Sandwich shop's charity benefits Good Samaritan program

Friday, Oct. 17, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY — Even Stevens is more than a sandwich shop; its mission is to help end hunger while selling sandwiches.  At the end of each month, sales are tallied and a percentage is donated to four local nonprofits, which in turn purchase bulk nutritious sandwich ingredients to build sandwiches to give to those in need. 

The non-profit partners are the Cathedral of the Madeleine’s Good Samaritan Program, the YWCA, the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake City and Volunteers of America Homeless Youth Outreach. 

Even Stevens opened on June 24, and to date has sold 15,000 sandwiches, said Jamie Coates, co-founder and concept developer. 

“The concept of our shop came about in 2013 when Steve Down came up with the idea to start a company that did more than just make money; he saw an opportunity to improve upon the growing awareness of hunger,” Coates said. 

The Even Stevens team sought the help of the Utah Food Bank to select the nonprofits to benefit from their donations because “they have a bird’s-eye view of the hunger situation in the community and they could supply us with a list of nonprofits who could accept fresh food donations, store them and distribute them in an efficient manner,” said Coates. “It was too expensive and less efficient for us to make the sandwiches and distribute them ourselves.” 

Even Stevens supplies stone ground whole wheat bread, all natural turkey breast, cheddar cheese and fresh produce to the nonprofits. “The products are delivered twice a month directly to the nonprofits,” Coates said. “They order on an as-needed basis, the same as they would from a supplier.”

“Getting the additional food from Even Stevens helps stretch our food budget,” said Patricia Wesson, Cathedral of the Madeleine development director. “We are now invested in their being successful because they in return help us. Even Stevens has a fun feel atmosphere; it has murals that were painted by local artists, and they offer live local music.”

Darren Williams, Good Samaritan manager, said the sandwich fixings provided by Even Stevens allows the Good Samaritan program to offer a greater variety of sack lunches, and also helps cushion his budget, which is an advantage because the need continues to grow.

Despite its charitable efforts, Even Stevens’ menu prices are competitive, said Coates.

“Customers are not aware that they are paying for another meal. They are aware it is being provided, but not that they are making up for it,” she said. “We want people to make this part of their routine, and we want other businesses to see that it is possible to be competitive and have giving back a huge part of their mission.” 

Even Stevens supports the local community by serving bread, coffee and cheese from local venders, and craft beer from local breweries. They also cater events with sandwich, cookie, hummus and salad platters. 

“Even Stevens is a place where travelers can come to get a feel for what’s going on in Salt Lake City, a taste for the nonprofit initiatives here, and the local artists,” said Coates.