Great hospitality is often quiet and unassuming—the invisible guiding hand that keeps an event running smoothly, or the comfort and welcome guests feel without even knowing exactly why. Often, great hospitality goes unnoticed, but sometimes it’s worth shouting about. Today, we’re shouting for our own Sara Brimhall, winner of Utah’s Best Front of House Professional for 2026.
Sara was named the 2026 SALT Award winner for Front of House in a gala celebration at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City. For all of us at Culinary Crafts, the award feels especially meaningful because it recognizes exactly what Sara brings to every event: genuine hospitality, exceptional leadership, and an unwavering commitment to creating remarkable guest experiences.
What Are the SALT Awards?
Hosted by Visit Salt Lake, the SALT Awards (which stand for Service, Accomplishment, Leadership, and Tenacity) is one of the most respected honors in Utah’s hospitality industry.
Each year, the awards recognize the individuals and organizations who elevate hospitality through outstanding service, creativity, and professionalism. Winning a SALT Award is more than receiving a trophy and cash prize. It’s recognition from peers throughout Utah’s hospitality community that Sara consistently represents the very best of the industry.
What Does “Front of House” Mean?
The term “front of house” (often abbreviated “FOH” in the hospitality and service business) refers to the areas of a venue that are visible to the public and where guests interact with staff. By extension, all the people who work in those areas, dealing directly with the public, are also called the “front of house.”
For example, in a restaurant, the front of house includes everyone who works at the hostess stand, waiting area, bar, and dining floor—basically anywhere that staff interact face-to-face with guests.
As a rule of thumb, if a guest hears it, sees it, or experiences it directly, it’s front of house.
Photo credits: Gabriella Santos Photography
What Does a Front of House Worker Do?
A front of house (FOH) worker is responsible for making guests feel welcome, anticipating needs, solving problems, and ensuring every interaction is smooth, professional, and memorable. Whether they’re checking guests in and out, taking food and drink orders, answering questions, carrying bags, or bussing tables, the core of FOH work is the essence of hospitality—making people feel taken care of, not just completing tasks.
In luxury catering, FOH basically covers four broad categories:
- Hospitality — making every guest feel genuinely welcomed and cared for.
- Service — executing food and beverage service flawlessly.
- Presentation — ensuring every guest-facing detail reflects the highest standards.
- Experience — orchestrating the event so seamlessly that guests remember the celebration, not the logistics.
Photo credits: Logan Walker and Pepper Nix
What Makes an Exceptional Front of House Professional?
Sara once said, “Everybody should work for a while in food service.” We agree! The responsibility, empathy, teamwork, and tenacity you learn in food and hospitality are sorely needed skills, and Sara has them in spades.
The best Front of House workers tend to excel at:
- Emotional intelligence
- Reading people and situations
- Managing complex and shifting event flow
- Communication
- Grace under pressure
- Attention to detail
- Teamwork
- Warmth and approachability
- Professional appearance and demeanor
- Anticipating needs rather than simply reacting to requests
When front-of-house service is done well, guests simply enjoy the experience. They don’t see the skill, preparation, and work that makes everything seem easy and smooth.
Photo credits: Morgan Leigh Photography; Claire Taylor Photography
Why Sara is Utah’s Best Front of House Professional in 2026.
When she joined our Culinary Crafts team 12 years ago, Sara had already spent nearly two decades devoting herself to raising five kids and handling the challenges of being a full-time mom. She had a talent for handling tricky situations, showing grace and sound judgment under pressure, and making people feel like they are her highest priority—traits that make Sara outstanding in hospitality.
But luxury full-service catering presents its own set of challenges. Culinary Crafts relies on our team to anticipate clients’ needs, handle all kinds of situations, come up with solutions on the fly, and ensure that our guests receive the highest level of personal attention and care. Sara has the perfect personality and skill set to do that. She is a rare combination of confidence and humility, gentleness and strength, class and working-class grit.
She genuinely takes delight in making people’s experience extraordinary. We’ll share just a few examples:
- Recently, at an event we catered in Salt Lake City, one of our guests expressed how much he loved our house-made focaccia. At one point in the evening, Sara whispered to him, “Just so you know, there’s a box of extra focaccia in the kitchen with your name on it.” Little considerations like that—constant habits of seeing other people, putting herself in their shoes, and going the extra mile to make their day special—is what makes Sara stand out.
- As the Front of House Manager at an event we did at Utah Olympic Park, Sara noticed that a child with nut allergies couldn’t enjoy the pistachio gelato dessert. She tracked down the venue coordinator and convinced her to open the gift shop. Then Sara paid cash to buy the boy a colorful SpongeBob ice cream bar. The boy was delighted; his parents were touched, and our client was grateful for Sara going above and beyond in her level of thoughtfulness and care.
- Sara prepares very carefully for every event, reading the Banquet Event Order closely for details like a guest with dietary restrictions so she can make sure to bring a delicious alternative for them to enjoy.
- She often scavenges flowers from the left-over centerpieces of prior events just to add an extra touch of class and beauty to her food stations.
Photo credits: Makenzie Jamias
Why Sara Brimhall Stands Out
Ironically, one of the reasons Sara is so amazing in the front of house (FOH) is that she didn’t start there; she began her catering career working in the back of house (BOH). In the kitchen, she developed remarkable skills for cooking and culinary creativity. At one event where no gluten-free desserts were offered, Sara improvised a dessert on the spot. She pulled sugar from the coffee kit, pears from the salad, butter from the bread dishes, and lemon slices from the drink dispenser. Then she flambéed them with wine from the bar and made caramelized pears, served with fresh raspberries.
Sara embodies the kind of hospitality that defines Culinary Crafts. She approaches every situation and every client interaction with an attitude of, “How can I make this experience better for you?”
Clients may seldom see how much love and effort Sara puts into their events, but here at Culinary Crafts, we see what a difference Sara makes. She is a natural team leader because people can feel her genuine concern for them and her desire to help them succeed. New employees love to be assigned to her team because they feel like they have a “mom” who will walk them through their duties patiently, provide support, and chip in if they get overwhelmed. Sara elevates everyone around her. Her events are great successes because she sets a very high standard, then helps every member of her team meet that standard.
Congratulations, Sara, on being selected for Utah’s 2026 Front of House SALT award! We see the love and the excellence you bring every day. This year, Utah noticed too.
