It’s been twenty years since Tony Caputo opened the doors here at our flagship location in downtown Salt Lake City, in a neighborhood with a rich history of Greek and Italian culture. Over the years, we’ve experienced the many ups and downs of small business ownership, but we’re proud to hear from our customers how much we mean to Salt Lake’s thriving food scene. We’ve done so by remaining committed to our deep, abiding love for great food, and sharing that love with the enthusiastic community we’re a part of. As we looked back at the last twenty years and contemplated the road ahead, we decided it was time to breathe new life into the Caputo’s brand with a fresh new look.
Inspired by the art of Utah artist Dan Christofferson, whose distinct style is rooted in symbolism and bold graphics, we began a further conversation about the Caputo’s brand and asked Dan to create a new look that seamlessly integrates our history and motivations with our vision for what lies ahead. Central to this new look is the three-pointed crown. The crown is a powerful icon that represents our core philosophy, with its three points embodying the past, present, and future of Caputo’s. These three pillars serve as symbols of our heritage, our expertise, and our trailblazing spirit.
Over the years our purpose has become increasingly clear. We know we have a responsibility to preserve and protect food items of unique provenance. In the face of an increasingly homogenized, mass-produced, and genetically engineered agricultural system, we continue to fight for time-tested culinary traditions, for artisan spirit, and for authentic flavor. It’s our true passion, a passion that was first instilled in me by my yiayia (Greek for grandmother), who kept an urban garden WAY before it was cool to grow your own food. From that small backyard plot, vibrant and ethereal smells wafted through her small home in the summer, enveloping my senses and giving me the first glimpse into the true essence of flavor.
Those early sensory experiences inspire a question we ask ourselves all the time: what is it that gives Old World flavors their particular allure? We call it terroir. It’s that special sense of place found in the aromas, the textures, and the tastes that says unabashedly: “this comes from somewhere.” Not from a factory, not from a lab, but from the land. Today, it’s our mission to champion those products with deep ties to the unique places they come from, whether it’s Utah farmstead goat cheese or Venezuelan single origin chocolate, because those special products tell the stories of where they come from with every mouth-watering bite.
We know that food is much more than mere sustenance; culinary traditions help make up the fabric of our various cultures and upbringings, and food has always been an essential part of the Caputo family. After coming to the United States from Greece and Italy, the Caputos owned and operated a small market on Salt Lake’s west side, which happened to be home to Utah’s very first refrigerated deli case. One could say that my dad’s visits to that little market as a kid, where he would get treats from his aunts who kept shop, served as the original spark of what would eventually become our beloved market & deli.
Now, the torch has been passed to me, and I feel it is important to carry on the tradition and constantly re-imagine what it means to be a purveyor of fine foods in the modern age. Caputo’s has always been a family affair, from my dad, uncles, cousins and now my amazing wife Yelena, to the incredible crew that has been with us for so many years, who we consider part of the family. This is why the wonderful food community here in Salt Lake, and our loyal supporters beyond, trust our expertise: because it’s been passed down from generation to generation. As we look to the future with a brash independent spirit, our new look, and renewed enthusiasm for great food, we can’t help but feel only one thing: our most delicious days are surely yet to come.
