Small Lake City
Small Talk, Big City
Join host Erik Nilsson as he interviews the entrepreneurs, creators, and builders making Salt Lake City the best place it can be. Covering topics such as business, politics, art, food, and more you will get to know the amazing people behind the scenes investing their time and money to improve the place we call home.
Follow along for more!
Small Lake City
Tuesday Update 12/23: Matteo Vault Episode, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year
Need a quick, satisfying listen for the holidays? We’re dropping a short update with a heavy hitter from our Vault: the Mateo Sonier story—born in Italy, record-breaker at the University of Utah, and the force behind a beloved Italian restaurant built with his family by his side. This is a grounded, human blueprint for turning personal history into a resilient business, with lessons on discipline, hospitality, and community that carry far beyond the kitchen.
We walk through how an athlete’s mindset translates to service, consistency, and quiet excellence. Mateo’s journey shows why fewer, better dishes beat bloated menus, and how honest feedback loops with regulars can outwork paid marketing in a city where word-of-mouth still matters. If you care about entrepreneurship, hospitality, local food culture, or the craft of building a brand that feels real, you’ll find practical takeaways you can apply tomorrow—whether you’re launching a product, opening a café, or refining your team’s rhythm.
To top it off, we’re closing the Kilby Block Party giveaway and rolling out a fresh one: two tickets to watch the University of Utah men’s basketball team face Arizona, a projected number one squad. It’s a chance to see elite play up close and share the moment with someone who needs a win this season. We also flag a few Christmas and New Year’s Eve notes so you’ve got options if your plans are still forming.
Press play for a focused listen, then jump into the giveaways. If this story hits home, share it with a friend who’s building something from scratch, rate the show to help others find it, and subscribe so you don’t miss the next drop.
50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY
Now through January 2nd, buy or lease a new Subaru at Mark Miller Subaru and they’ll donate up to $500 to local Utah charities like USARA and Girls on the Run. Drive a new Subaru and give back to the community at the same time.
Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time
Join Small Lake City: https://www.smalllakepod.com/subscribe
Instagram: @smalllakepod
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast
TikTok: @smalllakepod
What is up, everybody, and welcome back to another Tuesday update. It is me, Eric Nilsen, the host of the Small Lake City podcast. This week we're going to keep it short and sweet, but in case you need something to listen to this week, whether to listen to with family or to get away from family, uh just re-uploaded the episode with Mateo Sonier, the founder of Mateo and now Strata, uh, as the most recent episode in the Vault series. Uh, this is such a fun episode because a lot of people know about Mateo the restaurant, but don't know how it came to be. So definitely go check it out, and especially if you're interested in someone who was born in Italy, came to the University of Utah for school, broke multiple records in swimming, decided he wanted to start his own Italian restaurant, and brought his own family over from Italy to start it with him. Also, in case you haven't entered, the Kilby Block Party giveaway is going on, gonna be wrapping that up soon. But also have another giveaway that I will be announcing soon. And in case you didn't know, because I haven't told you, it is so you can win two tickets to go see the University of Utah men's basketball team play Arizona. So Arizona is projected to be the number one team for all of the NCAA this year, so it'll be a chance to see the best team play. Uh, I'm excited to go. Um, one day we will have a good basketball team, but until then, we can watch the best one play as well. So hopefully you all have great plans for Christmas. Have a Merry Christmas. Uh lots of things happening in the new year for New Year's Eve. So make sure to check that out. I will probably be posting something. So I will probably be posting something soon. So if you don't have any plans, I can help you find some. But have a Merry Christmas and I will talk to you soon.
