Monday, Oct. 28, was the coffee shop's last day in Kamas, per a same-day announcement. The nonprofit is known for mostly employing people with disabilities.
“We're sad,” owner and co-founder Katie Manhart told KPCW. “We have built such a community over here, and we have regulars and a lot of people that really like having a coffee shop—they come in and work and know our staff. But hopefully we'll find a better fit for us.”
Lucky Ones had been open in Kamas for two years. Its lease recently was up for renewal for the first time. Manhart and her business partner Taylor Matkins couldn’t come to an agreement with the property owner and decided to move.
Their landlord, Taunya Munford, said she didn’t know the shop was closing until KPCW reached out for comment.
“I wish them luck, and I hope the very best for them,” she said, adding she was sad to hear they were moving.
Now Lucky Ones’ plan is to repurpose equipment at a new location in Salt Lake City’s Marmalade library, down the hill west of the Utah State Capitol.
“That'll just kind of move up the timeline on opening that space a little bit,” Manhart said, “as we're kind of looking at what it looks like to move forward in Summit and Wasatch County.”
Lucky Ones’ original location is at the Park City Library. Manhart said they’d like to open another Wasatch Back location, but the terms of their Kamas lease wouldn’t have been favorable.
She told KPCW Munford gave them the new terms on Oct. 15, a little more than the 15-day notice required by Utah law.
They included raising rent from $18 per square foot per year to $25, according to Manhart, and asking Lucky Ones to take over more maintenance and utilities costs.
Listings for future office space in Francis, as part of a mixed-use development around the recently announced Best Western, advertise $22 per square foot per year.
Manhart and Matkins expect to be out by the end of the week.
They’re not the first Main Street business to close this year. A couple attempting to revive the Kamas Theater gave the final curtain call this spring after also failing to renegotiate their lease.
