Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
This is Chris Redgrave for Zions Bank Speaking on Business.
Have you ever tried the desserts at Red Iguana in Salt Lake City? The flan is one of the best I've ever tasted. And the fried ice cream was so delicious that I still can't get the cinnamon tortilla around the ice cream out of my head.
Red Iguana is destination dining at its finest. They've been a landmark in Salt Lake City for over 25 years, most known for their moles. The outstanding Mexican food here has received every recognition you can imagine.
Many of these awards have probably come as a result of owner Lucy Cardenas and her husband, Bill Coker. She considers her work at Red Iguana as a way of honoring her parents' legacy. Ramon and Maria Cardenas founded the restaurant in 1985 to share their passion for cooking and their Mexican cultural heritage.
It's so popular that Lucy opened Red Iguana 2 at 866 W. South Temple, only two blocks from the original on North Temple. It provides overflow and additional seating, often saving guests the hassle of a long wait time. In fact, Red Iguana was recently featured in a New York Times article for this decision.
Lucy has enjoyed watching her other business venture, Taste of Red Iguana in the City Creek Center Food Court, grow. It's a smaller version of the food you'd enjoy at the main restaurant. Business is already up this year from last, and it could be a model for franchising Red Iguana.
Between all three restaurants, Lucy has 130 employees, a fact she's proud of. A best practice is to strive for long-term employees, and this is working since some of her servers have been with the company for over 20 years. Job creation and job sustainability are essential in helping Utah's economy.
If you'd like to find out more about managing finances for your home or business, you can attend the free Smart Women, Smart Money Conference on September 28. For more information or to register, visit www.smartwomen.zionsbank.com.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
Red Iguana 736 W. North Temple 866 W. South Temple Salt lake City, UT 84116 Salt Lake City, UT 84104 801-322-1489 801-214-6050 www.rediguana.com
