to order, but it’s worth it,” said Lupita Alberto, manager of the Village Baker in Sandy at 11942 S. Auto Mall Dr. 

“We’re still open, and people need to eat! We have a lot of good food. The bread is baked every day and it’s delicious. We slice the meat fresh every day. We really appreciate local business. Everyone is welcome and we take good care of each customer,” Alberto said. 

Village Baker offers dine-in, carry-out, curbside and DoorDash delivery, and Alberto said that a lot of their business these days is to go. 

Pizzeria Limone in Sandy at 42 W. 11400 South also offers dine-in, curbside and delivery through Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats.  

“The fact that people will choose our restaurant gives me such joy and satisfaction,” said Artemio Chavez, manager of the Sandy Pizzeria Limone. 

“With all that’s happened this year—COVID, the earthquake, the windstorm—I forgot what the beginning of the year was like. There’s something new every day. 

“As a business you’re always trying to stay afloat even without these challenges. So, the fact that people come out and support us, especially new customers and families, that’s what motivates us to keep doing what we’re doing,” Chavez said. 

Local businesses also have unique offerings, like Chavez’s favorite at Limone, the pera pizza. “It’s got cheese, prosciutto, sliced pears—it’s the perfect combination for sweet and salty. Fresh basil brings it to life. A lot of people like the viola, which has blackberries. It lights up my day to see families come in and spend time together, enjoying our awesome food,” Chavez said. 

Summerhays wants customers to feel safe shopping and eating in Sandy. “Our first goal is to avoid another shutdown at all costs. We encourage people to wear masks. Businesses can get a ‘Shop Local’ decal from us for their window to let customers know their business matters to you.   

“Sandy got a lot of help with the PPP loans in the spring. We’re also working on a grant program. Shopping here keeps the money here, so that’s the best way to help,” Summerhays said. 

Businesses that are struggling can turn to the South Valley Chamber for ideas and support. “We’re a resource for people. We have rental assistance and grant programs. We encourage them to reach out to us and the city, and visit our website, www.southvalleychamber.com, for ideas,” Summerhays said.  

Fratelli Ristorante is another Sandy-grown business that’s proud of their pizza—and everything else on the menu. Co-owner Pete Cannella loves their imported pepperoni, fresh basil and mozzarella, and specialty pizza flour to make dough each day. 

“We just moved to our new location on 8612 S. 1300 East after 13 years in business. We have a bigger place, a full-service deli and gelato bar, and a wood-fired pizza oven to make traditional Naples-style pizza,” said Canella, whose brother Dave is his business partner. 

Cannella travels to Italy most summers and his grandparents are from Sicily and Calabria. The brothers want to be that local neighborhood restaurant, so the shop local element is crucial to their business model. 

“We chose a location with proximity to a residential area so we could be a short drive or walk for lots of people. Dave and I are always here—we want to greet customers and get to know them. That repeat business is everything to us. We want to be part of the community.

“Through COVID our base customers have been great, very supportive. It’s heartwarming that people would support us through tough times,” Cannella said. 

Summerhays said that the Shop Sandy Challenge was designed to be fun, but the serious idea behind it is that keeping local businesses thriving is good for the whole community. 

“Over the last few weeks we’ve seen a good uptick in business. They still aren’t operating at 100% because of the restrictions, but they’re good at pivoting and serving their clientele in different ways. It’s great to see people being able to dine in and shop. Let’s keep wearing our masks and doing what we can so we can stay open,” Summerhays said.