Lindsey Larson
In Provo and Rexburg, Idaho, two institutions have found a home — and it’s not just BYU or the LDS Church.
In both college towns, a restaurant called Sammy’s Cafe has a treasured place in the heart of students, as do their signature pie shakes.
Rexburg is home to a newer, larger Sammy’s location, opened last September, while Provo has the original Sammy’s, at 27 N. 100 West and open since May 2008. Both locations feature performances by live bands, an artsy diner atmosphere and the pie shakes.
At first glance, Sammy’s may seem like any other hole-in-the-wall diner or corner cafe. It has checkerboard tile floors and plastic bar stools around the counter. But then patrons notice the colorful art and the wall overflowing with Polaroids of guests past, including famous ones like Harry Connick, Jr.
“I think it’s fun — it’s different from other burger places because it’s the old diner type thing with a college feel,” said Nigel Goodwin, a junior from Boise, Idaho, who is studying psychology.
Goodwin is familiar with both the Rexburg and the Provo locations; he eats most often at the Provo Sammy’s but has performed at the Rexburg location as a member of the hip-hop group Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.
Goodwin was able to perform at the Rexburg Sammy’s through a friend, Dallin Tippets, who covers all performances at the Rexburg Sammy’s on his blog.
“It was one of my favorite performances,” Goodwin said. “I think Sammy’s is kind of the heart of Rexburg as far as that scene goes.”
The Rexburg Sammy’s features a separate room for bands to perform, which makes it feel more like a venue than a pit stop, said Rachel Zwingli, a psychology and non-profit management student from Vancouver, Wash.
“It’s bigger, which is a lot better because it’s a lot more social,”Zwingli said. She said her favorite thing about the Sammy’s menu is the gourmet-style hamburgers.
Another popular favorite at Sammy’s are the pie shakes. A pie shake is soft serve ice cream mixed with pie, with whipped cream at no extra charge. Jess McKay, a graphic design major from Idaho Falls, Idaho, remembers her first experience with Sammy’s as a freshman.
“My friends called me up and said, ‘Do you want to go get pie shakes?'” McKay had no idea what a pie shake was.
“So they took me and I fell in love,” McKay said.
McKay and Zwingli credit the social, low-key atmosphere for the chain’s success.
“It’s social, it’s not fancy, it’s just good quality,” Zwingli said.
Goodwin spoke highly of owner and founder Sam Schultz, and his ability to draw a crowd.
“I know Sam personally and he’s really good at promoting and drawing people in,” he said.
Sam Schultz said he saw an opportunity while running a reception center near the current Provo location. He already worked in catering, and as he saw restaurants com and go in the little diner building, he saw an opportunity and took it.
“I think more on the marketing level than a product level,” Schultz said.
He said many restaurants worry more about finding the best product and don’t market as much. Schultz was successful in Provo, so when he saw another opportunity, he took his idea to the next LDS college town — Rexburg. He knew the restaurant would work in another LDS college town because of the student demographic.
“They don’t drink alcohol, they drink shakes,” Schultz said.
Sammy’s will open a Pie Shake Parlor in Pleasant Grove, at 25 West Center Street, on Sept. 24.
