By Heather Sky | [email protected]

The dessert-only dining movement is on the rise (no surprise!), and we’re lucky enough to have three establishments in Midvale that are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. Each one offers a unique approach to modern dessert culture, creating an experience that keeps consumers coming back for more.

Straws is a local family-owned and operated business and was the first drive-thru soft drink and treat destination in northern Utah. When I enter the store, I am greeted by Jamie —daughter of Straws founder, Tina.

“She started this five years ago on her 60th birthday,” said Jamie. “She has always been a big soda drinker. She wanted her own fountain drink store.” Although drive-thru drink companies are on the rise, Jamie knows what makes Straws unique. “We are all family-owned. I have a sister that does all the cookies, my other sister does all the social media, and I do all the books. We keep it within the family. I think that sets us apart.”

If you’re interested in trying one of their creative concoctions, the Loaded Diet Coke (coconut and fresh lime) is the most popular.

Can’t decide? They offer a wide range of choices on the menu that are sure to please, including: custom sodas, ice cream, shakes, shaved ice, cookie dough, soft pretzels, sugar cookies, and more. You can visit them Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 7386 S. Union Park Ave. in Midvale.

Smart Cookie Company was opened in 2005 by Christian McDaniel, following his quest to perfect a handful of cookie dough recipes in order to create Smart Cookie Company's signature dessert — an ice cream cookie sandwich. Smart Cookie offers 25 cookie varieties that customers can enjoy or combine with premium ice creams in order to create a unique dessert masterpiece. 

Sixteen-year-old Dani has been working at the Smart Cookie Company for over a year and thinks the fact that they make all of the cookies fresh, from scratch, in each store, makes them different from other cookie companies. “The ice cream sandwich is really popular on Fridays and Saturdays. We get a huge movie rush, but we don’t ever really sell out. We keep making [cookies] throughout the day.”

The Smart Cookie company now has three locations in Utah, with intentions of expanding further. You can visit the Midvale location at 7710 S. Union Park Ave. (right next to the Union Heights movie theater). They are open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sweet Tooth Fairy

It doesn’t take long for 17-year-old Vasti to remind me that Sweet Tooth Fairy won “Cupcake Wars.” The announcement is displayed proudly on the wall. Owner Megan Faulkner Brown won Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” in 2012 and has since expanded to nine Utah and Arizona locations. The shop is every bit as enchanting as you would expect the home of the Sweet Tooth Fairy to be. The walls are lined with confections from gumballs to chocolate covered pretzels to cotton candy. The cases were equally tempting with a wide variety of cake bites, cookies, and cupcakes to choose from.

“For the kids, it’s definitely the fairyfetti,” said Vasti. But this fun twist on the traditional funfetti cake isn’t the only thing that distinguishes them from other cupcake shops. “Our number one priority is to make the customers happy.” 

The Midvale store is located at 1140 E. Fort Union Blvd. They are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can also order a wide variety of sweet treats online at thesweettoothfairy.com