Forget the birthday cake. This 25-year-old is serving scones.
The Sconecutter restaurant chain celebrated its 25th year on Tuesday with free scones at all 11 locations and a proclamation from Gov. Mike Leavitt, designating this week as The Sconecutter week.
The first Sconecutter was born on June 22, 1977, at 271 S. Main. Sconecutter president Vickie Warner said the idea for the business came from her family's love for scones. If they loved them so much, chances are others would, too.
And so they did. Since the first location opened, 10 have followed, from Logan to St. George.
"We've seen steady growth," she said. "We do about $7 million in sales. We serve over 100,000 scones every month, and over 25,000 pounds of french fries.
"We go through a lot of fry sauce," she laughed.
The business employs about 240 people and offers more than just scones. Sconuts (a doughnut-like delectable), pitas, sandwiches and frozen yogurt are also on the menu.
Jerald Warner, Sconecutter vice president and Vickie's husband, said one of the reasons the restaurant has been so successful is that it fills the gap between fast food and fancier restaurant fare.
"We've tried to position ourselves uniquely, where we're kind of a step up from a hamburger or sandwich shop, between that and a casual dining restaurant," he said. "We may be a little higher priced than a fast-food hamburger, but more convenient than a casual dining place, where you have to get out of your car, go in and sit down to eat. We still have the drive-through. And it may be a little slower than some of the other guys', but we think the wait is well worth it."
Another key to the longevity of Sconecutter is its secret scone recipe, Vickie Warner said.
"Our scones are different than you can make at home," she said. "We have a secret recipe."
The dough is mixed at a central location, then taken to each store, where the scones are made, around the clock. The Sconecutters are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and have been since the day the first location opened.
"We thought it was important to stay open 24 hours a day," Vickie Warner said. "If you just say you're open late, your customers may wonder what 'late' is. But our customers can count on us, that we'll be open. Our busiest time is from 11 p.m. until about 3 a.m. That's when there are the longest lines at the drive-through."
The past 25 years have been more than the Warners expected, Vickie Warner said. The business now includes immediate and extended family, and opportunities for growth. Hopefully, she said, the next 25 years will be more of the same.
The Warners say they're going to be a little choosey as they grow. Growth for growth's sake wouldn't be worth it, Jerald Warner said. Franchising is out of the question, for now.
"We decided that in order to maintain the quality of our product and the consistency of service, we thought it was just best for us to do it," he said. "We could rubber-stamp it and franchise it, but I think we'd lose something in that. Right now, we just want to hold it close."
E-mail: jnii@desnews.com