Park City was named top 20 cities by Matador Network in The Coolest Towns in America 2018. With a population of 8,299 Park City’s 1800s western aesthetic attests to the town’s roots as a major mining center. Park City Resort opened in 1963 with a gondola running right from the town. Another big change came in 1981 when the Sundance Film Festival, started a couple years earlier in Salt Lake City, moved its location to Park City.

A few decades later, Park City has evolved into the coolest town in Utah, offering plenty of world-class restaurants and shops to meet the demand of skiers and the thousands of annual Sundance attendees. Even after the festival ends in early February, Park City has plenty to do. In winter, the Park City Mountain resort is now much larger while the upscale Deer Valley Resort is a five-minute drive up the road. Summer activities include everything from whitewater rafting to horseback riding, with much fairer temperatures than the desert landscape a few hours south.

Looking for some dining options - Park City Dine Around Brings High-Brow Fare at Low Prices by Salt Lake Magazine. Take advantage of Park City’s decadent food culture without the associated resort town pricing. The Park City Area Restaurant Association (PCARA) is hosting the sixth annual “Dine About” from Monday, October 1 through Sunday, October 14, so locals and fall visitors alike can experience some of the best cuisine Park City has to offer.

Two dozen participating restaurants will be offering diners seasonal menus with two-course lunches and three-course dinners at a great value: lunches are either $10 or $15, and dinners are $20 or $40. Dine Around restaurants include everything from fine Main Street’s fine dining establishments to resort après institutions to the town’s brew pubs. Café Terigo, Café Trio Park City, Chimayo, Deer Valley Grocery Café, Element Kitchen & Bakery, Firewood on Main, Flanagan’s on Main, Fletcher’s Park City, Grappa, Handle, Purple Sage, Red Rock Junction, Red Tail Grill, Riverhorse on Main, Riverhorse Provisions, Shabu, Silver Star Café, Squatters, Sushi Blue, The Brass Tag, tupelo, Twisted Fern, Versante and Wasatch Brew Pub will all be serving up special menus for Dine About. Visit the PCARA website for full event details, and use the special Dine Around code “STAYPC” for lodging discounts during the event when you visit the Stay Park City website.

Utah Business recently shared, Utah Is The Best State For Doing Business. Utah ranks number one in the US for job growth, enjoys consistently low unemployment rates, and a strong workforce. What’s at the heart of this success? Small business. The US Small Business Administration reports that Utah is home to over 277,000 small businesses that make up 99.3 percent of Utah companies and 57.3 percent of total employees in the state. Here are four areas that have been fundamental to Utah’s economic success:

A Strong & Educated Workforce - “Nothing is more important to businesses than having access to a qualified workforce,” says Val Hale, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “That is why so many companies choose to invest in education.” Utah’s public education systems, both K-12 and higher education, have a strong partnership with our business community.

Taxes & Regulation - Utah’s economy continues to benefit from our flat five percent personal and corporate tax rate, which is one of the lowest in the nation. Low taxes are important to small business but equally important is a stable tax rate. Utah small businesses have benefited from the predictability of the state’s flat tax throughout the 20 years since the rate was established. Additionally, the Governor’s office, state legislature, and the Salt Lake Chamber are always looking at ways to evaluate and eliminate unnecessary regulations.

Incentives - Incentivizing business creation and sustainable growth is key to Utah’s thriving small business ecosystem. Several state programs assist new and existing businesses: one is the business expansion and retention (BEAR) grants for small businesses in rural parts of the state. The Utah Science, Technology and Research (USTAR) initiative specifically assists start-up and early-stage tech companies, as well. The state also offers financial incentives for business relocation and expansion. This incentive program is built on three pillars that make it both effective and sustainable: 1) the business expansion must be competitive, 2) the incentives must be post-performance, and 3) the incentive must be a tax rebate once the jobs have been created and the corporate taxes are paid.

International Trade - You may have read recent headlines that trade is killing the US, that is not the case in Utah. Utah is a trade surplus state to the tune of $4 billion annually and has doubled its exports over the past decade with a goal to double exports again over the next ten years. This is a credit to the 3,500 plus companies that export, nearly 85 percent of which are small businesses.