Draper First Newsletter | December 2020

DRAPER FIRST

December 202

A Special Publication by City Journal, Draper City, and South Valley Chamber of Commerce

60 years of family, friends and burgers at the Iceberg

By Linnea Lundgren linnea.l@mycityjournals.com

Don Ballard, longtime owner of Ballard’s Iceberg Drive-in, stands beside pictures of his mom, Alice Mae, which adorn the windows. (Linnea Lundgren/City Journals)

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regulars, who’d sit with their newspapers and eat breakfast before heading to their construction jobs.

“My dad was a sixth-generation mason worker and he always brought me here in the morning for breakfast before he went out to bid jobs or before I went to school,” she recalled. He’d talk with the

On this late-October visit, she’s come here directly from St. George where she now lives, for an early lunch and a pickup order to bring to her dad, Dave, who for health reasons can no longer make it in. Everyone asks about her dad, from longtime owner Don Ballard to the regulars who drink black coffee from brown

or 31 of her 32 years, Chelsee Hofheins has been coming to Ballard’s Iceberg Drive-in in Draper, not just for, in her words, the “fantastic food” or the “great salsa” or “the best banana shakes,” but because it feels like home.

ceramic mugs in the sunlit dining area.

“It’s family here. It’s friends. It’s people who care about you,” she said. “Don has known my dad since the dawn of time.”

And it may seem like it was the dawn of time—or at least the dawn of Draper—when the Ballard family opened the Iceberg. Back in 1960, Allen and Alice Mae Ballard opened for business selling hand-pressed hamburgers for 25 cents.

In Partnership WIth:

Ballard’s Iceberg Drive-in Back then, Draper was a farm town, where everyone had a horse and “flies were all over the place,” Ballard said.

When his parents bulldozed their front yard on 12300 South to make way for the restaurant, Ballard remembers that there wasn’t much drive-by traffic to attract. Rasmussen’s pig farm was where McDonald’s resides, and the Day Barn (now relocated to Draper Park) was two doors down and housed cows.

Alice Mae bought 20-pound beef packages from Frank’s Food Towne, which is now home to Go-Ride bike shop. The Ballard’s home, tucked behind the restaurant, is where Ballard was born, raised and still lives with his wife, a retired Salt Lake District schoolteacher. “[Our house] was in a great location when teenagers used to work in the kitchen during the evening,” he said. “They could holler back into the house if they needed help and we could sit there and watch what was going on.”

Ballard, who just turned 70, has been cooking and managing the Iceberg since he was a college student. “I am still here to the chagrin of most,” he joked. Luckily, his commute isn’t far and he rolls in every day around 6 a.m. and works until 4 p.m. He credits his loyal staff, including longtime employee Kim Wilde, for helping to keep things running smoothly.

Ballard said his greatest pride has been keeping the family business going for so long.

“I think of the courage and drive of my parents to open a place back then, particularly my mom,” he said. Alice Mae used to “candle” eggs (hold them up to a light to check for flaws) at

Chelsee Hofheins has been eating at Ballard’s Iceberg for decades. Her father used to bring her here for breakfast and she knows all the regulars. (Linnea Lundgren/City Journals)

Draper Feed and Egg (where IFA is now). “She didn’t like working for someone else, so she wanted to do her own thing.” She started the Iceberg at age 37 as part of a franchise, but the owner “disappeared” and she took things over and ran the place for decades until her health failed. (Other Iceberg establishments in Utah are not affiliated with Ballard’s.)

Longtime customers are the true barometer of success, but

673 E. 12300 South in Draper Call 385-434-CHEF Open Mon.-Sat. 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. 801-571-2453.

FOR TAKE OUT ORDERS

Ballard always delights in new customers—many who are surprised to find the Iceberg because there are no flashy signs out front. They advertise by word of mouth or by milkshake.

“Our milkshakes are a selling feature,” Ballard said. “What draws customers in, especially in summer, is seeing people outside enjoying their above-the-rim milkshakes.” There are more than 27 flavors of which customers can mix and match. Pineapple-strawberry was his mom’s favorite. To complement the shakes, there’s burgers, cheeseburgers, three types of chicken sandwiches and English-style fish ‘n’ chips. Breakfast is also served.

“Don is a chef who has intent,” Hofheins said, while eating her sandwich.

“Chef?” said Ballard, who stands nearby.

“OK, cook,” she corrected. “Don is a cook who has intent.

His intent is to make good food. He gets joy out of that and from being in service to others. When people like what they do, you can taste the result.”

“Ahh,” joked Ballard. “I am going to tear up.”

The morning gathering of longtime regulars might agree with Hofheins’ assessment.

One local, Randy Fellows, has been visiting the Iceberg almost every morning since the ‘80s.

“I never leave,” he quipped.

When his kids were little, he’d put them in a bicycle trailer and ride along 12300 South “when no cars would pass you” to bring them here for ice cream. He returns for the food, the camaraderie, and, he said, “Don’s humor.”

But, he said, the “most important part about this place is they personally run it.” Don and his loyal crew, some of whom are multi-generational, are onsite daily. “The quality, the cleanliness, everything is always top.”

Ballard takes it all in stride. “Guys like to have a place to tell their stories,” he said, referring to the locals who arrive every morning to talk over coffee.

“Attrition has taken care of a bunch of ‘em, but new ones come in. New people will come in and hear the fellows talk and they’ll just get a kick out of ‘em. I stay in the back, so I don’t hear anything.”

As someone who has lived and worked in Draper longer than most, Ballard says it’s been a good place to live and the city has done a nice job with the parks. But it has also turned into another franchise-filled town, which saddens him. What’s missing in that, he said, is the human connection, “and that makes the difference.”

Ballard doesn’t foresee his three kids or six grandkids taking over the burger business. “I don’t want to have them find me face down in the fryer, bobbin’ for French fries,” but he said he has no plans to quit or to sell.

“I’ll keep going,” he said, “until further notice.”

Ballard’s Iceberg Drive-in, 673 E. 12300 South in Draper, is open Mon.-Sat. 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. 801-571-2453.

SHAKES pineapple-strawberry

Avast ye!

This ‘chain of one’ gourmet market is a local treasure chest

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By Mimi Darley Dutton| m.dutton@mycityjournals.com

vast ye! (That’s pirate-speak for pay attention.) If you’re fool enough not to shop locally for the holidays, then shape up or prepare ye to walk the plank! Draper’s longtime gourmet market Pirate O’s has goodies and gifts galore to explore.

If you’re a landlubber (inexperienced sailor) where Pirate O’s is concerned, you’re in for a bounty of booty (treasure). You’ll strike gold here!

You’ll shout, “Shiver me timbers!” when you see the assortment of sauces and sweets of all sorts, not to mention silly socks and slippers. And if Polly wants a cracker? There are oodles to choose from along with other carbs like breads, pastas, cookies and cakes, including those freshly delivered by award-winning Salt Lake bakery Cakes de Fleur.

It doesn’t have to be just holiday shopping that has you headed for Pirate O’s. They have a coffee bar and a deli that serves warm paninis and cold-cut sandwiches in addition to comfort foods to take home to help you batten down the hatches for winter survival.

Fun background music adds to the festive atmosphere of this family business. Owner Orian Collinsworth is “old salt” when it comes to the industry. He’s worked in the wholesale distributor and natural foods businesses since the 1970s. He used to sell to Trader Joe’s, admiring their concept and their nautical theme.

Growing up, many people called him “O,” thus the name and nautical theme for his gourmet market were born. He opened Pirate O’s in 1997 and the store has successfully been sailing the retail seas since.

Orian’s first mate (wife) and co-owner Debbie brings beauty to the bounty. “Debbie does the gift baskets and buying. She adds

Owner Orian Collinsworth with his daughter and co-worker, Cobair. “My mom is the creative heart that keeps it going, and my dad is the brain,” Cobair said. (Mimi Darley Dutton/ City Journals)

a boutique element. It’s a good combination. I want to stack it and sell it and she wants to decorate it. The nice displays are a result of Debbie,” he said.

Their crew includes their two girls. Oldest daughter Kiki worked in the store through college and insisted on opening the coffee shop. She lives in California now but manages the website from afar and offers counsel as a businesswoman. Youngest daughter Cobair went to Dixie State on a golf scholarship and graduated with a degree in business. “She’s a manager and a hard worker, and she does a lot of social media posts for us,” Orian said. There are other unusually friendly “pirates” among the staff who greet you with a friendly “hello” as opposed to an “arghhh!”

The “ship” itself (the building where Pirate O’s resides) has quite a lore. According to Orian, Eugene Ballard, one of five brothers of the longtime Draper family, was released from a German POW camp in 1945. The US government had thousands of storage facilities they sold as surplus after the war, and those

11901 S. 700 East Open seven days a week who’d been interred in prison camps got first right of refusal on surplus goods. The Pirate O’s building was one of them, but it was at Fort Douglas, a few miles east of Salt Lake City. Ballard bought the building, cut 9 feet off the height and cut the whole building in half to move it to Draper, right to where it sits today. From 1946-1972, Ballard operated Ballard Feed and Egg there. Orian worked in the building for a natural food company in the 1970s, before it had air conditioning or heat. He eventually bought it and began his business. The Pirate O’s website says, “We may not look like much on the outside, but hey, it’s the inside that counts.”

Orian has witnessed a recent change in customers. “People used to come in for that one thing…such as Mexican vanilla, pickled beets or Vegemite, whatever that one thing is that they can’t find anywhere else. In January, I noticed it wasn’t that one thing anymore. They’d grab a basket and start shopping. All of a sudden, they’re finding enough things to buy and keep them going through the aisles! We’re not a center of the plate store, such as buying meat at Harmon’s. We’re more accoutrements to that type of dinner as well as snacks and treats for the kids,” he said.

In addition to bringing in special products from Europe, Pirate O’s has helped Utah businesses by putting their products on the store’s shelves. “We’ve started with a lot of Utah companies. We’re friendly with people trying to get their product in. Our greatest claim to fame is we’re the very first customer of Beehive Cheese. Now that’s a national company selling all over the U.S.,” Orian said.

The Draper store is their only location, but Orian has a warehouse to stock the products that people want. “We call ourselves a chain of one,” he said. In preparation for Christmas, and because many products come from Europe, they

Santa and sleighs greet you at the Pirate O’s entrance. Owner Orian Collinsworth has been told the store’s candies and treats for stockings are so unique that there’s a sense they might have come directly from the North Pole, often extending belief in a certain jolly old man in a red suit. (Mimi Darley Dutton/City Journals)

begin ordering in May for next year’s Christmas items.

What’s one thing that has Orian saying “blimey?” It’s when a favorite customer moves away or doesn’t return. “Back when we first opened in 1997, when Draper was a horse community, one cowboy would come in and buy 12-13 gift baskets. That was his Christmas for his family and friends.

He did that for six years or so and it really wasn’t Christmas until he’d bought his baskets and left the store. He always came on Christmas Eve. I hear he got hurt in a rodeo and we never saw him again. The first year he did it was so unique…then it became a thing,” he said.

So yo ho ho and a bottle of hot sauce! Maybe Z’s Hot Sauce out of Ogden? There are plenty to choose from, so conquer that Christmas list and have fun while you’re at it at Pirate O’s! Or call 801-572-0956 to order one of their themed gift baskets ranging from $37-$100. The store is located at 11901 S. 700 East and is open seven days a week.

Mayor’s Message Draper’s Top 10 Accomplishments for 2020 Draper Mayor Troy Walker

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his year has been like no other year. We have had to adjust our everyday life and social norms because of COVID-19. Although we did not anticipate a pandemic, I am proud to say our city still managed to accomplish so much this year and there is a lot to celebrate in our community.

As one of the best-managed cities in Utah, Draper’s economy performed better than expected on a citywide level this year, while our municipal services continued to do a great job maintaining our infrastructure. Our businesses and residents also did their part to cooperate and work together to get through COVID-19.

Let’s celebrate the good and reflect on our accomplishments this past year. This is Draper City’s top 10 list of accomplishments for 2020: Supported Local Businesses through Draper Deals: Through CARES Act funding, Draper City was able to send out $30 gift cards to everDraper household to spend at more than 100 local businesses in November. This helped stimulate the economy by encouraging residents to shop local and shop early for the holidays.

Hosted New Creative Community Events: Draper City’s events team had to be creative this year to develop new events following social distancing guidelines. This included the well-received Easter egg delivery, a family-friendly Haunted Trail, a Field of Flags for our veterans, Yoga in the Park, and Mindfulness Classes.

Improved Draper’s Major Roadways and Installed Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: Draper City’s engineering team remained busy this year. They improved our major roadways by widening roads such as Bangerter Highway, Highland Drive, and Lone Peak Parkway. Through their efforts, they improved the safety and traffic flow on our thoroughfares. Draper City also installed new electric vehicle charging stations at City Hall and Draper Park to support the increased use of electric vehicles.

Developed New Trails and Opened Dog Park: Draper City celebrated a new trail connection on the east side of Minuteman Drive between Lehi and Draper, and a new trailhead at Peak View. The Parks and Recreation team also opened a new dog park at Galena Hills Park to offer more off-leash areas for our residents’ dogs.

Provided Antibody Testing to Help Track COVID-19: In May, Draper City led as a proactive city as one of the first to offer rapid antibody and saliva testing to interested residents. We believed that increased testing in our community was key to gathering more data, tracking the virus, and helping understand how businesses and residents could return safely back to work.

Controlled the Traverse Mountain Fire: In July, Draper was under threat with a growing fire on the Lehi side of Traverse Mountain. We appreciate our Draper City Fire Department and all the neighboring firefighters who worked

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throughout the night to contain the fire. Our Draper Police Department also helped residents get safely out of their homes during evacuation orders. With our first responders’ quick actions, they protected our neighborhoods and our residents’ lives.

Created New Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board: Draper City created a new Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board, which will have its first meeting in December 2020. The Draper City Council appointed Tara Bradshaw as the chair and named 11 other residents as board members. They will advise the city on issues faced by diverse groups and create opportunities for an inclusive community in Draper.

Kicked Off Major Planning Efforts for “The Point”: In September, Draper City officials helped kick off planning efforts for one of Utah’s major economic development opportunities called “The Point.” Approximately 700 acres of state-owned property will open for development in Draper when the Utah State Prison relocates. This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for smart economic growth in our city.

Saved Taxpayers’ Money through New Recycling Program: Draper City’s “Big 3” recycling program reported a successful first year with residents doing great at recycling non-contaminated items. With modifications to the program in 2019, the city was able to reduce costs by 44%, while only reducing the tons of material recycled by 23%.

Opened New Recreation Center: Our partner, Salt Lake County, officially opened the new Draper Recreation Center with scheduled timeslots for visitors. This beautiful facility features two indoor pools and a state-of-the-art field house.

Thank you to our Draper City staff, partners, businesses, and residents for accomplishing so much together this year. Happy holidays and here’s to 2021!

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ound & Cat in Draper (129 E. 13800 S.)is a one-stop shop for pet owners. Walking into the store, customers are greeted with a variety of quality treats for their furry family members. The shelves are stocked with premium treats, food, and pet supplies. After passing stocked shelves, customers may approach a variety of bathtubs and supplies for the selfserve dog wash.

Pet owners can rent a space when their furry friend needs a bath at Hound & Cat. “You provide your dog; we provide the shampoo, brushes, towels, and tub,” said co-owner Marcos Shaffer.

Self-serving tubs are provided to wash your dog without an outside entity, in your own dedicated space, while being physically distanced. Hound & Cat offers a few different services for dog washing. While customers can have minimal interaction with other humans, if desired, “we can step you through it and give you pointers,” said Shaffer.

The self-serve pet wash was created with every type of dog in mind, from the smallest to the largest. “We get really big dogs in here – we’ve had really big 200-pound Mastiffs,” Shaffer said.

Hound & Cat’s self-serve dog wash is “the perfect medium between giving your dog a bath at home and taking them to a groomer,” said Shaffer.

Groomers can be expensive and often the dogs may be uncomfortable as they are left alone. At Hound & Cat’s self-serve dog wash, dogs can be comfortable as their humans stay close by.

Furthermore, bathing dogs at home may lead to some unintended consequences. At Hound & Cat, “dog owners can clean their dog without destroying their home and getting hair all over the house,” Shaffer said.

For furry friends who might be a little anxious around water, Shaffer recommends staying close while giving them a bath as well as bringing familiar treats or other distractions, like peanut butter.

Shaffer also recommends giving an anxious furry friend some CBD, which they sell in-store. “It helps to calm them down,” he reports.

Beyond self-serve pet baths, Hound & Cat sells curated treats, pet supplies, supplements, toys, dog beds, cat furniture, and natural dog and cat foods including raw food, kibble, and dehydrated and complementing canned formulas.

“We are passionate about health and nutrition,” Shaffer said. “We believe that a quality diet leads to extended lives.”

As part of that passion, Hound & Cat offers delivery for those customers who still want to provide a quality diet to their furry family members but wish not to come into the store physically. Delivery with waived fees is available throughout Draper.

In addition, Hound & Cat has been taking extra precautions in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Hound & Cat uses veterinarian grade disinfectants to clean the store and the self-serve bath area. They also have complimentary masks available if customers forget to bring their own as well as sanitizing stations and hand sanitizer.

“We sanitize all the high-touch surfaces multiple times per day,” Shaffer said.

Hound & Cat has been in business for two and a half years and is not slowing down. Hound & Cat was founded by Paislea and Marcos Shaffer inspired by their love for animals. Together, they have a family of furry members including Wynn the mixed schnauzer, Penn the mixed yorkie, Ophie the mixed poodle, and Mildred the mixed border terrier.

“We are passionate about ensuring pets live their fullest and happiest life,” Shaffer said. “We have turned our passion into business and surrounded ourselves with people who have common interests.”

To learn more about Hound & Cat, visit their Facebook or Instagram page at houndandcat. To learn more, order delivery or pickup, or book an appointment for a self-serve bath, visit their website at: www.houndandcat.com.