On Tuesday, June 10th, 2025, Little America took home the top award in 5 categories from Utah’s annual Best of State Awards black-tie gala. Best of State is Utah’s premier recognition and awards program, created to spotlight the noteworthy individuals and businesses that contribute to the communities that make up our state.
Nominees are judged according to three primary factors: excellence in their endeavors, innovation in their approach, and contribution to a better quality of life in Utah. Their website states, “By recognizing excellence in our community and sharing examples of success and triumph in so many worthy endeavors, we hope all will be inspired to reach a little higher, to try a little harder, and to work a little smarter for our dreams and goals.” Best of State honors our achievements but also affirms our commitment to excellence as we strive to elevate dining experiences in Salt Lake City.
These are the areas we’ve been recognized in:
Best American Traditional Casual Dining: The Coffee Shop
Best Casual Dining Chef: Santiago Ramos
Best Casual Dining Hotel Breakfast: The Coffee Shop
Best Casual Dining Buffet: Lucky H
Best Hospitality Services: Little America Hotel
This is a huge win for Little America, and this level of recognition across multiple categories for our two restaurants is truly a testament to the hard work and dedication of our very own Chef Santiago Ramos.
Chef Santiago brings the flavor, not just to the dishes we serve, but to the community our kitchens have cultivated. This is due to his decisive leadership, culinary expertise, and passion for made-from-scratch meals, which were instilled in him when he was just a young boy learning from his mom in the kitchen.
It’s been 21 years since Chef Santiago first joined our team. In that time, he’s turned The Coffee Shop and Lucky H into the locally beloved restaurants they are today. Over those years, we’ve grown and evolved, but one thing has stayed the same: our commitment to you. For every birthday or anniversary dinner, lunchtime business meeting, and early morning breakfast, we’ve been here for you. We look forward to continuing to serve our community with exceptional food and hospitality for many more years to come.
Curious to know more about Chef Santiago? Click here to read his Faces of Little America feature.