Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Bott.
Hi Joe, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I had been living abroad from 2017-2020 and had just moved to Indonesia right as COVID was building. I found myself moving home last minute to not be stuck abroad during a global pandemic. With not much planned and not having lived in the US for the last couple years, I moved back to Des Moines, IA where I grew up the majority of my life(moved around a lot). I ended up getting a offer to do a service year with AmeriCorps in Duluth, MN; I accepted the offer and moved to Duluth in August 2020. With AmeriCorps being a service job, we were payed minimum wage($6/hr at the time) so I looked for a second income. I had worked in and out of the service industry since college so I looked for a job at local breweries and bars. I got a job at Wild State Cider and that brought me into the cider world for the first time.
At the same time my mom(Vicki Bott, Owner of Second Summit) was working between Dallas and SLC. Falling back in love with SLC; she had lived in Ogden during high school and went to Utah State for a couple years, she was also falling out of love with the corporate world. Me starting at the cidery had peaked her interest when I would fill her in on work and the overall process of cider making. She floated the idea at the end 2020 of opening a cidery in SLC. I didn’t think much of it, but as the months passed she started the exploratory process of finding out if it was feasible.
Before I new it we were discussing of when I should move to SLC. I moved in to SLC in April of 2022, and I spent a lot of my days looking at real estate websites to get an idea of what was out there. The hard part about finding a space is that it never meets all your wants/needs, so you try to find something that gets you most of the way there. I was driving down Main St. one day headed to the climbing gym and saw a big “For Lease” sign outside of a old car dealership and before we knew it we had a lease signed(July 2022). Thats where things really started to ramp up, it was the race against time to build out the bar, get a bar license, and not waste too much money on renting a building we weren’t using.
The next 11 months were a whirlwind, we hired a cidermaker from Colorado(Brandon Baldridge), built a bar, installed pickleball courts, lots of paperwork, and much much more. We opened out doors in June of 2023 without any cider of our own, but with a lot of enthusiasm for actually getting to the starting line.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Vicki and I were totally new to this process, so I don’t have much to compare it too. But much like any projects, there were hurdles to get over, but I consider us lucky that there was nothing too major. Which is probably a nod to how on top of things we were, and how flexible we became and able to roll with the punches.
Once we opened, we were lucky once again to build such a great fan base of loyal customers who have become a key part of the Second Summit journey up to this point.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Second Summit Hard Cider Co. was a brand built around family, friends, good cider and an active lifestyle. We make award winning balanced ciders that not only show case unique flavors but actually taste like an apple cider. On top of award winning ciders, Second Summit has definitely cemented itself as a third space that caters to all walks of life.
One of the things that I think really sets us apart is that the minute you walk into the taproom you feel like you belong. We aren’t the most manicured space but we do out best to just provide an atmosphere that brings you back. Vicki and I are always in the taproom, pouring drinks, making sandwiches, filling in for a game of pickleball and more.
The pickleball courts really set us apart as a unique thing to the mountain west area. We have four pickleball courts on the back patio, where we hold leagues, tournaments, fundraisers, and just about anything we can think of. This really helps build the piece of the business that we think is key in this day and age. People want to be active more than ever these days, less and less people want to got out solely for a drink. I think one of our favorite things we see each week is how many family units come to be at Second Summit together. On top of that we see 21 yr old’s bringing there 75yr old grandparents, and grandparents bringing their grandkids to the cool space they like to play pickleball at.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Utah is a weird look into the microcosm that is the Bev-Alc industry, an industry that has been in decline. Utah is definitely behind the times on alcohol policy and laws compared to most other places across the country, but it also is a great place to set yourself apart with less competition.
Our goal is to continue to grow with in the state of Utah and just get our ciders into more peoples hands. For the physical taproom, we just want to keep creating and fostering a space people want to be at whether they are drinking or not.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://secondsummitcider.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondsummitcider/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082946156887
