SALT LAKE CITY — The ambient buzz of patrons fills Caputo’s Market and Deli. Every so often, during the lunch rush, a shout of someone’s name rings out from the kitchen to tell someone their order is ready.
It’s the typical lunch rush for the deli, but throughout the day, people are shopping in the market for different specialty Italian foods. From mortadella and cheeses to pasta sauces and olive oils, the market brings flavors from an ocean away to Utah.
But that’s something that Caputo’s has been doing for decades in Salt Lake City. Matt Caputo, the CEO of Caputo’s Market and Deli, said his family moved to Utah from Italy in 1913 and opened up Caputo’s Market in 1922.
Watch: How Italian Americans helped shape the culture of Utah
How Italian Americans helped shape the culture of Utah
“That was the little corner market,” he said. “This was before grocery stores. I think they had the first refrigerated deli case in Utah.”
But fast forward a few decades, and in 1997, Matt’s dad, Tony Caputo, opened Caputo’s Market and Deli near Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City. “There was no really restaurants or shops, mostly just warehouses,” Matt said. “People thought we were crazy for opening up down here. But my dad had a vision.”
Mayor Mendenhall declared October Italian American Heritage Month, honoring all the contributions that Italian Americans have made in Utah, from cuisine to the workforce. Now, about 10,000 Italian Americans are here in Salt Lake, according to the Italian American Civic League.
Matt said his great-grandparents were able to share their culture’s food with the community and start a new life, living the American Dream. “It became like this de facto hub for Italian Catholics in Salt Lake City,” he said. “And to hear how my great-grandmother Christina did to shape Salt Lake’s west side.”
Courtesy of Caputo’s
Matt has a passion for cheese and cheese making, creating two areas for cheese to ferment at the shop. It’s also one of the ways they’re able to give back to the community.
One of the cheeses, Tony’s Flowers, is made in honor of Matt’s dad. “And 10% of this cheese goes to the Tony Caputo Foundation, which pretty much gives all of its donations to the Crossroads Urban Center, which was my dad’s favorite charity,” he said.
Matt said their goal is to continue sharing their love of food and the Italian culture with Salt Lake City. “I’m glad they made a whole month for Italian American heritage,” he said. “I think that’s really cool. I look forward to seeing what that brings in the future and how we can be a part of it. And keep carrying on in the name of our Italian ancestors.”
Dining and Cooking