The Story Behind 2 Salt Lake City Relics

Do you ever wonder about signs that are one thing but look like another — or are you normal? Today we explore two iconic Salt Lake City relics.

🎳 Ritz Classic Bowling

Ritz Classic Bowling was a bowling alley, snack bar, and dance hall that opened in 1958. Those who dragged (no, not like “Fast and the Furious”) State Street back in the day probably remember passing the giant bowling pin with neon lights.

The site’s operator, AMF Bowling filed for bankruptcy in 2012 and in 2015 they shuttered the well-known SLC alley. A couple years later, apartments were built in its place but the big pin remained.

🍦 Snelgrove/Squirrel Brothers Ice Cream

There are two iconic ice cream cone landmarks in Salt Lake City. One in Sugar House (more on that below) and one at the Jimmy John’s on 400 S. and 600 E. The Jimmy John’s location used to be a Squirrels Brother Ice Cream, which was a Snelgrove franchise.

Snelgrove’s first ice cream shop was opened by Charles Snelgrove in 1929. It was located around 1000 E. and 2100 S. It expanded a couple blocks west in the 1960s into a factory and parlor with a full-blown soda fountain and bar.

In the 1990s, Dreyer’s purchased the brand but stopped selling Snelgrove altogether when the business declined. Squirrels Brothers Ice Cream was the last establishment to sell Snelgrove. When it later became a Jimmy John’s, the owners couldn’t modify the ice cream cone because it’s considered a historic landmark, so they painted it black to blend in.