'When life gives you bananas': Couple reflects on 3 years of turning prank into thriving business

ST. GEORGE — If you were to ask Kate and Brock Guthrie what car they'd be driving their second child home from the hospital in, a bright yellow van that resembles a banana would not have been their response — yet, that's exactly what the couple is days away from doing.

"It's literally our only car," Kate Guthrie told KSL. "We drive it everywhere and love seeing people's reactions. It's so funny."

Three years ago, the Guthries were driving around in another car, hoping to catch a break. The two had recently quit their jobs and had a 3-month-old son. To make ends meet, they were doing DoorDash. During a mid-dash stop at the mall for Kate Guthrie to nurse her baby, something happened that would change their lives forever.

"We were in the mall, and a friend texted me asking where I was," Brock Guthrie recalled. "When we walked out to the parking lot, we saw that our car was covered in bananas."

The Guthries were the subject of a prank put on by a friend who is a content creator on YouTube. The couple said they didn't know about the prank but decided to capitalize on the moment.

"When life gives you bananas, you make banana bread," Kate Guthrie said.

So, that's exactly what she did.

Over the next several days, she and her husband made loads of banana bread and decided set up a stand and try selling it. Their ambition, however, did not initially pay off, and they went home feeling deflated in more ways than one.

"The first day, we went out in the evening and it started raining and we had 25 bucks and 100 loaves, and we were like, 'OK, this is not going to work,'" Brock Guthrie said. "I remember one day, I was out on the street wearing a banana suit trying to sell some loaves. I was dancing around, and the suit deflated because it ran on batteries. I just looked like a guy drowning in a trash bag on the side of the street. We weren't making any money that day. It was super hot outside. It was demoralizing."

Brock Guthrie recalled going back to his car and praying for a miracle.

"I remember sitting in the car, and I prayed and I said if this thing turns back on, I'll go out and dance my heart out and keep going," he said. "I turned it on, and my bandana turned right back on. People on the side of the street were probably wondering why this guy was crying on the side of the road with a banana suit on."

Miracles also came in the form of community members helping a young mother doing her best to provide for her family.

"There was a mom that posted on Facebook, and it just blew up," Kate Guthrie said. "Suddenly, we were running back and forth from our house and our neighbor's houses trying to use ovens and make as much banana bread as we could and kind of figuring it out as we went. Brock was home baking, and I was out selling and he would bring the baby to me so I could nurse. It was crazy."

'Good vibes and happiness'

Those first loaves were made on July 28, 2023, and today, the Guthries operate Kate's Banana Bread that includes a full-scale kitchen making upward of 2,000 loaves per month. They deliver locally and ship across the country, with their main customer base being "anyone who is smiling ear-to-ear."

"Our biggest thing is if they can smile," Brock Guthrie said. "That's been our main customer. People are happy because it's a treat. It's something that's nostalgic. It makes them think of their grandma or times when they were baking. Good vibes and happiness is what we like to sell."

The Guthries said that creating what they call the "Banana Mobile," which they said they found on KSL Cars for $2,500, is another way to bring smiles to those around them.

"Our approach is very genuine and authentic," Kate Guthrie said. "It's not about anything big and flashy. I mean, we drive around in a giant banana. We just love people laughing and being happy."

Looking back at how far they've come, they said, keeps them focused on helping the community that helped them.

"This time of year three years ago was a really difficult time," Kate Guthrie said. "We had just had a baby and were struggling emotionally and financially. We were trying to do whatever we could with whatever we had.

"Those first few days were hard," she added. "We had moms coming over and giving me money and just kept saying 'You're doing great.' There are so many instances like that. We needed to hear that because we felt so lonely and so dark, and we just didn't feel like there was a lot of hope. It really helped us push forward. Now we look for ways to give back to the community."

'Failing forward'

The couple will be forever grateful for that fateful banana-covered day, but said that their success isn't "just about the bananas."

"Life can get you down," Brock Guthrie said. "Rock bottom is the best place to start because you only have up to go. The best thing to do is do what you love with who you love. If you're wanting to start something, don't be afraid to start. Fail forward. ... We don't believe banana bread changed our life; we believe choosing to move forward did."

The couple is due any day to have their second child and said that with all of their success, what they're most proud of is the family they are creating together.

"Family comes first. We know if we put the cart before the horse, our lifestyle ends up dwindling," Brock Guthrie said. "The biggest thing is, we've been able to come together as a couple and be there for our son and bring this new baby into the world. That's what matters most, and I think that's what I'm the proudest of."

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