FAIRVIEW, Utah — A great place to eat, like the Corner Station Deli, is a welcome addition to any small town in Utah, and that rings true in Fairview. It's a unique business with a long history, with the owners now working to preserve that past with a nice gift to make it happen.
"I honestly didn’t expect to win, but I’m glad I did!" exclaimed owner Sarah Mardell.
A celebration is in order after the bistro was awarded a $50,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which couldn't have come at a better time.
"We have had our challenges," shared Mardell. "I think every restaurant does."
The new funds will go toward planned renovations on the business’s exterior.
"Cleaning up a bit and some signage, and letting people know this is a place they can stop and relax a little bit. A nice pit stop on their road trip," Sarah said.
Sarah and her husband, Jason, continue serving up what they do best: freshly made sandwiches.
"It’s a family-run business for sure," added Sarah, "and really does keep us going all day, every day, but we really do enjoy it for sure.
As do the customers!
"The food is so good, whether it’s the breakfast stuff or their Philly cheesesteak, their westerner, and their sides, they’re all homemade and just amazing," shared loyal customer and Fairview Mayor Brad Welch.
The mayor is apparently one of the bistro's best customers, for the food and what it does for the local economy.
"Just serving people the best we could, and word of mouth has been our biggest support," explained Jason.
The location originally opened in the early 1920s as a service station, and has been in operation as one thing or another for more than a century.
"It’s been a blacksmith shop, it’s been a storage place, a gift shop most recently," Jason said.
A Fairview native, Jason moved back in 2017 when he and Sarah took over the spot to add another dining option in town, but said that being able to hold onto a piece of his hometown’s history means a lot.
"I do see a lot of buildings crumbling and disrepair and torn down, and this is an odd-shaped building. But it definitely has its charm, and we’d like to keep it that way," he shared.
Now in its fifth year, the trust awards the grants to 50 restaurants each year as part of its "Backing Historic Small Restaurants" program, which helps the businesses upgrade their historic buildings.
Corner Station Bistro is one of five restaurants the couple has opened throughout Sanpete County, with each one unique from the others, but the one on 1st South and State Street holds a special place in the hearts.
"There’s a lot of people that come in here and talk about coming in with their grandparents," said Sarah. "If you just want to come to a fun place, support a local family-run business, and just have a really delicious sandwich."
"We feel like we’re on a good path," Jason added, "and we just want to keep growing and keep expanding."
